Safe, conservative max temperatures for the long-term?

What are good, safe, conservative maximum temperatures for Xeon 1366-family systems that are running WCG 24x7 (not just CPU, but VREGs, etc, too)? I'm using an air-cooled SR-2 / X5650 (no OC yet, due to cooling issues).

Seems like a simple enough question, but looking around on the web, the opinions seem to vary widely. Short-term peaks are one thing; constant and long-term is another.

Also, what's the benefit of moving to water cooling, in terms of achievable throughput and effect on system life?

I have two hexa-core systems, both air-cooled and both overclocked. They do nothing but run WCG. CPU temps range from low 50's (C) on cool days to mid 60's on hot days.

I have yet to have a CPU die from running WCG at 100% load 24/7. I have a dual Xeon machine that's been crunching non-stop for three years.

70C would be the max I'm comfortable running at. Even so, target temperature would be closer to 40C.

Low 70's C is fine for me, they can last many many years like that which is longer than I want to run a rig.

70c or so. 80 is where I start to change things if its not already planned to be done on a long term setup.

Hmm you guys are a little more lax than I am. If the CPU is hitting 60C consistently I look into improving cooling as that is too warm for me. It used to be for some CPUs at least. Maybe I'm paranoid.

I let my GTX260 get in the 70's doing F@H, but 80C is getting too warm for 24/7 IMO on it.

i used to freak if my cpus got over 60, but with the i7s i've always been comfortable with 80 or less. but i still aim for under 70.

Wow... you guys are conservative. I've been running my 920 at high 80C to low 90C for almost a full year now (24/7). So far all is good.

I run it like that fully realizing I'll shorten it's lifespan, but I figure I can run it like that for 2 years, clock it back to stock and give it away to my brother or a friend. (free - not going to sell a chip I knowingly may have damaged)

The key thing to keep in mind is that every 5C in temp above a certain threshold (which I actually don't remember off the top of my head... want to say 45C) will cut it's life by a certain percentage (also don't remember). The question is how long are you really going to use that chip. If you want to be on the safe side I'd say stay low 70s or below and it will be way outdated before you damage it. Remember, most CPUs 70s are not safe, but i7s are rated to 105C, so that is perfectly acceptable.

Hope that helps. :up:

Here are my temps while crunching, what do you all think?

http://i464.photobucket.com/albums/r...MI/temps-1.png

@OC Maximus
Temperatures are very good.

High voltage is more likely to kill a chip than high temps. The hexa-cores seem a little more fragile than the Bloomfields. I would not run QPI voltage higher than 1.35V on a hexa-core. 1.3V is pretty safe.

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Originally Posted by OC Maximus

Here are my temps while crunching, what do you all think?

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What's TMPIN2? 128C?

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Originally Posted by Otis11

Remember, most CPUs 70s are not safe, but i7s are rated to 105C, so that is perfectly acceptable.

Hope that helps. :up:

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I've never seen a CPU that wasnt safe at 70c? In fact all PC parts should be "hot box" tested at 50c ambient in theory.. that gives 5-10c above the average peak "ambient" temperature during the summer in some areas of lee-way.

Dont forget that a linear rise in ambient temperatures usually gives a linear rise of cpu/gpu/etc temperatures (heatpipes can change this slightly but for solid heatsinks and water cooled parts this is what happens).

edit

I'd be afraid of using a macbook pro outside on a 45c day lol! :)

+01

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Originally Posted by werdwerdus

i used to freak if my cpus got over 60, but with the i7s i've always been comfortable with 80 or less. But i still aim for under 70.

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Originally Posted by sierra_bound

High voltage is more likely to kill a chip than high temps. The hexa-cores seem a little more fragile than the Bloomfields. I would not run QPI voltage higher than 1.35V on a hexa-core. 1.3V is pretty safe.

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Whats the max QPI volts you would run a bloomfield at 24/7?

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Originally Posted by AceNZ

What's TMPIN2? 128C?

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Just a HWMonitor glitch with my board. Its always there, I'm sure nothing is running that hot in my machine.

My 920 @ 3.88 sits around 72 - 74c on just a slim 360. Not ideal I know but a quad socket is more important than a quad rad.

On a side note here are my temps for my Sossaman. It has a single 120 screwed into the heatsinks and has been on the grid for about twelve hours.

They seem a little high (bottom right) Are these temps alright? :confused:

http://img715.imageshack.us/img715/4...ssossaman2.png

On the SR-2, watch Vreg 0 temps. Mine is all watercooled and it shows 60C loaded with the Dual X5680's @ 4.3Ghz running BOINC.
Those are rated to 135C if I'm not mistaken, so I'd say 70-75 coretemp for CPUs and 80-90C Vreg max. My CPU temps are below 50, but then again, I am running on chilled water.

As people have said, the issue isn't the temperatures as much as the voltages. I would not go past 1,4V Vcore / 1,35V VTT for long term use, even with good cooling (obviously I could run 1,5V on the CPUs easy, but that would probably kill them after a while).

