What is really being messured when you say 'Motherboard Temperature?'

[Soda]

Hello there..

I've had an interesting discussion on another board about what is really messured when you talk about motherboard temperatures.

With a CPU you know it's the CPU diode that's gets the temp, but a motherboard is quite big and there are many chips that releases heat so which part is messured ? Southbridge ? Northbridge ? something else ?

Does anyone know this ?

Hope this is not another FAQ thing 😱)

 

[johncar]

As a standard consequence of temp sensors' calibration in an isothermal enviroment, all temp sensors measure the temp of the "sensing element" inside the temp sensor....and most often fairly accurately.

But the "practical" measurement problem in an environment that is being aggressively "cooled" is this. There are unknown temp differences all over the mobo and even a temp difference from the sensing element to whatever the sensor is actually in contact with.

So you really don't know the temp of the mobo contact point, but all is not lost. If the system is stable and the temp readings are stable, then worry only when the temp readings "change" significantly.
John C.

 

[anazoal]

Do mobo manuals state where the diode is? I would try to find out where the mobo diode is, and gauge the effects of close heat sources.

BTW, is the purpose of the mobo diode to actually measure the mobo temp or the ambient air temp inside the case? I never could tell. If you're interested in case temp, get a thermostat and measure the temp of the air exiting your case exhaust fans.