How hot can a CPU get before it is damaged? MiniTool Partition Wizard discusses this question in this post. Furthermore, the ways on how to keep your CPU temperature at low levels are also included in this post.
The CPU (Central Processing Unit) is regarded as the brain of the computer. No computer can ever operate without the CPU. Therefore, computer users wonder if high CPU temperature could damage the CPU. Scroll down to know “how hot can a CPU get before it is damaged”.
How Hot Can a CPU Get Before It Is Damaged?
How hot is too hot for CPU? Is 90 degrees Celsius hot for a CPU? In theory, the highest temperature for many CPUs ranges from 105°C to110°C, while the max temperature for overclocked CPUs is 90°C as overclocking can consume more energy and generate more heat (stop overclocking when receiving CPU over temperature error).
When the CPU temperature is as high as the maximum value, does the CPU get damaged? The short answer is NO.
In most cases, modern computers will shut down when a CPU reaches a specific temperature to keep it from damage. But it DOES MEAN that you can run it very hotly for long periods of time because it could damage your CPU and even your motherboard.
What Is the Considered CPU Temperature When Playing Games?
When CPU temperature is too high, computers will shut down, and this one of the reasons for “computer crashes when playing games”.
So, what is the normal CPU temperature while playing? You should control your CPU temperature between 75-80°C when you playing games.
How about the normal CPU temperature when the computer is in an idle state? At idle, the considered CPU temperature is expected from 35°C to 50°C (95-122F).
If it is hard for you to remember these temperature values, there is a principle: keep your CPU temperature below 80°C in general (85°C at the most).
How to Keep Your CPU in Considered Temperature?
When you check your CPU temperature and find it goes too high, you can try the following ways to lower it.
Way 1: Clean Your Computer Fans
Dust builds up on your computer can hurt the performance of the computer fans and reduce airflow, thus your CPU temperature goes higher and higher. To remove the dust, you can use a can of compressed air to blow out the dust on your computer. You can buy one can of compressed air on Amazon.
Way 2: Reapply Thermal Paste
Thermal paste is used to conduct heat off the GPU or CPU properly and is usually placed in between the heat sink and the heating surface.
However, if your computer is older and the thermal pasty goes dirty and dry, it gradually lacks its functionality. In this case, you need to completely pull the original thermal paste off your CPU and reapply some new thermal paste.
Way 3: Lay Down Your Cables Neatly
Poor cable management not only impedes airflow from entering your computer but also traps hot air in the computer. Therefore, you need to take some time to open the side of your computer and lay down the cables as neatly as possible to increase the air space in your computer, especially around the CPU and GPU.
Way 4: Speed up Your Fans
If your CPU temperature is still high after you try the above ways, you can try speeding up your fans. The faster the fans spin, the more air can be moved into/out of your case, which will help cool down your CPU.
What to do when CPU fan is not spanning on Windows 10? If the issue happens, you can try the four fixes.
Way 5: Lower the Room Temperature
Finally, the temperature of the location where you use your computer also important. When you notice that the room temperature is high, please lower the temperature immediately.
Bottom Line
This post has discussed “how hot can a CPU get before it is damaged”. If you still have some doubts about this topic after reading, you can leave your questions in the following comment zone.
If you also have some questions about using the above ways to lower CPU temperature, please let us know.