On Mon, 31 Mar 2008 13:36:16 -0500, ProfGene
<mfevs@winco.net> wrote:

>Owner wrote:
>> "catchme" <someone@somewhere.net> wrote in message
>> news:evfuj.52358$Ly.50040@pd7urf1no...
>>> Lew wrote:
>>>> "catchme" <someone@somewhere.net> wrote in message
>>>> news:gV6uj.58853$FA.5994@pd7urf2no...
>>>> ...i recommend a
>>>>> motherboard that supports AMD.
>>>>
>>>> LOL .. Right now Intel blows AMD out of the water.
>>> intel always beats amd from pure clock speed,
>>
>>
>>> but amd are far more stable.
>>
>> For overclocking maybe, but not as a stock processor right out of the box.
>>
>>
>>> many mac die hards are left wondering why apple chose intel, despite
>>> rumours that intel has more resources to deliver processors on time, and a
>>> larger r&d budget- also something to do with lower voltages...but amd is
>>> still the acknowledged superior (though costlier) processor.
>>
>>
>I have one case that came with a heat sensing wire that you attach
>directly to the heat sink and it displays a number on the front of the
>case but a technician where I bought it says it is not that accurate.

If it is attached to the heatsink with a lot of thermal
epoxy (or in a hole drilled into the heatsink then filled
with grease), it could be reasonably accurate to take the
temp of the heatsink itself at that point - but it is not
going to be taking the temp of the processor and the value
it reports will not be close to the temp of those core(s).

That doesn't make the case sensor useless, it just means
that you will see relative changes in heatsink temp instead
of in CPU temp, which is still an indicator of a change in
temp which could be useful to tell you things like when the
room ambient temp or dust accumulation on the heatsink or
fans, case intake, etc, have caused an overall rise in
heatsink temp which is bound to also cause a rise in CPU
temp.

However, since CPU temp can be read by software you might
consider using the case sensor to measure the temp of
something else that you can't read with software - which
will vary per system and the software supported and used. A
gamer might want to have a front panel readout for video
card (relative, as with CPU 'sink) temp, an overclocker a
readout for motherboard VRM/PWM temp, or someone in a hot
area a readout on PSU exhaust temp.