Normal CPU Temperature While Gaming

You may start to feel your computer heating up when you play games or perform heavy and intensive tasks on your computer.

This is totally normal as your CPU and GPU are performing multiple tasks and carrying out millions of calculations to provide you a smooth experience.

We’ll only have a problem once the temperatures rise above a specific level. You may now be wondering what the normal temperature of your CPU should be while gaming.

The temperature of your CPU should not rise above 80°C (176°F) over extended gaming periods. The average temperature range in which your CPU temperature must lie ranges from 75°C (167°F) to 80°C (176°F).

If your CPU temperature rises above this level, you may experience certain issues such as performance lags, errors, crashes, and even permanent damage to your hardware.

This article will walk you through everything relating to your CPU temperatures. After digging out the reasons for overheating and learning how to check your CPU temperature.

You’ll find it very easy to manage a case of an overheated CPU. So, without further to do, let’s head into it.

Contents

What Is Normal CPU Temp While Gaming?

First, let us discuss what factors may cause the heating of your CPU. The more powerful your CPU, the more it will get heated.

The latest CPUs are becoming more efficient while focusing on the term “performance per watt”. New CPUs have greater energy performance per watt than older ones.

Consider you have a CPU with a TDP of 105 W. This is the most power used on a high-end CPU these days. With more power, this high-end CPU will produce more heat compared to a low-end CPU with a TDP of only 65 W.

The temperatures may even reach up to 95°C (203°F) while playing CPU-intensive games.

So, what is the normal CPU temperature while gaming?

The safest temperature range for your CPU to operate in should be between 75°C (167°F) to 80°C (176°F). If your CPU normally operates above 85°C (185°F) while gaming, you may have an overheating problem.

Overheating can cause serious damage to your hardware and can greatly reduce the lifespan of your CPU, or maybe even end it.

Normal CPU Temperature Ranges While Gaming

The CPU temperature range while gaming can vary from one processor to another and depends on the processor model you own.

Some PC manufacturers construct processors that can withstand higher temperatures for more intensive work while others have a very narrow temperature range. The range will vary greatly depending on which processor you’re talking about.

The following are the CPU temperature ranges of some well-known processors:

Processor	Normal range (°F)	Normal range (°C)
Intel Pentium Pro	165.2°F – 186.8°F	74°C – 86°C
Intel Pentium 4	111°F – 149°F	44°C – 65°C
Intel Core 2 Duo	113°F – 131°F	45°C – 55°C
Intel Core i3	122°F – 140°F	50°C – 60°C
Intel Core i5	122°F – 145.4°F	50°C – 63°C
Intel Core i7	122°F – 150.8°F	50°C – 66°C
AMD Sempron	185°F – 203°F	85°C – 95°C
AMD Phenom X4	122°F – 140°F	50°C – 60°C
AMD Phenom X3	122°F – 140°F	50°C – 60°C
AMD Phenom II X6	113°F – 131°F	45°C – 55°C
AMD K7 Thunderbird	158°F – 203°F	70°C – 95°C
AMD Duron	185°F – 203°F	85°C – 95°C
AMD Athlon XP	176°F – 194°F	80°C – 90°C
AMD Athlon MP	185°F – 203°F	85°C – 95°C
AMD Athlon FX	113°F – 140°F	45°C – 60°C
AMD Athlon 64 Mobile	176°F – 194°F	80°C – 90°
AMD A6	113°F – 134.6°F	45°C – 57°C
AMD A10	122°F – 140°F	50°C – 60°C

As you can see, the temperature range for each CPU on this list is different. Therefore, you’ll have to check the temperature range of your CPU independently to get precise values.

High-end CPUs like Ryzen by AMD have an automatic shutdown mechanism that prevents the temperature on the CPU from elevating above a specific range. This helps protect your CPU from permanent damage.

Why Does A CPU Get Hot?

A CPU gets hot because it deals with power and electricity while your computer is running.

A CPU carries out multiple intensive tasks and deals with millions of calculations in seconds to give you a smooth experience. All this workload raises the temperature of your CPU and may even cause it to overheat.

While gaming, your computer utilizes even more energy to run heavy games. Therefore, the CPU generates more heat that will raise its temperatures.

The following may be the main culprits responsible for overheating:

Heavy Load On Processor

If you are playing heavy games, especially CPU-intensive games, your computer will have to work much harder to run those games smoothly.

This means your computer will be utilizing more power and electricity, causing a rise in your CPU temperature. The fans will operate to lower the temperatures and cool the internals of your computer.

