What is a normal CPU & GPU temperature while gaming? – How hot is too hot?

We help you understand what a good CPU & GPU temperature is for your build

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Wondering about the normal CPU & GPU temperature for gaming? You’ve come to the right place. It is very important it is to keep our core hardware running at optimal temperatures, It can benefit your system in several different ways ranging from better performance to increased longevity. Understanding the optimal CPU and GPU temperatures will give you a good idea of where to aim when optimizing your fan airflow setup or picking out better cooling solutions for your components.

So, what’s the best way to keep your PC parts cool? Thankfully, there are a ton of different ways in which you can improve the cooling of your system – all of which will be covered in this article. Alongside that, we’ll also be covering how you can track your internal temps, how to optimize your PC for better cooling, and some other helpful tips on cooling that you may not know. That way you can keep your CPU cool along with making sure your GPU is not overheating so you get the performance across the board.

If you want to keep your CPU running nice and cool, we’ve outlined some of the best CPU coolers we know of that’ll do just the trick below.

What is a normal CPU & temperature for gaming?

So what is a normal CPU temperature? What constitutes ‘normal’ depends on a range of factors. Your hardware, environment, setup, workload, or cooling solution all affect the temperature of both your CPU and GPU. If you have one of the best graphics cards paired with the best CPUs for gaming, then you can expect these power-hungry parts to produce a lot of heat. Of course, you should be running a strong cooling solution and have a case with plenty of airflow to keep them under a ‘normal’ temperature.

While gaming, a normal temperature for your CPU is within the 70°C-80°C (158°F–176°F) range – so don’t worry if you see temps as high as this. If you have a high-end processor, you can expect to reach the higher end of that range while playing a CPU-intensive game. Under a regular workload, you can expect to be within 40°C-65°C (104°F–149°F).

What is the optimal CPU temperature while gaming?

Whether you’re running an AMD or Intel processor, the temperature threshold for all processors varies greatly.

The optimal CPU temperature for gaming should ideally not exceed 176°F (80°C), this gives plenty of room to spike towards its TJmax. On average, your CPU should run anywhere between 167°-176°F (75-80°C). In certain situations, CPUs have the potential to run a little hotter. Long gaming sessions and overclocking (something we’ll touch upon later) will result in slightly higher average temperatures but in an ideal world, you would want to try and stay under 80°C.

Thanks to modern gaming, PC games now draw most of their performance demands from the GPU – something that, historically, wasn’t always the case. This means the GPU does most of the heavy lifting, avoiding CPU strain.

What is the optimal GPU temperature while gaming?

GPUs are usually capped at a max temperature of around 203°F (95°C). This is done to try and avoid any permanent damage occurring to the GPU itself. Having said that, the optimal GPU temperature for gaming shouldn’t exceed 185°F (85°C), even if some are rated higher.

Looking back, games used to rely on the CPU for their performance requirements. However, thanks to a recent change in architecture, games now rely much more heavily on GPUs to drive frame rates.

Naturally, that has had a knock-on effect on the manufacturers themselves – with consumers now demanding much more power and better cooling solutions across the board. AMD and Nvidia are two brands that have been producing GPUs for as long as we can remember – with Nvidia, for the most part, dominating the market.

Having said that, AMD has leveled the playing field over the last couple of years thanks to its range of Navi GPUs. Thanks to such fierce competition between the two brands, we’re seeing much more powerful cards being released from both sides. Which, for the most part, is great news.

However, aftermarket GPU manufacturers now have to provide even better cooling to try and counterbalance the extra heat these cards generate. This leads to a wide array of varying average temperatures across the board – giving you as a consumer, even more things to think about during an upgrade purchase.

Factors that influence GPU temperature

• Playing very stressful GPU-dependant games
• The quality of the GPU’s cooling design
• Your ambient temperature
• The quality of your case
• How many case fans do you have
• Quality of airflow

The list goes on, but these are the most affecting factors for increased GPU heat while gaming. To ensure temps are kept at optimal levels, you want to create a level playing field across all these factors. That way, you’ll give your system the absolute best chance of staying cool.

How to track your CPU/GPU temperature when gaming?

We recommend installing some helpful utilities that measure the temperature of your PC. There are several ways to track the temp but for simplicity’s sake, we will just focus on the top-level temperature monitoring software that you can run on your operating system.

One of the top recommendations and industry-wide options is HWinfo. Useful for checking all the sensors available to you, it gives plenty of information across the board including temps and voltages. Along with being able to share data across applications, it gives you a flexible use of it. Otherwise, there are also the likes of MSI Afterburner, Intel Presentmon, or usually any of the software your motherboard brand has to offer.

How to deal with high CPU and GPU temperatures?

So, you’re experiencing high temps in either your GPU or CPU and need to know how to lower them. Well, before we learn how to lower GPU temperatures or reduce heat from the CPU. Make sure you know what is causing those problems in the first place. Below are what we consider the most common reasons why CPU/GPU temperatures skyrocket:

Dust

One of the major causes of excess heat is dust buildup. If you haven’t cleaned the inside of your case in a few months, dust will naturally accumulate. The dust will reach a level where it starts to affect the case’s internal airflow, which, in turn, leads to less efficient internal cooling. Dust can be a real pain as it tends to find its way into the most annoying places to clean. Our number one tip for cleaning your case is compressed air.

