# Can you check internal PC temperature?



## DishDude1 (Apr 13, 2002)

If my 721 has the internal temperature listed on the sys info screen, then my computer has to be able to do this too (I would think) Anyone know how to check this? (XP)


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## Dmitriy (Mar 24, 2002)

I saw some computer cases with a thermometer built in and the temperature is shown on the LCD screen that is located above the CD-ROM. My guess is that you can probably find one of those thermometers for your case.


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## MarkA (Mar 23, 2002)

Download a program such as Hmonitor (do a Google search), and it will tell you what it can (what exactly it can tell you depends on if your computer has temperature sensors, and if so, where exactly they are),


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## Dmitriy (Mar 24, 2002)

You would want to buy one of these items to measure the temperature. There is no other way that I'm aware of.

http://silverpcs.zoovy.com/product/T3
http://www.colorcase.com/neonlight.html#
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3408432599&category=3669


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## MarkA (Mar 23, 2002)

Dmitriy, most computers have sensors a program such as hmonitor can read... The few that don't are generally from large OEMs that discourage any type of system upgrades (who shall remain nameless...)


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## firephoto (Sep 12, 2002)

My Abit KR7A-RAID board has an onboard temp sensor for case temp. Has the sensor under the processor too. 2 fan headers that sense RPMs too. I can read all the voltages too.
I'm not sure what OEMs have or don't have. That would be Dell, Gateway, HP/Compaq, Micron, Commodore 64, etc.


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## Mark Holtz (Mar 23, 2002)

It depends on the CPU and motherboard. I don't know about Intel processors, but the recent AMD Processors include a internal thermal probe that allows you to monitor the temperature of the CPU.

My Soyo motherboard (and I sure other AMD motherboards currently in production as well) monitor both the fan speed AND the temperature of the CPU. There is a setting in the BIOS that if the fan falls below a certain RPM (3000) or the CPU exceeds a temperature, then the system will shut down. There is also another connection that allows me to monitor the temperature and fan speed of the power supply. And, yes, there is a Windows program that you can download from Soyo's site that allows you to do this.

The reason why this is important is that todays processors have so many transistors in a small amount of space, it generates a lot of heat. If the fan fails on a AMD system, the CPU and motherboard quickly becomes toast. See this article from Setepmber, 2001.


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## MarkA (Mar 23, 2002)

Z'Loth, you should note a few problems with that article (not to say the research isn't interesting). It just is presented in a somewhat biased way:

1. They accuse the Athlon Thunderbird of being a fire hazard. That's extremely unlikely as computer components are fire retardant and the processor won't heat up much above what they measured. A fire would be EXTREMELY unlikely (maybe if you had something in your case that shouldn't be there. Or a label or something very close to the processor).

2. On a very different point, one must seriously question HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE INSANE ENOUGH TO TAKE OFF THE HEATSINK FAN COMBO (HSF) WHILE THE SYSTEM IS RUNNING AND EXPECT IT NOT TO DIE!!!??? I know they intended the results to show what would happen if the HSF falls off, but there is other damage that can occur if this situation really happens. Which is why everything possible is done to make positively sure this situation will never happen. I've only even heard of two real world types of cases where this happens: falls off in shipping, not in operation (system should have been inspected before first power on); clueless person self-installed the HSF (should have looked for help from someone who knows what they're doing!). Perfect example of number 2 (clueless person working with processor, not HSF falling off though) is when Patrick (of TechTV's Screen Savers) apparently caused ESD damage to a new Athlon - on live TV


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## Rick_EE (Apr 5, 2002)

Get one of those indorr-outdoor thermometers and run the sensor inside the case.


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## KenIdaho (Dec 4, 2002)

Most new processors do have built in heat sensors especially the ones used in laptops. Computer manufactures access this to monitor the heat to determine whether or not the fan should be turned on and at what speed. 
Some hard drives also have temperature sensors in them also. 

These can be accessed by creating custom BIOS. This is not something that the average person could ever access. There may be commercial software out there that does.


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## Neil Derryberry (Mar 23, 2002)

actually, I've seen a computer catch fire... all you need to do is get a cable/cables hot enough, and up she goes.

A motherboard, while it won't burn, will sure smoke a lot! Also, don't forget about dust bunnies as an accelerant!


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## Mark Holtz (Mar 23, 2002)

Zac: The article is from September, 2001..... that 1.5 years ago. I don't expect people to remove the fans from the processors, there is a likelihood of the CPU fan failing. Still, it took just seconds on both the Pentium and AMD CPUs once the fans were removed for the CPUs to overheat and the systems to experience problems. 

Since then, of course, new motherboards have changed, and AMD has changed their chip design to incorporate a internal thermal probe. I think one of the requirements to get a motherboard certified by AMD nowadays is to include thermal protection.

Mind you, some of these sites concern themselves with how much they can overclock the CPUs to achieve a better speed.


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## MarkA (Mar 23, 2002)

"actually, I've seen a computer catch fire... all you need to do is get a cable/cables hot enough, and up she goes."

True, the cables and labling are what I think about. But I doubt in most people's cases those are close enough to the processor to reach the necessary temp to catch fire (pretty darn hot on most cables)

"A motherboard, while it won't burn, will sure smoke a lot!"

But smoke isn't a fire 

"Also, don't forget about dust bunnies as an accelerant!"

Eeek!!! Good point. That is something I forgot about. Dust will burn up nicely, and possibly could catch cables on fire. Perhaps yet another reason to remember to clean your computer regularly (I go for once a month)

"I don't expect people to remove the fans from the processors, there is a likelihood of the CPU fan failing."

A fan failing will not cause the same type of thermal event they created. A far more realistic test would have been to stop the fan blade by hand (push something in it). And even that would be a far more sudden event than a real world fan failure usually is.

