Hey all, I have a fairly modest rig. In an old M1 v1 have an old down-blowing Noctua L12 for my cpu, and recently changed to a 2-fan style RX580 from an old blower style nvidia card. Not sure if I ever gave it much thought before, but now as all heat is pretty much vented upwards I've noticed that the top of the case becomes quite warm, almost hot to the touch when under load. So I get it-- the heat has to go somewhere and aluminum is a very good conductor, but at what temperature should I realistically start getting concerned?
Heat: top of case is hot to the touch
- Thread starter imode
- Start date
With the exceptions being PSU's and HDD's, most components are designed to handle 70C and up, well beyond "hot to the touch".
I believe it is better to monitor temps with software such as HWinfo or similar program. Generally I feel that these temps are at the max end of my comfort limit:
CPU and GPU- 85C
2.5" SSD- 80C
NVME drive- 90C
any size HDD or PSU - 40-50C depending on model
.... of course the cooler the better in my book. I do believe excessive heat will shorten the life span of any/all electronics.
I believe it is better to monitor temps with software such as HWinfo or similar program. Generally I feel that these temps are at the max end of my comfort limit:
CPU and GPU- 85C
2.5" SSD- 80C
NVME drive- 90C
any size HDD or PSU - 40-50C depending on model
.... of course the cooler the better in my book. I do believe excessive heat will shorten the life span of any/all electronics.
'Finger test' is not a good way to check the health of most (if not all) PC component. Body temperature is around 37C (+ or - 0.5).
So, a surface having a temperature higher than 37C (say, 40 or 45C), you will feel warm to hot. But, in general, 40C is quite OK for most PC components. Case panel is not what you should worry about but the internal hardware components are.
As suggested above, use a software monitor to check the actual temp reading. Use only 1 at a time. Sometimes, if you use two such softwares simultaneously, there is a chance of conflict, giving inaccurate reading.
Lastly, it seems the Ncase M1 v1 has vent openings on the top panel. So, I suppose warm exhausted air could not possibly be trapped there to continuously warm up the panel. So, it is a little odd that the panel gets warmed up.
So, a surface having a temperature higher than 37C (say, 40 or 45C), you will feel warm to hot. But, in general, 40C is quite OK for most PC components. Case panel is not what you should worry about but the internal hardware components are.
As suggested above, use a software monitor to check the actual temp reading. Use only 1 at a time. Sometimes, if you use two such softwares simultaneously, there is a chance of conflict, giving inaccurate reading.
Lastly, it seems the Ncase M1 v1 has vent openings on the top panel. So, I suppose warm exhausted air could not possibly be trapped there to continuously warm up the panel. So, it is a little odd that the panel gets warmed up.
In theory the panel will eventually warm up to the same temperature as the air passing through it. Aluminum feels hotter at the same temp than, say, plastic because it's more effective at conducting heat to your skin.
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