What is the Normal CPU Temp while Gaming?

cpu  - Normal CPU Temp While Gaming

Monitoring CPU temperatures is a gamer’s obsession. When you’re running the latest Assassin’s Creed, you can guarantee your processor is making a lot of minute calculations as you play. 


Graphics-heavy games, in particular, can heat your system, so most gamers like to keep up to date with what their PC is capable of and how they can keep average cpu temperature at a manageable level.


After all, you want to get the best out of your game without getting distracted by an overheated CPU or risking some major damage to your computer. Well, we’re here to walk you through everything related to CPU temps and how to keep them in check. Let’s start with the basics.

WHAT IS NORMAL CPU TEMPERATURE WHILE GAMING?

Technically speaking, there are some parameters for safe CPU temps which your CPU should not be crossing. The average CPU temp range is somewhere between 75°C and 80°C (or 167-176°F).


So your normal CPU temperature shouldn’t be going anywhere above 80°C, or you might easily be in danger of crashes and hardware issues. When you’re gaming, there are a couple of different things that can raise your regular CPU temp into the danger zone.


While it’s standard for your CPU to heat up a bit, heating up to above normal PC temps can be dire for your system. Let’s look at what influences your CPU temperatures to rise.

  • If you have a powerful high-end CPU, chances are it’s going to consume more electricity. Although it’ll be able to give you a better performance when you’re playing some top-tier games, it can also heat up a fair bit. 
  • A high-end CPU nowadays uses about 105W of power (or thereabouts), so if you’re playing a game that requires a lot of work from the CPU and GPU, you might experience overheating. A high-end CPU can even heat up to 98°C, which you should try to avoid. 
  • On the other hand, low-end CPUs just don’t heat that much, although you may not be able to run the game as smoothly as you’d like. 
  • What about the games you play? They’re the driving force behind how much (or how little) your CPU temp range fluctuates. Graphics-heavy games that use the newest technologies can push your GPU to the limit, especially if you’re trying to run them using settings your CPU isn’t capable of.
  • Games like GTA and The Witcher 3 are good examples of this. Real-Time Strategy and Open World games can test your system if it’s not up to the mark.

So what is a good CPU temp to aim for? If your standard CPU temp while gaming strays to 85°C or more, you should reassess the situation. Such high CPU temps won’t just affect the quality of your gaming, and they can also leave lasting damage to your system.

Some might say that you shouldn't have anything to worry about as long as you’re under the 80°C limit. For the most part, you won’t see any short-term defects if you stay under 80°C, but that’s still a high temperature for your CPU. If you keep playing at that specific temperature, you might also risk eroding the power of your CPU in the long term.

But don’t worry, there are solutions!

HOW TO KEEP GOOD CPU TEMP WHILE GAMING?

When you’ve put so much time, effort, and money into building the perfect gaming rig, you don’t want everything to be ruined by a simple overheating issue.


Conserving the lifespan of your CPU is fully worth it since you don’t want to be stuck switching out your hardware every couple of years. The more you push your CPU temp while gaming, the greater the risk of wear and tear to your system.

So how do you keep your CPU cool and maintain a normal temperature for CPU? Let’s look at a couple of ways.

Where you place your PC

This might seem like a non-issue, but PC placement is very important. If your computer setup is in some corner of your room, crowded in by all kinds of objects and dust bunnies, there won’t be optimal airflow. Your PC shouldn’t be on the ground either because it’ll absorb a lot of dust, and that might damage your hardware.


Instead, place your computer somewhere where there’s enough air circulation and not much crowding. Don’t place it near a window or a heat vent either, or any place which is temperature-sensitive. This goes a long way to keeping CPU temps in the safe zone.

INSTALLING COOLING FANS

It’s a common gamer-tactic to add CPU case fans or even (for higher-end CPUs) a cooling water system. Water coolers can be a great option if you want to maintain normal temps for CPU while gaming and they are generally much better than air coolers (because water transfers heat better).


There are many suggested CPU cases for water cooling that are available on the market. Installing cooling case is the permanent solution to maintain your CPU temperature. So I solidly recommend you to go for this method.

Reapplying CPU thermal paste

Thermal paste is a gray substance that manages heat transfer. However, with time, it can dry up, which might lead to heat management problems.


You might suspect that it’s time to check in if you see that even normal functions (like light web browsing, etc.) are causing heating issues on your PC.

In that case, reapplying your thermal paste is a good way to maintain avg. CPU temps. If you are doing this yourself, make sure you’re well prepared and that you clean off the old thermal paste residue before putting it on a new layer.

If you’re unfamiliar with the process of applying thermal paste, it might be better to leave it to a professional or to study up on it before you attempt.

Clean or upgrade your CPU fans

If you open up your CPU case, you’ll find there are several fans there. If they’re covered in dust, it’s time for a clean-up. Using canned air will be a safe and time-efficient way to handle this.

However, you should be aware that most CPUs come with low-end fans preinstalled, so if you want to upgrade to higher-end fans, that will give you a bit more to work with in terms of heat management.

Manage CPU usage

So how do you manage to keep an average CPU temp while gaming? Make sure your CPU isn’t bogged down with many other activities and that you’re not using 100% of its power. Use your Task Manager to check what else is running while you’re also playing a game; any unnecessary background applications can be swiftly shut down. Remember, when you’re not gaming, the CPU shouldn’t be going anywhere outside the range of 45-60°C.

Conclusion

There’s no single good CPU temp for gaming because each game played on each system will produce different results. All you can do is become familiar with the pros and cons of your system, keep a close eye on how much things heat up, try to manage it and maintain your CPU temperature normal.


Maybe it’s a hardware upgrade you need...but it could just be that your CPU fans need a good cleaning! Explore all alternatives before you end up spending money on a fancy cooling system or a brand new fan. Happy gaming!

Peter
 

Hey friends I am Peter, greeting my post. My goal is to provide the most up-to-date and complete info on tech products and other accessories. So, those who are spending more time in researching the best product can reduce their searching time and can start to enjoy using the latest trending tools and accessories. Just give a read to my blog and save your time.