i notice that the temperature of the processor of my desktop is usually above 47C, often get close to 60

Do you think i have to buy a bigger fan ?

The CPU on my desktop runs around 45C during normal operation and can go much higher (60C-65C) under a heavy load (when using with a cpu/graphics intensive game or screen saver). I'd really be concerned if my CPU temps went to 75C or 80C.

It really depends on the CPU. Laptop CPUs are designed to run cooler but because they don't have large fans and are in an enclosed space, they tend to run hotter. in many cases, the OS/BIOS will throttle down laptop CPUs (and some desktop CPUs) when they heat up, resulting in a major performance decrease.

You can check the manufacturer's specs for your specific CPU to determine the optimal CPU temp ranges. Checking and cleaning your CPU fan and heatsink on occasion is a must. My CPU heatsink got so covered in dust at one point, it looked like it had a felt pad under the fan. The temps approached 80C. I had to remove the fan and clean the heatsink. After that, the temps dropped back to normal.

Most BIOS's have monitor screens to check the RPMs of your fans so check that too.

Of course, cooler is better but an average temp of 45C - 50C in a desktop CPU is not too bad, certainly not bad for the average laptop.

Thank for clearing i was a bit worried (also because once with a laptop i had a fry HD...but then i was not checking the temperature..)

A good idea would be to open your case and look for dust buildup on the fan and heatsink. You can get a can of compressed at most stores that sell computers. Blow the air into the heatsink and fan. You might be amazed as to what comes out. Whale you are at it, clean the rest of the computer too!

It always scares me messing with the internals of CP's as you should where a static bracelet, and i dont have one.
Or is that just a myth? ... =P

If you don't touch anything inside than you never have to worry! In blowing air you don't touch anything.

The purpose of the grounding strap, is to discharge any static electricity which can harm components. Such as the zap you can get when touching a doorknob. This is a concern when handling components not attached to the chassis, as the chassis is grounded. You can also touch the chassis of any other grounded object, which will discharge the static, before handling any loose electronics.

Hiya All -

On the same subject of cpu temp - how do i measure the temp? 3 months ago i had to replace my graphic card as my pc would not work. After opening it up,
i still did not realise the problem until i physically pick up the pc and the offending object fell out of the case. It was a smallish (about 3" fan). Yet i had no idea where it disconnected from. It took me a day to figure out that it was a fan that came off the graphic card. Now its working well again with a new graphic card but as the hot season will be here in another 4 months or so, I would like to know how i can get ahead to monitor the temp inside the box.

Thank you for your attention.

My Laptop is sitting on a cooling board with a fan and my processor is reporting 40C right now, with only IE running. 47C doesn't sound like much at all. I use a great little program called CoreTemp.

Hiya Photomaster,

Thank you for tip on Core Temp - will have to look into that