Re: temperature standard - global config option?

Albert D. Cahalan
2001-06-09T03:52:41Z

John Chris Wren writes:

> coupling to the CPU that is about as bad as it can get. You've got an epoxy
> housing of an inconsistent shape in contact with ceramic. The actual
> contact point is miniscule. There's no thermal paste, and often, I've seen
> the sensors not quite raised high enough to contact the chip (you should be
> able to rack a business card across the empty socket and feel a slight
> "bump" as you touch the sensor. If not, you need to bend it up slightly, to
> give better physical contact to the CPU).
>
> But in spite of all this, you're not really measure the critical
> temperature, which is junction tempature. Yes, case tempature has *some*

There are processors with temperature measurement built right
into the silicon.

> For the record, in the course of a normal day, I see my temperatures
> fluctuate from 48C with the house A/C set to 73, to 56C when I open the
> doors, and let it get up to 76 in the house. That's 8C (14.4F) over a 3F
> change in ambient.

This makes sense. Heat increases resistance, which generates heat.
At some point, a tiny increase will cause thermal run-away.