Sheesh, could it just be my chip? (Temperature)

Britton30 said:

Tcase: Technically this refers to the temperature that you can measure using a thermocouple embedded in the centre of the heat spreader, but this is only done in the factory by Intel or by users willing to drill their heat spreaders open to insert a thermocouple. Therefore Intel provided a diode between and below the cores with a reading calibrated by the BIOS which can be used instead. This reading can vary greatly when the BIOS version is changed, but will not necessarily change if the BIOS calibrations were not altered between versions.

This is Tcase, not measurable unless the CPU lid is drilled into.

Hum Gary I thought it was measured by the dual diodes as picked up by that HW app. It's a pity there is no real good sound way to measure either it or the Tjunction unless as you say you drill in and embed some thermo devices yourself.
The only way that I can think of is to use one of those rather expensive infra red spot guns but you would have to get very close I suspect.

I did find this but it is only mentioning one diode and I ma left wondering if that means just one core or all cores in mutli core CPU.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_diode


Am currently looking for info on how the CPU's are put together brick by brick as it were but it is quite difficult to find any constructional details.

According to the temp article you linked, Tjunction is the same as what we call core temp and arrived at with diodes between and under the CPU die. It is all very confusing.

Britton30 said:

According to the temp article you linked, Tjunction is the same as what we call core temp and arrived at with diodes between and under the CPU die. It is all very confusing.

Yep I know mate I found this in the meantime which is a little more simple

http://www.arcticsilver.com/PDF/WhtPr/CalibratingPIII_InternalThermoDiode.pdf

I still suggest you need a base line. Just changing a bunch of things a bunch of times really doesn't tell you much.
Keeping records of the specs including anbient temp, volts, component temps, and over clocks ect. Using the same test in the same fashion and recording the changes will give you the proper information you need.
When you get your computer where you want it you will know what got you there and what didn't.

Yep I guess you are right Bear one could go nuts trying to find out the actual meaning of life eh??:)

Do these types of things in methodical fashion and keeping records in my opinion is the only way to do it. When one does a bunch of Hodge Podges things found on the internet you don't even know how you got a BSOD while over clocking.

From Core temp FAQ: I can only see a single temperature reading.
AMD processors based on the Phenom and Phenom II (Athlon II, Sempron II, Turion II, etc.) and all of AMD's new CPUs such as the FX and APU series only have a single thermal sensor.
Thus Core Temp will only display a single CPU temperature reading. There is no way of getting a per-core reading on these processors.

What I don't know, is that single diode measuring Tcase or TJ Max? There is a big difference. TJ Max can run 10-15°C higher than Tcase. Which is that single temp reading with AMD? I don't know.