Athlon X2 running 30-38 idle and 65-70 when gaming, priming .... safe temperatures?

[PremiumG]

what are safe temperatures for Athlon X2 Windsor core?

 

[lopri]

70 sounds high. What's your frequency? I'd try to keep it under 65C, preferably under 60C. By 'safe' if you means vs the death of CPU, no, the CPU won't die @70C, though.

 

[DrMrLordX]

That's a huge swing from idle to load. What HSF/thermal paste are you using?

 

[Amaroque]

The CPU in my sig runs at 50-55 (60 when it's hot in the house), while running prime on both cores.

Seems very warm to me. BTW, I'm using an XP90c with AS5.

 

[PremiumG]

i'm using a stock Dell E521 so no mods with voltage or heatsinks. I did OC the chip from 2200mhz to 2400mhz though

 

[DrMrLordX]

Oh okay, so you've probably got the stock hsf with the standard Shin Etsu pad on it, unless Dell has mounted something different. You could replace the HSF if you're feeling up to the task. Your system warranty is probably already void if you've overclocked it. Probably.

 

[Amaroque]

Truth be told, Dell has no clue if you OC or not...

He is correct though, you need to replace the HSF and compound.