hot or not?

I've been running SpeedFan on my XP boxes the past few days, to get a handle on how hot these CPUs should be running.

The maximum die temperature is part of AMD's Ordering Part Number; if I ever open the case and remove the heatsinks, I should expect to find a [V] in the 3rd-to-last position of the Athlon XP 3200+ (85°C) and a [T] in the 3rd-to-last position of the others (90°C).

The temperatures I measured for my systems were:
°C
34 AMD Duron - 800 MHz (90°C)
41 AMD Athlon XP 3200+ (85°C)
63 AMD Sempron 3000+ (90°C)

The good news is that I'm not even close to roasting any of the CPUs. Comparing (and benchmarking) CPUs often isn't easy; if you're in need of a cheap thrill, take a peek at Sempron vs. Athlon XP and learn the subtle nuances between the various processor families, including the socket configurations. {yawn} I think I need a nap.

Deep thought:
Gene Bob's ideal operating temperature is 20°C (68°F).

BTW (for you thrill-seekers), it turns out my PC problem last week was due to a faulty DIMM (memory stick) .. it operated normally most of the time, but would burp on occasion, causing endless grief. Since my last backup was corrupted, I'm enjoying the glee that's part of installing the applications from CD, applying the patches and recovering the datafiles from the last good backup - in mid-February. It's not awful; I can't think of anything that I can't reconstruct without minimal work.