Can ambient temperature have this large an effect on CPU temperature?

I have a Q6600 overclocked to 3.2GHz in an Antec P182, it was running fine, with idle temps around 38-42°C when first built, but this was in winter and the house was much cooler. My house gets very, very hot during the summer, it doesn't matter if the window is left open all day and the heating is turned off, the temperature seems unnaturally high (I don't have a thermometer to make sure but it feels it).

My CPU has been idling at around 50-52°C which to me seems far too high. I thought maybe my Zalman CNPS9500 was to blame so this week I bought a Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme to combat this problem and I installed it this morning.

It has made very little difference to the temps and with just the browser open writing this message my temps are still in the high 40s (it varies from core to core).

Have I installed it wrong or is this just a case of hot air = hot temps?

Thanks for reading.

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Originally Posted by JayEm

Have I installed it wrong or is this just a case of hot air = hot temps?

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I have also had the same effect this week especially...altho i stil hav the stock cooler atm which is soon to b replaced my temps rocketed from idleing around 35-37 to around 45c and this is just with the stock settings and using intel speedstep as well not to mention the lil fan revving at around 2800rpm in comparison to 2200rpm back in the winter.

You could underclock it if its really hotting up...the only other solution may be to re-install it if you feel the temps are to high or invest in water cooling if you hav the spare cash.

If your house is 10C hotter in summer than in winter then your PC is gonna be 10C hotter as well isn't it? Best open all the windows and sit your PC in an open space.

There are a lot of PC cooling stores in Australia because of this very reason.

Yeh my CPU is at least 10C warmer in summer

yup, i was planning on OCing this week but i had to knock everything back cos it's just too warm, mines @ 50c full load ATM (and it's not the warmest today) whereas a week ago it was at 43c....... and my mobos @45c idle

my PSU is suffering more than anything though...

Looks like I might have to get an air conditioner. I don't think I can spare the money right now though.

I think this processor can take the heat anyway.:undecided:D

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Originally Posted by TAKTAK

my PSU is suffering more than anything though...

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not melting is it :surprised:

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Originally Posted by SSK

not melting is it :surprised:

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not yet... but it's getting that way... it almost burns me when i touch it :D

hasn't failed yet though, i'm classing it as a torture test :D

Yup this is really common.
Ambient temperature has a huge effect on CPU temperature :(

There was a good graph around that showed the relation between CPU temperature and ambient temperature, but I can\'t find it :(

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Originally Posted by Agent

There was a good graph around that showed the relation between CPU temperature and ambient temperature, but I can't find it :(

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this one?
http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/8686/tempsnewcu7.gif

click piccy to goto the source...

Thanks. Really interesting.

One of my cores is idling at 55°C just now. This is ridiculous. Though I guess it's load temps that really count.

That does (partly) explain why my C2D is at 51°C idle when it used to be 43°C, now I'm worried. :( Probably best for me to go back to stock until I get my new case...