Can a CPU's temps be too cold?

[Ryarsh]

Hi,
I just curious as to weather there are any negative effects to a CPU cold (Probably a stupid question).

I run a Xeon e3 1240 v5, idle temps are around 15-18 degrees, under stress test (100%) temperatures do not exceed 50degrees

 

[k1114]

Yes because you don't want condensation to form.

 

[atljsf]

smartphone cpus can run at almost 5°c more or less

my am1 athlon runs under load at 30°c and at idle at 15°c

no, low temperatures for a cpu are defined at -20°c but i can't confirm

remember that overclocking records are achieved by applying liquid nitrogen in a container over the cpu, so it acts as a extreme watercooling solution

what kills those cpus is stress of the very low temperature and accumulation of humidity thanks to the ambient humidity and the liquid nitrogen helping to condensate water everywhere

 

[superninja12]

yes temperatures can be too cold, this will prevent the system from booting up, but thats in the extreme scenarios, youre not close to that.
also this wont harm your pc.

 

[Supahos]

First things first no it can't hurt anything. People use liquid nitrogen to cool them for records 15c won't hurt anything


Secondly your processor isnt at 15c as that's around 60°f it's not possible to cool a CPU below room temp with water/fans

The temp sensors don't care about being accurate under 50-60°c since the CPU can run at 80c it's whole life and be fine

 

[Ryarsh]

First things first no it can't hurt anything. People use liquid nitrogen to cool them for records 15c won't hurt anything


Secondly your processor isnt at 15c as that's around 60°f it's not possible to cool a CPU below room temp with water/fans

The temp sensors don't care about being accurate under 50-60°c since the CPU can run at 80c it's whole life and be fine

My room is very cold

 

[mahanddeem]

I'd question sensors accuracy in this case. It is "difficult" at least, to have something cooled by air or water to be less than room temp (unless your using freezy water or air conditioner air. Even if you say your room is cold (how cold is it? tundra dweller?) lol

 

[Ryarsh]

I'd question sensors accuracy in this case. It is "difficult" at least, to have something cooled by air or water to be less than room temp (unless your using freezy water or air conditioner air. Even if you say your room is cold (how cold is it? tundra dweller?) lol

just checked, its 16 degrees c in my office 😛 it's 3:30 am, cold outside- i like to work in the cold - radiator off, window was open a few hours ago. hmm, maybe its bad for me to sit in 16 degrees...

 

[The_Staplergun]

Uhh, what?

No. The cooler it is the better it should actually function, granted there's no humidity in the air.

A CPU having transistors and all that jibber jabber at it's most basic level manipulates resistance to calculate data. Resistance generates heat, which in turn actually generates more resistance. If the temperature is low enough it should really reduce resistance generated from the thermal aspect of it, therefore leaving more power in the system making it more efficient, and allowing even lesss power to be used in it.

A CPU doesn't have MECHANICAL functionality on it. It's logical via diodes and transistors and the likes. Since it has no mechanical functionality, putting it at below freezing temps wouldn't even do anything.

The only thing I can foresee is if it gets too low, it may lose resistance on the transistors and such, kind of like a superconductor having almost zero resistance but that operates at almost abslute zero. What I mean by too low is an unrealistic temperature not caused naturally on earth.

The only systems on your computer that would really be effected by "too cold" are mechanical devices that would potentially seize, and even then THAT'S only if there is MOISTURE that could freeze in the components, so anywhere in earths atmosphere. The only other "too cold" would be such a drastic difference in temperature that devices would go through the reverse of thermal expansion, and connections snap like saudering. That would require pretty much causing a cold snap like throwing raw liquid nitrogen on a board that was at standard room temp (70f)

Keep it above freezing and any day of the week you'll be peachy keen with SSD type hard drives. Those mechanical drives might cry a little bit but not really as long as they don't get below freezing while idling.

 

[LeiHeJun]

My CPU is now 22, GPU 17. weather is -7, my room reads 12 and my balcony which is the area separated from heated room and outside is 2 degrees.
One province 975 kilometers to the north is right now -28, I'm planning to visit soon for ice and snow festival; but I won't take my PC : ) same timezone, it's 8:30 in the morning writing this.

Let's assume, we take PC to ice and snow festival and see -20 degrees drop in CPU temp. but wait, using water cooling, I must keep the water above freezing point right? even if CPU survives going below zero, water can't. The festival city get 20 degrees in summer, so you still need cooling sometimes in year.

I can take advantage of long tubes and put my reservoir in the balcony, that requires stronger pumps and well cutting the windows to let the tubes pass. My reservoir is the the room btw. it's a 20 liters water tank. I use an aquarium pump floating in the reservoir, so there are things that must stay above zero degrees.

It's interesting to know about render farms on lunar surface. We can go as cold as it gets. But how cold is permitted? I'm sure Artemis processors will do some heavy work sending Full HD footage back to earth. They might need to take advantage of the cold temperatures available.