For the AMD peeps

62c seems to be the real limit on most processors.When you start getting near it with the newer processors they start acting funky and throw up all sorts of problems

X56xx like other 32nm runs really cool. The vCore may vary depending on your CPU, but normal 24/7 voltages shouldn't make any problem on air.
These CPUs can handle ~75'C, easily for 24/7. Here is mine under prime-load, and it still got 20'C to hit the max-temp:) , on air.


2 x X5650 @3.8GHz (200x19) 1.16v :) VVT=1.33/1.34v, 15 min Prime
http://img.techpowerup.org/100706/Capture008.jpg

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Originally Posted by SuperPhrank

Whats the max QPI volts you would run a bloomfield at 24/7?

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I would probably do no more than 1.35V for 24/7 use, especially if you are running low BCLK speed.

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Originally Posted by STEvil

I've never seen a CPU that wasnt safe at 70c? In fact all PC parts should be "hot box" tested at 50c ambient in theory.. that gives 5-10c above the average peak "ambient" temperature during the summer in some areas of lee-way.

Dont forget that a linear rise in ambient temperatures usually gives a linear rise of cpu/gpu/etc temperatures (heatpipes can change this slightly but for solid heatsinks and water cooled parts this is what happens).

edit

I'd be afraid of using a macbook pro outside on a 45c day lol! :)

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This is what I was talking about: :shrug:

AMD Athlon Series

AMD Athlon (socket) up to 1Ghz 90°C
AMD Athlon (slot) all speeds 70°C
AMD Athlon Thunderbird 1.1Ghz+ 95°C
AMD Athlon MP 1.33Ghz+ 95°C
AMD Athlon XP 1.33Ghz+ 90°C
AMD Athlon XP T-Bred upto 2100+ 90°C
AMD Athlon XP T-Bred over 2100+ 85°C
AMD Athlon XP Barton 85°C
AMD Athlon 64 70°C
AMD Athlon 64 (Socket 939, 1.4 volts) 65°C
AMD Athlon 64 FX (sledgehammer) 70°C
AMD Athlon FX (San Diego + Toledo + Windsor) 63°C
AMD Athlon X2 (Manchester + Toledo) 65°C
AMD Athlon X2 (Windsor) 70°C-72°C (1.35v - 1.25v)
AMD Athlon X2 (Brisbane) 78°C (1.25v)

AMD Phenom

AMD Phenom 70°C
AMD Phenom X3 70°C
AMD Phenom X4 (9100, 9750, 9850) 61°C
AMD Phenom X4 (9550, 9650) 70°C

AMD Sempron

AMD Sempron (T-bred/Barton core) 90°C
AMD Sempron (Paris core) 70°C
AMD Sempron (Manila) 69°C/78°C Model dependant
AMD Mobile Sempron 95°C


Intel Pentium D

Pentium D (Smithfield 805, 820) 63°C
Pentium D (Smithfield 830, 840) 69.8°C
Pentium D (Presler 915, 920, 930, 945, 960) 63.4°C
Pentium D (Presler 940, 950) 68.6°C

Intel Celeron Series

Celeron D (Prescott) 67°C
Celeron D (Cedar Mill) 69.2°C
Mobile Celeron 100°C

Intel Core 2 Duo

Intel core 2 Duo (Conroe E4300, E4400, E6300, E6400) 61.4°C
Intel Core 2 Duo (Conroe E4500, E4600, E4700) 73.3°C
Intel Core 2 Duo (Conroe E6320, E6420, E6540, E6550, E6600, E6700, E6750, E6850) 60.1°C
Intel Core 2 Duo (Wolfdale) 72.4°C
Mobile Core 2 Duo 100°C

Intel Core 2 Extreme

Intel Core 2 Extreme (Conroe) 60.4°C
Intel Core 2 Extreme (Kentsfield Q6700) 71°C
Intel Core 2 Extreme (Kentsfield Q6600) 62.2°C
Intel Core 2 Extreme (Kentsfield QX6700, QX6850) 64.5°C
Intel Core 2 Extreme (Kentsfield QX6800) 54.8°C
Intel Core 2 Extreme (Yorkfiled Q9300, Q9450, Q9550) 71.4°C
Intel Core 2 Extreme (Yorkfield QX9650) 64.5°C
Intel Core 2 Extreme (Yorkfield QX9770) 55.5°C
Intel Core 2 Extreme (Hypertown QX9775) 63°C

Intel Itanium 2

Intel Itanium 2 below 1Ghz 66°C
Intel Itanium 2 1Ghz - 1.6Ghz 83°C

(Sorry about the formatting)

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Originally Posted by STEvil

I'd be afraid of using a macbook pro outside on a 45c day lol! :)

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amen to that. mine is the hottest computer in the house and that's with manually cranking up the fan. sitting here typing this in a fairly cool room it's sitting at 48C. rendering video i've seen it hit 88C!!

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Originally Posted by sierra_bound

I would probably do no more than 1.35V for 24/7 use, especially if you are running low BCLK speed.

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Agreed.. 1.35VTT is generally accepted as the max long term safe number.
Been learning some and finding out that more on VTT isn't always the answer.
More vcore and less VTT many times will get you more.
My E5640's were at 1.35vcore and 1.35vtt, dropped the VTT to 1.3v and picked up 400mhz at lower temps..