For the most part, a Hoover will get a lot of the main dust out of your PC. That being said, it won’t completely get rid of case dust – that’s where the compressed air comes into the equation. Simply take your case outside (to a secure dry place) and blast that dust away with compressed air. While also cleaning out the rest with isopropyl alcohol and non-fiber wipes.

Poor cable management

Another overlooked area that contributes heavily to increasing CPU/GPU temperatures is your cable management – or lack of it. If you block the airflow that goes around the GPU, then your open-air cooling design won’t be able to work at optimal levels. Pair that with summer ambient temps and a lack of properly optimized case fans, and your hardware temps will soon skyrocket.

Whether you’re building a $300 budget build or a high-end $1000 gaming rig, always remember to take care of cable management. It can seriously improve the efficiency of your hardware.

Poor airflow or lack of fans

One of the easiest ways to impact your case’s internal temperature is with more/better case fans. Investing in decent case fans can seriously reduce internal temps, especially if they have high CFM (cubic feet per minute) levels. Make sure you have at least one intake fan and one exhaust fan to promote a more natural airflow throughout the case.

You can go one step further and get numerous intake/exhaust fans to bolster your cooling. We recommend doing this in scenarios where you’re PC is under a lot of stress for extended periods.

High ambient temperature

One of the most important areas to consider when trying to reduce CPU/GPU temperatures is the ambient temperature. If you live in a tropical part of the world or experience extreme heat during the summer months, this can be a serious problem for your PC temperatures. Unfortunately, there’s not a great deal you can do about this unless you have a fair bit of money to invest. Air-con is a great amenity but one that will probably set you back more than the PC itself.

If this is the case, it might be time to invest in some form of water-cooled AIO. We have a bunch of great recommendations that will help you out a lot come the hotter months of the year. We also recommend, as a minimum, setting a more aggressive fan profile using one of the utilities above.

Change thermal paste

If you haven’t bothered changing our CPU and GPU thermal paste within the past six months or so, then chances are it’s time you should change it. Or consider upgrading your thermal paste to make for better, more efficient heat transfer between the component and the cooler. Before changing the thermals, learn how to correctly apply thermal paste to the CPU or GPU to avoid any problematic situations.

Overclocking

Overclocking is one of the quickest and easiest ways to increase the internal temps of your hardware. You are physically pushing your components to the limit, and as we’ve already explained, extra stress translates directly into heat. What you might not be aware of, however, is the overclocking profiles that come built into modern hardware. GPUs and CPUs can come equipped with an OC profile, which is physically pushing the component harder than you’d expect.

During the hotter months of the year, it might be worth switching your OC profile to stock levels – especially if you’re experiencing higher average temps. You can do this in your manufacturer utility software, or directly via the BIOS.

Do high CPU/ GPU temps affect lifespan?

There’s a lot of speculation around this topic, but increased temps in hardware can hurt its life span. How measurable this is is yet to be determined, but rapid changes in temp to hardware are never good at any level. High temps can physically stretch and warp the materials of your hardware. This, in turn, can reduce the longevity of its lifespan. Ultimately, keeping your hardware cool isn’t just about performance. It can have a real impact on the lifespan as well.

FAQs

What is a normal GPU temperature for gaming?

Just like with CPUs, a ‘normal’ range depends on the graphics card you’re using. A high TDP effects temperatures quite a lot. We’re seeing some modern GPUs get increasingly power efficient, such as the mid-range of Nvidia’s 40-series, where you should see lower temps.

Overall though, we’d still go within the range of 65°C-85°C (149°F-185°F) as a normal temperature when under stress. Low-mid range cards should be on the lower end, and high-end options like Nvidia’s RTX 4080 or 4090 will reach that top end in your average gaming rig.

Are high CPU & GPU temperatures safe?

Modern CPUs and GPUs are built to withstand high levels of heat – though there is of course a cap. As long as you stay within the optimal limits we’ve explained, then you’re in no danger.

There is a some leeway of around 5°C-10°C (41°F-50°F) above this, but any higher and you could start to do damage to your hardware.

Final word

Thanks to our comprehensive guide to optimal CPU and GPU temperatures while gaming, you now know to look after your system and protect vital components from too high temperatures. While it’s true that there’s no one definite answer to “What’s the optimal CPU/GPU temperature for gaming?”, as a general rule of thumb, it’s always a good idea to try and keep them as low as possible. Within 149°F-185°F (65-85°C) for GPUs and 167°-176°F (75-80°C). should be fine, it’s also okay to go slightly above for short periods.

Ensuring your components stick to this limit will increase the lifespan of your hardware, and could help you get a little more performance out of your components (if you have a CPU that automatically boosts based on current temperatures). Now you know the average optimal CPU/GPU temperature for gaming, and how to keep high temperatures at bay, you no longer need to ask the question; How hot is too hot?