Safe CPU temps for AMD FX8120 black

[piqua]

Hello,

I use Core Temp to monitor cpu temp. I've tried to find out a solid answer, but have gotten answers ranging from 90c to 65c as being the safe maximum. I have a new aftermarket fan coming in the next couple days, so that part is handled. My CPU has been getting anywhere from 65+ while gaming. I have the PC set to shutdown at 70c. People have told me that is too low, some have told me that is too high. Can anyone give me a solid answer on what temp I should have my pc shutdown at with this particular cpu? Core Temp says the Tj. Max is 90 but that seems entirely too high to me, but I am not sure. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[piqua]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103099

Cooler Master Hyper 212 till I can afford a water cooling system

edit: and thanks, 70c seemed reasonable to me, the damn stock heatsink is garbage though, reaches that after 5 minutes. I know it's the fan, the temps have just been creeping up since I built the pc.

 

[piqua]

Best answer selected by piqua.

 

[noob2222]

Keep in mind that internal temp and motherboard socket temps are not the same thing. The socket is farther away from the heatsink and will be 10-20 degrees hotter than the actual cpu. Core temp usually finds the motherboard sensor.

AMD Overdrive is a relaiable program that will only see the internal sensor, chances are you would see that 10-20 degree difference with core temp.

With that in mind, amd states max cpu temp as 62C, thats the internal temp. so the motherboard sensor could see up to 82C, depending on how much heat is trapped under the board.

 

[Wisecracker]

FX max spec temps is 61c

 

[SneakyBastard]

In regards to the ever evasive AMD thermal threshold, or maximum operating temps for the FX series cpu... Here is a screenshot of my system taken just a few minutes ago and an explanation.....

I am running the ASUS Sabertooth 990FX with the AMD FX 8120. 2 - nVidia GTX 550 ti (SLI'd) and 8Gb ram. Cooling is a self made and modded water cooling system w/ solid copper block @1.5 GPM.

This is using the AMD overclocking and monitoring app, Overdrive. That is a direct download link from their website.

The monitor shown to the right of the overdrive window is the ASUS Ai Suite v2.

If the AMD fx 8120's maximum operating temperature is 61c..... then the actual readings of the monitors that run as a software add on are thoroughly inaccurate, to say the least! According to AMD's very own program, Overdrive, the actual max temp is 91c. Or it could mean that the temp reading on the ASUS monitor is off by 31c.

Here is a picture of the same utilities with a shot of "Core Temp 1.0 RC6". This program reads the actual CORE temperature of the processor.... not the ambient temp the board sensor tries to read...

I am inclined to believe that the combination of the ASUS monitor being just a bit inaccurate, give it -5 to -10 degrees variance, and the fact that AMD has set its max temp at 61c for us consumers to believe as well as cover their as*** in case we OC it within temp ranges and it fails.

My CPU has gotten as high as 78c without freezing up, tearing or artifacts, blue screening or shutting down while I am in game. The fact that I saw these temps with my own eyes and freaked when I saw that the max operating temps were 61c is what caused me to mod a new cooling system... (Which works wonderfully, by the way!)

So stop panicking about your temps reaching 60+ degrees. I would not recommend letting them soar into the high 70's as I did (no ill effects came from this either), but reaching 65, 66 or 67 degrees will not hurt it, in my personal experience.

It is also very easy to OC this CPU. I have had it cranked up to 4800 mhz and it performed fantastic. I just don't like to see the temps rise above 70c in order to gain a few more FPS. Use the settings you see above to gain a respectable performance increase and also keep your system in tolerable ranges....

Good luck!

 

[SneakyBastard]

And the latest success.....