i7-2600 Max Temp vs Safe Temp

[verruckter_mann]

I have an i7-2600 (not a K) and an intel stock cooler. I would like to maximize the computing it can do, but not burn it out, yet not purchase a fancier cooler.

Running World Community Grid using BOINC at 75% time the CPU Package temp from Open Hardware Monitor works around 84 C, with lows of 77 C for a few seconds and 88 for a few seconds.

I read somewhere that the max temp of the CPU is 98 C with 95 C being the throttle temp.

My questions are:
Is this true that the max temp of the CPU is 98 C?
What is the CPU package temp? Is it Tcase, Tj, or something else?
What is the 98 C max temp of? Tj, Tcase, or something else?
Will running the CPU at 84 C 24/7 cause long-term harm? (I'm hoping for 6 years out of this processor from the time I acquired it, which was about 6 months ago. It has been used for a long time before hand, but primarily idling for that time.)
If running at 84 C 24/7 will cause long-term damage, what temp should I maintain?

I apologize for creating another post about CPU max temp, but none I read really give the answers I want.

 

[CompuTronix]

verruckter_mann,

On behalf of Tom's Moderator Team, welcome aboard!

The short answer is you're OK, but much depends upon ambient room temperature.

At the top of all our Forums are "Stickies" which are informative Threads that are permanently "stuck" in place so they're always quickly available as reference material for everyone's benefit. Near the top of the CPUs Forum you'll see this Sticky: Intel Temperature Guide - http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-1800828/intel-temperature-guide.html

Every question you've asked is explained in our Guide. Here's a few examples of what's in it:

Section 1 - Introduction

Intel Desktop processors have temperatures for each "Core" and a temperature for the entire "CPU". Core temperatures are measured at the heat sources near the transistor "Junctions" inside each of the Cores where temperatures are highest. CPU temperature is a single measurement centered on the external surface of the CPU's "Case" or "Integrated Heat Spreader" where the cooler is seated.

Core temperature is considerably higher than CPU temperature due to differences in the proximity of sensors to heat sources.

The Thermal Specification for Core temperature is "Tjunction" which is also called "Tj Max" (Temperature Junction Maximum) or “Throttle” temperature. The Thermal Specification for CPU temperature is "Tcase" (Temperature case) which is a factory only measurement.

Tcase and Tjunction (Tj Max) Thermal Specifications are both shown in Intel’s Datasheets, which include all specifications, definitions and technical descriptions. However, Intel's Product Specifications website should be viewed as a quick reference, since it only shows the Thermal Specification for Tcase or Tjunction (Tj Max), but not both. The Thermal Specification for 7th and 8th Generation processors is Tjunction (Tj Max), but for 6th Generation and all earlier processors it’s Tcase.

Here's where processor temperatures get confusing:

Since there are numerous software utilities for monitoring Core temperature, when users look up their processor's Thermal Specification at Intel's Product Specifications website, many don't realize what Tcase actually means, and assume it must be Core temperature.

Tcase is not Core temperature.

Intel has no documentation which describes the relationship between specifications and temperature that makes sense to the average user, so explanations are given in Section 7.

• Intel Product Specifications - https://ark.intel.com/products/52213/Intel-Core-i7-2600-Processor-8M-Cache-up-to-3_80-GHz

• 2nd Generation Intel® Core™ Processor Family Desktop, Thermal Specifications - https://www.intel.com/content/dam/www/public/us/en/documents/guides/2nd-gen-core-lga1155-socket-guide.pdf

Section 6 - Throttle Temperature

Also called "Tj Max" (Temperature Junction Maximum), this is the Thermal Specification that defines the Core temperature limit at which the processor will Throttle (reduce Core speed) to protect against thermal damage. Throttle temperature is shown below ... including Thermal Design Power (TDP) and idle Power, which are expressed in Watts (W).

2nd Generation 32 nanometer i7 2600 (TDP 95W / Idle 4W):
Tj Max (Throttle temperature) = 98°C

Here's the operating range for Core temperature:

Core temperatures above 85°C aren't recommended.

Core temperatures increase and decrease with Ambient temperature.

Idle temperatures below 25°C are generally due to Ambient temperatures below 22°C.

Highest Core temperatures occur during stress tests, rendering or transcoding, but are lower during less processor intensive workloads such as applications and gaming. Core temperatures can vary greatly among games due to differences between CPU and GPU workloads.

The essence of the topic is in Section 7, but read the entire Guide very slowly and carefully, as there's a lot of information.

Once again, welcome aboard!

CT

 

[verruckter_mann]

Thanks for so much detail!