Could CPU temperature affect on performance in gaming?

ukLz

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Hello.
I have Intel Core 2 Duo E8400. My temperature very often reaches even 78°C
For example, in Hitman Absolution my CPU temp goes even to 78°C. It doesn't hold consantly on that temperature, it all affect of CPU usage. If my CPU usage drasticly and rapidly jumps on 100% and then it cooldown.. Right then my temp rises to 78°C
Though on Intel's offical site says that factory-made temperature maximal is only 72°C. It's shouldn't go over that because the CPU may DIE literally... Yeah?

So.. I've noticed that I have very often FPS drops during playing Hitman Absolution.. And, not even that! Even in San Andreas Multiplayer, when I come close to some place which is full of customly added objects and features, or if there are a lots of players on one place, or lots of vehicles and objects, my FPS drasticly and rapidly falls on 40-50, and then it starts vary from 50 to 95 FPS...
In the interior where there are not much players.. FPS is consantly on 100 and it's great.

What could be a problem of that "FPS drops" in that such weak and not so complex game like GTA SA ? Is that CPU bad or it's because of bad CPU temperature while gaming?

Thanks for help in advance.
 
Solution
Are you certain you're using the push pins correctly?

Unlock them, pull, turn them to the lock position, then push them into the motherboard until they "click".
At a certain temperature, Intel CPUs "throttle", which is to say they down-clock to prevent damage. You're probably not going to hurt your CPU by doing this unless you let it happen for months/years continuously, but if it is indeed throttling, you're losing performance because your CPU is part-time running slower.

I would recommend cleaning out your heatsink. If that fails, re-mount it with new thermal paste. If that fails, you could consider replacing it with an aftermarket heatsink, but I would be reluctant to sink any money into an 8 year old computer.
 

Dunlop0078

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Well yeah if the cpu gets hot enough it will throttle its speeds, lowering the clock speed in an attempt to cool itself down when this happens performance is going to suffer. I cant remember exactly what temp a core 2 duo will throttle but its likely right around there.
 

ukLz

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I already changed thermal paste and everything is same... Some guys told me to replace plastic "pincers" on cooler. And to put some small metal screws like on GPU cooler...
After it, my CPU temperature shouldn't go over 60°C

I just don't know where to find or buy that kind of screws...
 
Never heard of screws to replace the pins with for the stock heatsink. You could possibly engineer something to hold the cooler on better, which would be cheap-to-free, but I'd check to see if you can find any $5-10 coolers (no more) that would be compatible for your system. Most heatsinks that fit LGA775 are out of production, though.
 

ukLz

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I thought on these kind of "pincers"...
http://imgur.com/gIC3vZC
I currently have these on my CPU cooler..

And then to exchange then with these kind of screws:
http://imgur.com/IcXIpuz

EDIT: - Guy who recommended me this told right this because those screws will jam all the way to the end of processor.. and then my CPU cooler will not be so "loose" and that shaky..

Cause always when I try a lil bit to check is cooler set good... It always sways around and it's literally loosely...

Then he told me to put those screws and the cooler will be maximally pushed in and it shouldn't be so shaky and loosely anymore.. and that's how my temperature shouldn't go over 60°C as before.. And right now too...
 
Those screws are not for attaching coolers to motherboards, and I hope you didn't use them as such. They're used for attaching fans to cases, and would probably damage your motherboard.

Intel's plastic "pincers" work adequately if everything else is working properly too.
 

ukLz

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But, should my cooler be so loosely when I put the cooler on ?

Because it is already right know.. Maybe cooler and heatsink aren't enough hardly pushed in right way to establish direct and complete contact with CPU and to keep it cool ?