The temperature rise is completely normal until it crosses a certain limit. After the limit is crossed, extra load on your CPU may elevate temperatures further, permanently damaging your internal components and hardware.

Moreover, high temperatures will also lower the performance of your computer, causing errors and crashing.

Inadequate Ventilation

A CPU may overheat if your computer lacks proper ventilation. This may be due to a poor cooling system. An inadequate cooling system causes your system to heat up as it fails to push out the heat generated by your computer.

Moreover, the room your computer is situated in may not have proper ventilation causing things to heat up. Poor ventilation may also arise due to situating your PC against the wall, blocking the airway passage.

How to Check If Your CPU Is Overheating

The simplest way to check your CPU temperature is through a CPU temperature monitoring application.

There are all sorts of applications for temperature monitoring, including MSI Afterburner, NZXT CAM, HWMonitor, and so much more. These are very accurate applications and will provide precise CPU temperature recordings.

You can download these software’s and regularly monitor your CPU temperature to keep a check on overheating.

If you want to avoid downloading the listed applications for CPU temp monitoring, there are other methods to tell if your CPU temperatures have crossed the threshold.

The following signs can indicate your CPU is overheating:

Your computer may reboot by itself. The screen may also turn blue in the middle of a game. These signs indicate your computer is overheating.
Certain computers may contain a built-in overheating alarm that gets triggered when the CPU is overheated.
Observing the fans can also indicate whether overheating is occurring or not. At times, when a computer heats up, the fans increase their revolution speed and make more noise in an attempt to increase ventilation and lower the temperatures.

Observing all these signs can help you become aware of the fact that the temperature of your computer is very high. Therefore, you should give it a break to let things cool down. This way, you can prevent permanent damage.

How To Reduce CPU Temperature

There are multiple things you can do to reduce CPU temperatures:

Replace Thermal Compound

The most effective way of reducing temperatures is to replace the thermal compound. You should have the thermal compound changed at least once every year.

The old thermal compound may have difficulty in transferring heat, resulting in higher CPU temperatures. By changing the thermal compound, the energy will be able to flow freely without causing any excessive heat.

Enhance Ventilation

You can increase ventilation by performing the following steps:

Relocate your computer to a room with better ventilation. This will help in providing better airflow allowing your computer to stay cool during intensive work.
Install an air conditioner in the room you’ve set your PC in. This will help lower the external heat and allow a cool atmosphere from the outside.
Make sure your PC is dust-free. Dust can reduce the speed of your fans and can compromise cooling performance causing your system to heat up. Blowing compressed air inside your computer may help clear the dust and allow normal cooling function.
Make sure to place your PC in an open surrounding with good clearance. This helps the air flow freely.
You can also reduce the temperature of your CPU by installing and adding better cooling fans. More fans with higher revolution speed will be able to get rid of the excess heat and help keep temperatures low.

FAQs

Is 70°C hot for a CPU while gaming?

The answer to this depends on which CPU you are using. For some CPUs, the normal temperature range may fall below 70°C, meaning 70°C will be considered overheating.

For other CPUs, 70°C may fall in its temperature range and should not do any harm. The standard temperature range lies between 70°C to 80°C.

Is 45°C OK for the CPU?

Yes, 45°C is considered a safe CPU temperature. In gaming, the temperatures should stay between 65°C to 70°C. Anything above 80°C under the highest load will cause damage to your computer.

Is 75 degrees Celsius hot for a CPU while gaming?

Although 75°C is pretty hot for a CPU, it can get normal to reach such temperature levels during intense gaming. As long as the CPU temperature does not exceed 80°C, you should be good to go. You should remember that the temperature range varies from CPU to CPU.

Wrapping It Up

A CPU is one of the most vital parts of a computer as it runs and processes almost everything. It will most likely heat up when you perform intensive work or play games on a CPU.

This is completely normal, and you should be good to go as long as your temperature falls within the normal range. The temperatures should not exceed 80°C for an extended time period.

Every CPU has a different temperature range, and you’ll have to manage each one differently. Overheating can cause permanent damage to the computer and can compromise your performance.

Therefore, it is important to monitor your computer from time to time and provide good ventilation for your system to cool up. Installing multiple fans can also help keep your CPU temperatures low.

Taking care of your CPU is very important because a CPU can cost you as much as a brand-new computer. Hopefully, this article will have been of help to you. We wish you all the best.

What Is Normal CPU Temp While Gaming?

Normal CPU Temperature Ranges While Gaming