Are computers hotter in the summer?

[Alpharius]

I think you have the same problem I had last week . My computer was really hot when I played games because I had dust behind the vents .

[Delekii]

Don't have A/C. yes it's in my house, in my room, Nowhere near the window tho

Being near the window isn't really relevant unless the hot sun is shining directly on the box.

Ambient temperature is one of the biggest influences on the capacity for your PC to cool itself - the same is true of people. If the air is warmer, less energy transfer can occur.

The people saying circulating warm air around the room isn't doing anything for temperatures aren't really correct - or atleast are only partially correct. If the air is circulating more quickly, heated air is constantly moved away from the heatsink and cooler air is constantly moved toward it (assuming the ambient temp is lower than the sink temp, which it always will be. Even in a hot room, blowing a fan in a manner that causes a breeze past the heatsink will slightly lower the sink temp. Not a lot, though.

Other reasons for an increasing temperature are obviously dusty/dirty heatsinks and fans that are restricting heat transfer or air flow, and potentially pockets forming in whatever product is between the chip and the sink (though this isn't all that common these days). Hotter ambient temperate, dust and dirt are very likely the main culprits.

[Fuzzykins]

Your computer isn't hot, this thread is infuriating to read. Even if it reached 70 C under load, there wouldn't be any need to go out and buy anything new like an AC or a cooler. Dust the PC out well. If the still temperatures don't fall below 70 C under load, time to reapply some thermal paste and grab a fan to circulate some air behind your desk or whatever.

and potentially pockets forming in whatever product is between the chip and the sink (though this isn't all that common these days).

This is impossible...

[Delekii]

Your computer isn't hot, this thread is infuriating to read. Even if it reached 70 C under load, there wouldn't be any need to go out and buy anything new like an AC or a cooler. Dust the PC out well. If the still temperatures don't fall below 70 C under load, time to reapply some thermal paste and grab a fan to circulate some air behind your desk or whatever.



This is impossible...

20 years of changing thermal compound tells me that it can very definitely degrade or migrate over time. Like I said, it's a much less common problem with better compounds and more efficient head spreading surfaces on the chips, but it still happens. The compound exists to fill gaps between chip and sink; as the compound degrees and/or migrates, the gaps reform.

Edit: looking at the numbers on the previous page, your pc isn't running particularly hot, especially if its in the middle of summer wherever you are. Only the videocard is hot at all, and gpus tend to burn hard under load. That said, make sure you keep it dust free, because 78C is still hotter than you want it.

[Asmekiel]

78C isn't particularly hot for any modern GPU, CPU temps are also normal. You don't have to worry about the temps you have right now, OP. When the CPU starts going over 80C under load and the GPU over 90C, you need to check it.

[BicycleMafioso]

78C isn't particularly hot for any modern GPU, CPU temps are also normal. You don't have to worry about the temps you have right now, OP. When the CPU starts going over 80C under load and the GPU over 90C, you need to check it.

For a decent degree of "don't worry", perhaps.
If the change really is sudden, there is reason to worry - because it might get worse.
But in an absolute sense, the temps are fine.

My CPU goes to 66-72°C in games during winter, my GPU to 80°C. The GPU is the same in summer, but louder. : P
(The CPU goes to 98°C in stresstests, though : D)

[jlgriffis]

78C isn't particularly hot for any modern GPU, CPU temps are also normal. You don't have to worry about the temps you have right now, OP. When the CPU starts going over 80C under load and the GPU over 90C, you need to check it.

What is the CPU brand model/make...what are you colling your cpu with (again with make/model)...what size tower are you using with how many available fan slots/installed fans you have?

Thread seems to have derailed needlessly. The answer you seek is based solely on your answers to those three questions.

Hope to see your reply and finalize this for you.

~Jason

p.s. I heavily oc both cpu and gpu and top out at 51 C on cpu (i-7 4770k), and 47 C on gpu (gtx 780) respectively.

[SkagenRora]

I opened up my computer todai and dusted it out abit, apprently there was alot of dust in the fan
And now there was alot less Extremly Hot air comming out the top (Fan is on the side)
Hardware monitor Nuvoton NCT6776
Voltage 0 0.86 Volts [0x6C] (CPU VCORE)
Voltage 1 1.01 Volts [0x7E] (VIN1)
Voltage 2 3.28 Volts [0xCD] (AVCC)
Voltage 3 3.26 Volts [0xCC] (3VCC)
Voltage 4 1.09 Volts [0x88] (VIN4)
Voltage 5 0.85 Volts [0x6A] (VIN5)
Voltage 6 1.06 Volts [0x84] (VIN6)
Temperature 0 57°C (134°F) [0x39] (SYSTIN)
Temperature 3 58°C (136°F) [0x3A] (TMPIN3)
Fan 0 4368 RPM [0x1110] (SYSFANIN)
Fan 1 1979 RPM [0x7BB] (CPUFANIN)
Fan 4 475 RPM [0x1DB] (AUXFANIN2)
Hardware monitor NVIDIA NVAPI
Voltage 0 0.94 Volts [0x3A9] (VIN0)
Temperature 0 79°C (174°F) [0x4F] (TMPIN0)
Fan 0 2214 RPM [0x8A6] (FANIN0)
Fan PWM 0 53 pc [0x35] (FANPWMIN0)

comp stuff from after i dusted it out, seems about the same tepature as before but not as much hot air going out O-o or something

[Hellfury]

ICs can easly go 100º without problems its the solder of them and the caps that dont like higher temps

My GPU goes easily to 90º and the fan only sits at 50% in summer, and in the winter the fan at 90º is 30%, the fan can go higher but the ppl at AMD said 90º is safe and the fan is controled taking that in consideration, the card is 3 years old so I dont see any probleam with that.

[Fuzzykins]

I opened up my computer todai and dusted it out abit, apprently there was alot of dust in the fan
And now there was alot less Extremly Hot air comming out the top (Fan is on the side)

Two things.

A.) If more hot air is coming off of the computer, that's a good thing. Say you have two graphics cards. They're both exactly the same, doing exactly the same thing. However, one has a really strong fan and is sparkling clean. The other is really dusty and the fan motor is weak. Now, since the one with the strong fan is more effectively mitigating heat, it might be at 50c. That means the energy from that heat is going into your room, and subsequently making it hotter. The one that's dusty isn't mitigating the heat as effectively, so it sits at 70c and creates areas of hot air in your computer case and around the GPU itself.

B.) Quit messing with stuff. If it's not broken, don't fix it.