Cpu temp sensor

I bought a case with a premodedd lcd and three temp sensors one for cpu one for hdd and one for video card.. My question is where is the best place to put the cpu sensor I heard from a couple of people to put it in between the cpu and the heatshink but, I want another opions on the matter

NEVER put the sensor between the heatsink and the CPU.

As for where to put the sensor will depend on what CPU you have, I know on the Athlon XPs with the exposed die, you put the thin sensor next to the core, making sure that when the heatsink is put on, the sensor doesnt come between the CPU and heatsink.

SunRedRX7 said:

NEVER put the sensor between the heatsink and the CPU.

As for where to put the sensor will depend on what CPU you have, I know on the Athlon XPs with the exposed die, you put the thin sensor next to the core, making sure that when the heatsink is put on, the sensor doesnt come between the CPU and heatsink.

Click to expand...

You said dont put it inbetween the heatsink and CPU yet you later say to stick it next to the die between the CPU and heatsink. This is contradicting, which information is correct?

So can anyone give me some info on where to put it cause, now its is in between the fins of my heatshink just sitting there and my temp never goes above 32 c also I am running an amd athlon xp 1800 if that helps and not o/c at all until I get my new mother board

He meant not to put it between the CPU CORE and the HSF, place it next to the core and it will be fine.

Place it so that the sensor tip is firmly up against the edge of the core (with a little dab of thermal goop). If there's tape around the tip of the sensor, trim it back a bit but do NOT cut the tip of the sensor (little wire) inside.

Never place it in the contact area between the core and the heatsink.

You can use a little tape to hold it in place against the substrate (brown flat area around the core) or even glue it there.

If the sensor has a thick wire (as in won't let the hsf sit firmly and completely against the core) then don't use it. It would only work once, until the cpu fried.

If your cpu has a metal heatspreader over the core, I'd recommend not using the sensor there, only tape it onto the hsf, between the center two fins. It's not perfect, but it's better than the reading you would get from the edge of the heatspreader.

Hope that clears up the misunderstandings.

Thankx for the info just one more thing (dam I ask a lot ) where is the brown flat area around the core could you please show me in a pic

if you have a small core cpu there will be a shiny metal thing in the middle of a larger square, the metal thing is the core and the area surrounding it is the substrate, this is usually brown but i have seen green ones.

if you have a large core cpu the entire upper surface will becovered in a large mettalic thing with rounded corners and edges, this is called an Integrated Heat Spreader (IHS)

Correct subtotal.

With IHS (heatspreader)


Without IHS. Substrate is the green part. Some are green, some are brown.


The bluish-purple square in the middle is the core, and the probe's tip should be against the edge of it, NEVER on the top of it where the heatsink needs to make contact.

Thanks to www.tigerdirect.com for the images....

Thankx for th help time to unplug the pc and try it..