'best temp' for ANY processor

Processors will run stable at 60C (140F) for years. Higher even. Take a thermometer into the bathtub next time. Your water is about 50C. Now, silicon is basically glass, or sand. This material doesn't melt at 60C. Not even 70C.

In fact, if you think real hard.. you'll remember that you can boil water in a GLASS. Water boils at 100C (212F).

Now, any materials scientist will tell you that constant temperature is not very hard on stuff like glass. But changes in temperature DO have a tendency to weaken the crystalline structure of solids (look at the effect of freeze/thaw on asphault, for example) So, if your Processor is peaking under a load at 90C and idling at 60C.. over and over... It may fail in a couple of years through the generation of stress fractures due to the pressure upon it from the cooling fan. BUT IT WON'T MELT. Not at those temperatures.

And here's a little reality check.. Do you actually plan to use that old 800MHz processor in two years when processors running over 2GHz cost $50 ? Not Me. Especially when faster system clocks will make that speed even faster.

Note: if you see smoke coming from your processor, it isn't coming from the chip, it is coming from the epoxy around the chip.

'your brain is not meant to be a big wet paperweight'
Clonan, the Cyberian

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by clonan on 03/06/01 00:31 AM.</EM></FONT></P>