Computer hardware components, what is the allowable temperature and how to prevent overheating?

Computer hardware components work better at lower temperatures, so there is a maximum temperature that should never be exceeded, as all components trigger protection mechanisms and start to break down and shorten their lifespan. In this article you can find out what the maximum temperature is.

Of course, there are many free programs that can help you measure and monitor your computer's performance, including temperature. Whichever program you use, it is important to keep a close eye on the operating temperature, especially if your computer sometimes runs slowly, which is a clear sign of high temperatures.

High temperatures cause component protection mechanisms (if any) to kick in to maintain their integrity, reducing performance through a phenomenon called thermal throttling. This mechanism reduces your computer's performance, but it can also shorten the life of components and cause permanent failures, so it never hurts to monitor temperatures.

What is the allowable graphics card temperature?

This refers to the level of heat at which computer components can operate without affecting their stability or health, since at certain temperatures electronic transmission changes and various electronic components, both analog and digital, change their principles and no longer function properly without losing the signal, that is, data integrity, which can cause components to burn out or fail.

Maximum temperature of each component

Almost every component in a computer has a temperature protection system, which means that if the temperature exceeds a certain threshold it will fail or shut down to maintain its integrity and prevent damage. It is important to prevent this from happening, but before doing so you need to know the maximum operating temperature of your components.

Each component has its own temperature threshold that varies by platform and architecture, and since nothing is constant or immutable for all computer components, reaching this threshold becomes a challenge. Fortunately Intel, AMD and Nvidia have "standardized" these values over the years and repeat them every generation.

But let's look at the average values and consider each component individually.

Processor

The processor is probably the component that you should pay the most attention to when monitoring its temperature. The maximum temperature that should not be exceeded depends on the processor itself, its generation and many other things, but in general, if you have an Intel processor, it should not exceed 100ºC and for AMD this value drops to 95ºC.

These values are by no means safe, but they are the limits set by both manufacturers for their latest models and indicate when the dreaded throttling begins which causes a drop in performance.

Ideally, Intel should not go above 80ºC and AMD should not go above 70ºC. These values will automatically increase frequency and voltage if the algorithm detects that it is below these values, so lowering them means higher speeds that require more voltage, so you get back above 70ºC, but with better performance.

Graph Map

Graphics cards typically operate at much higher temperatures than processors, with 85ºC being the allowable graphics card temperature Most graphics cards vary by manufacturer, but in general AMD graphics cards support higher temperatures than NVIDIA graphics cards.

It is important to check this temperature from time to time, as trends in power consumption and coolers make it increasingly difficult to maintain optimal temperatures, and dust accumulation on the graphics card can make things worse.