Comparing temperature readings

Zyzzyx · Post by **Zyzzyx** » Fri Jan 03, 2003 11:58 am

Something I was thinking about last week as I removed fans from my parent's system to quiet it down...

How well can you compare temperature readings for CPU and case across different systems with different motherboards?

Seems to me that use of MBM5 and such is best to get a relative temperature reading for your system. My parent's have an AMD 1800 with a Thermaltake Volcano7, standard 80mm 12V fan with thermistor on it. They're seeing cpu temps of 40(?)/56 idle/load. My system is an AMD 1600 with stock heatsink and fan (which I wouldn't think would work as good, and is definitely louder), and I see cpu temps of 30/51 idle/load. (temps with case open to work on it)

I would figure that especially across different motherboards (Shuttle to AOpen in this comparison) the readings wouldn't be the same. So in a way it kinda bothers me to hear of all the various temperatures (be they high OR low) that folks say they're running at.

I dunno... I'm bored at work and rambling...

Zyzzyx
- the rambling man

miker · Post by **miker** » Fri Jan 03, 2003 12:55 pm

One thing to definitely consider in this case is what type of monitoring device is measuring the temp of the CPU? Is it a motherboard mounted thermometer (under the CPU), or is the mobo reading the temp directly from the die of the Athlon XP. It would need to be a more recent board to do the latter, the former is more common.

If the mobo is using a thermometer on the board, then comparing between boards, even of the same model is difficult. Sometimes the little thingy can get bent up or down, drastically changing your reading.

One of the reasons I rarely even look at other people's temps.