Is 80°C too hot for a CPU?

Is 80°C too hot for a CPU? Let's find out

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A CPU converts electricity into heat when it operates, causing itself to warm up. If your CPU is hitting a temperature of 80°C, you’re probably concerned about overheating. In this article, we explain: Is 80°C too hot for a CPU? We’ll also share with you effective ways to monitor and control your CPU temps, so read on if that’s what you’re looking for. 

Now Read: How to stress test CPU and RAM

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What is a good CPU temperature for gaming?

The ideal CPU temperatures are rather subjective, and you’ll get a different answer depending on who you ask.

But, generally speaking, most hardware experts agree that your CPU should have an idle temperature of below 50°C and a maximum temperature of under 80°C during resource-intensive activities such as video editing and file unpacking. 

That puts 80°C firmly at the top end of what would typically be considered acceptable. 

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Is 80°C too hot?

A CPU temperature of 80°C in workloads where your CPU is being pushed to its absolute limits – file unpacking, video editing, or really anything that causes your CPU to operate at 100% utilization – is okay. 

It could be better, but running at 80°C long-term is fine. You don’t have to take steps to lower your CPU temp in this case, but we still recommend you do, and we’ll share some of those steps with you in a minute. 

A CPU temperature of 80°C while idle is obviously pretty bad. Such a temperature almost guarantees that there is something wrong with your cooling solution. The likely culprits here are:

• No thermal paste on the IHS. 
• A layer of plastic film between the IHS and CPU cooler cold plates. This plastic film comes applied on many coolers and has to be removed manually. Forgetting to do so is a common beginner mistake. 
• CPU fan not spinning at all, or some other major defect in the CPU cooler. 

Check all of these potential issues, as they can be a fairly easy fix, as is the case 99% of the time.

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CPU temperature whilst gaming

Now, let’s talk about a CPU temperature of 80°C while gaming – and this is where things get interesting. 

You see, depending on the capabilities of your CPU and the resource requirements of the games you typically run, a temperature of 80°C can either be okay or somewhat problematic. 

For example, if you’re getting a temperature of 80°C while playing an undemanding title on a high-end CPU, you would see much higher temperatures in workloads that can utilize all of your processors. Most games only utilize a few cores fully. In this scenario, you want to proactively take steps to lower your CPU temps. 

Conversely, if you’re getting a temperature of 80°C while playing a very demanding title on an entry-level quad-core, your processor is probably operating at or near its limit, and a temperature of 80°C is about the highest you’ll see.

Here’s more on the optimal CPU and GPU temperatures while gaming. 

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What temperature is too hot for a CPU?

A temperature above 80°C is definitely suboptimal and should be avoided, although it won’t cause any problems in the short term. 

A temperature of 90°C will cause most consumer-grade processors to thermally throttle, meaning they’ll start to lower their clock speed to lower heat generation and prevent any further increases in temperature. 

A temperature of 95°C will cause Ryzen CPUs to automatically shut down to prevent long-term damage. This is a built-in protection mechanism in all modern CPUs. Core CPUs will shut down at 105°C. 

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How to lower CPU temperature

Check our out comprehensive guide on lowering CPU temperatures for detailed, step-by-step instructions. 

For now, here’s a summary:

• Clean the dust inside your PC case. 
• Improve internal airflow by adding more fans, cleaning existing fans, and making sure all fans are working at their intended RPMs. 
• Repaste your CPU. This is especially effective if you haven’t done it in a while, as the thermal compound dries up over time. 
• Undervolt your CPU. 
• This one goes without saying, but you should also disable any overclocks. 
• Invest in a better CPU cooler. 
• Set custom fan curves in your motherboard’s BIOS.

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Final word

In conclusion, keeping CPU temperatures as low as possible is critical for ensuring the health and longevity of your CPU. High temperatures can cause the CPU to degrade faster, which can lead to performance issues, crashes, and even permanent damage to the processor.

Excessive heat can also impact other hardware components, such as the motherboard and memory modules. By maintaining low temperatures, you can prevent thermal throttling, ensure stable performance, and extend the lifespan of your CPU.

Therefore, it is essential to monitor CPU temperatures regularly and use appropriate cooling solutions to prevent excessive heat buildup. In doing so, you can protect your hardware investment and ensure optimal system performance for years to come.