"Still, it took just seconds on both the Pentium and AMD CPUs once the fans were removed for the CPUs to overheat and the systems to experience problems. "

Both the heatsink and the fan were removed! That's not the real world. A fan failure might be, but these results don't really tell us anything about what will happen with a simple fan failure.


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## RichW (Mar 29, 2002)

I buy SuperMicro motherboards which all have temperature sensors for the CPU and the cabinet/chassis. It also monitors the rpms of teh various fans one might install. The MoBo also has an overheat LED and audible alarm (as well as a chassis intrusion input) You set the alarm params in the BIOS.


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## gcutler (Mar 23, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Neil Derryberry _
> *actually, I've seen a computer catch fire... all you need to do is get a cable/cables hot enough, and up she goes.
> 
> A motherboard, while it won't burn, will sure smoke a lot! Also, don't forget about dust bunnies as an accelerant! *


Several years ago My boss once had me setup in her home office autoanswer and autoprint of incoming faxes to the PC printer. And she decided to put a lit Aroma Therapy candle in front of the printer. Fax Came In, Fax Printed, Paper landed on Candle, Etc-etc.

And we learned Computers will melt.

But I guess that dosen't count as most PCs don't have Aroma Therapy candles in them


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## MarkA (Mar 23, 2002)

gcutler, I can see where there is evidence for Darwin's theory in cases like that (though don't get me wrong, I don't believe Darwin for a fraction of a second...)


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## gcutler (Mar 23, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Zac _
> *gcutler, I can see where there is evidence for Darwin's theory in cases like that (though don't get me wrong, I don't believe Darwin for a fraction of a second...)  *


The only thing I don't believe in for a second related to my story is "Aroma Therapy", this just gave me evidence that it was also dangerous (well at least the candles).


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## Bogy (Mar 23, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Zac _
> *"A motherboard, while it won't burn, will sure smoke a lot!"
> 
> But smoke isn't a fire  *


But smoke, while it may not be a fire, can be a very dangerous substance. The plastics, resins, etc. in a computer can be toxic when inhaled. Then there are all the computers sitting on computer desks made of combustible material. With or without "aroma therapy candles."


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## MarkA (Mar 23, 2002)

Most certainly Bogy, I never said smoke from a computer was safe. The parts maybe fire-retardant, but they aren't safe to breathe at such high temps. Kinda like the polyester they make children's pyjamas out of. Sure, as the label says, it's flame retardant. Instead of (relatively) safely burning off, it will melt into the child's skin, cause far worse injuries than if it had burned


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## DishDude1 (Apr 13, 2002)

well thanks for all your responses guys...I downloaded Hmonitor and only got the temp of the hard drive. I wonder if this is the sensor used in the 721 also?


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## Jacob S (Apr 14, 2002)

Maybe the computers should have a back-up fan in cause the primary one failed and an alert on the computer screen that it is overheating or shut down automatically if it were to overheat.


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## CoriBright (May 30, 2002)

You can have as many fans in your PC case as the PSU will handle... but only one on the CPU.

I have 4 fans in my main PC.. plus the one on the CPU. It has 3 hard drives (plus a burner) and I like to keep them as cool as possible. The graphics card also has a fan!


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## Bogy (Mar 23, 2002)

> _Originally posted by CoriBright _
> *You can have as many fans in your PC case as the PSU will handle... but only one on the CPU.
> 
> I have 4 fans in my main PC.. plus the one on the CPU. It has 3 hard drives (plus a burner) and I like to keep them as cool as possible. The graphics card also has a fan! *


Cori, does your case hover over the desk when they all get going?  :lol:


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## firephoto (Sep 12, 2002)

I did have 4 - 80mm fans (including psu) in my case but I took one out. It has room for 6 case fans, and one of those can be a 120mm fan.

Between the earplugs and the parachute cord to hold the case down it really wasn't worth the trouble.


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## Jacob S (Apr 14, 2002)

Doesn't it operate better at a certain temperature that is not too cool where it is warm but not too hot?


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## MarkA (Mar 23, 2002)

"Doesn't it operate better at a certain temperature that is not too cool where it is warm but not too hot?"

Within REASON (and liquid nitrogen cooling wouldn't be), you can't get the computer too cool because of the quick heating.


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## Rick_EE (Apr 5, 2002)

liquid nitrogen cooling

http://www.muropaketti.com/artikkelit/cpu/northwood2200/ln2/


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## CoriBright (May 30, 2002)

Cori, does your case hover over the desk when they all get going? 

No... but the breeze from the side one is quite pleasant! I put the blue neon light in in as well (the case has a blue perspex side) and it does glow nicely at night. I think the cats thought some strange aliens had landed a strange shaped flying object the first night they saw it in the dark! Yes, it has the round glowing IDE cables as well. When I rebuilt it, I went way over the top, just for fun and because I could. Hey, it's gotta be better than the standard beige box!


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## waydwolf (Feb 2, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Rick Densing _
> *liquid nitrogen cooling
> 
> http://www.muropaketti.com/artikkelit/cpu/northwood2200/ln2/ *


 These are truly the days of pansies and wusses for this to be so rare a thing. Back in the 60s there were a whole lot more people who'd say, "I have no idea what I'm doing in HVAC, but I think this old book on air liquefaction is pretty neat, so I think I can try this." My local library was very big on such books of do it yourself stuff and they even had very complex(at the time) projects ot build video converters and tv circuits from scratch. They seemed to have gone TAB happy as well. Convinced me to try melting aluminum when I was a teen.

That was a VERY cool link. Be nice to see someone do it with a couple P4-3Ghz chips on a dual or quad mobo. AND with the graphics chipsets.


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