Are these temperatures safe?

So, I just found out about HWMonitor and proceeded to use it because I was curious about the heat radiating from the left palm rest on my computer and from the underside. I always assumed it wasn't overheating, considering the CPU usage stays low, but now I'm concerned at the readings I acquired. This computer is running nothing more than Firefox, Vista's Aero interface, Trillian, and Windows Defender downloading definitions. Well, and HWMonitor of course. The CPU usage is at a steady 2%, sometimes tanking to 0% and peaking no higher than 23% for no more than one second. Here are the readings:

ACPI - Temperatures
TZ01 - Value: 63C (145F) | Min: 62C (143F) | Max: 66C (150F)

AMD Turion X2 Ultra ZM-82 - Temperatures
core #0 - Value: 69C (155F) | Min: 67C (153F) | Max: 73C (163F)
core #1 - Value: 69C (155F) | Min: 67C (153F) | Max: 73C (163F)

In spite of these temperatures, I cannot hear my fan, though I can feel a bit of air flow from the bottom (where the vents are) and the air -seems- to be cool. My left palm rest is warm, but at a comfortable level such as what one would expect the warm rag in a facial treatment at a spa to feel like. The bottom is hotter, though, and slightly uncomfortable to touch. I tried SpeedFan, but it could not find my fans so I uninstalled. I do not know how to find out if my fan is working, how effectively it's working, or why these temperatures are so high.

Should I be concerned about these temps showing up with such minimal usage? (Note that I have not seen any degradation in performance.) Is there any way to make it not run so hot? I searched the HP help, but all it says is that heat is normal but excessive heat is a concern. It doesn't actually state temperatures related to heat and excessive heat, though, so I have no clue what category this may fall under.

Also, I'm sorry for having so many topics on this site. But with a brand new computer, limited knowledge, and the paranoia associated with having had some rather crappy computers in the past, I want to make sure that everything is working properly and I don't do anything wrong.

 

Those are hot but not dangerous. My AMD in same is 126/135?

 

Phew! That's good to know. If I invest in a cooling pad, that should keep it safe (unless some fluke circumstances arise in the future), right?

 

Indeed those are hot, but not a problem in themselves. They actually sound about right for idling with the fans off, which from what you wrote sound like the situation. My Intel CPU gets similar 65-70 C temps at idle when I turn off the fans. Somewhat high surface temperatures with those internal temps and no fans are to be expected. It seems a bit odd that HP allows the fans to be off at those temperatures by default, but there's no harm in it.

The real question is, what are your temperatures at load (running wPrime or something like that)? It sounds as if your fans don't turn on until it hits 75 or 80 C, which is fine, but if they don't turn on at all even at load then there's a problem. I'd test temps while running wPrime to make sure they are reasonable.

Generally, temps go similar to this:

80 C - Hot.
90 C - Very hot; really don't want it hotter than this.
95 C - Some computer BIOSes are programmed to turn off the computer when it hits 95. Also listed as the "case temperature" for AMD Turion 64, which I would guess to be the maximum supported operating temperature. May be slightly higher for the newer or dual-core Turions, but I couldn't find their thermal spec sheet.
100 C - Stated maximum operating temperature for Intel Core 2. If you hit this then you've definitely got a heat problem. Operating in triple digits for extended periods of time can cause harm.
105 C - Stated maximum for some of the newer Core 2.
125 C - According to Intel, irreversible damage can occur at any time of operating at 125 or higher, regardless of length of time at this temperature.

I've run mine in the 80's for hours on end (at load) with no ill effects, with maximum temperatures reaching 89C. So long as you aren't hitting 90's on load you should be fine.

 

Give undervolting a try. You could decrease those max temps (maybe).

 

Well, I don't have wPrime but I did notice that a very miniscule game (Diner Dash, for heaven's sakes ><) -lagged- when I tried to play it after using the computer for about four hours with nothing but a word processor and Windows Media Player. So I opened HWMonitor in the background, to find out it was reaching and exceeding 84C easily during the game. It felt like the fan was blowing, but I still didn't hear it. Chances are I just have a quiet fan, since the hot air was felt moving. This computer usually runs games without a hitch, but I usually only run games first-thing. This was an interestingly eye-opening test, I can say that.

While I'll probably end up being paranoid enough to buy a cooling pad as well, I think I might get over my fear of the BSOD and try undervolting. I'm not happy at all with the temps I'm getting, since on startup tonight it was 64C after being off and unplugged for 7 hours - and the only way to get it lower was to switch to battery. (Only reason it -went- lower is my power plan restricts max cpu power to about 70% when on battery.) It's a shame there isn't a way to get the fans to kick on sooner, too.

Should I get over my strange fear of screwing something up (and after the weather clears up a bit, as I don't want to lose AC power while doing it), I'll update this thread with my results from undervolting.

 

There really isn't a problem with getting a few BSODs when you expect them. I got two during my entire time undervolting. And after I set my final numbers I haven’t had an issue in two months. It really can reduce your temperatures, the higher they are the more it will do so you may stand to gain a lot.

Also you could try out programs like SpeedFan. There are many different programs supporting different hardware and they will allow you to control your fans manually or by internal temperatures.

 

Left palmrest sounds like HDD possibly? What is the HDD Temp? 55C/131F is the max for most HDD.

 

I don't know how to find out, sadly. HWMonitor refuses to acknowledge my HDD, and even though system information says my HDD is S.M.A.R.T. enabled, the only info I can get about it is that it's supposedly working properly.

 

Notebook Hardware Control (free) might show HDD temp?

 

Just tried it, but for some unknown reason it claims that my HDD temperature is 0C. That can't possibly be right, can it?

 

No, it's nopt monitoring properly, you either dont have a HDD sensor or it's not properly configured for that software, probably the latter.

Regarding temps, those temps are not critically bad but on the high side. WHilst your cpu may be able to run at that temperature for a good while I have seen consistenly overheating cpus kill other compnents such as hard disk, optical drive and ram through excessive heat being subjected to them and I have seen this quite a few times.

Id want to try to reduce those temps with a cooking pad or undervolting etc.

 

why i cant see the temp of the cpu?
my laptop is a toshiba satellite m40x (3 yrs old)

thanks