Intel Pentium D 945 HH80553PG0964MN User Manual

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The processor requires a thermal solution to maintain temperatures within the 

operating limits as set forth in 

. Any attempt to operate the processor 

outside these operating limits may result in permanent damage to the processor and 

potentially other components within the system. As processor technology changes, 

thermal management becomes increasingly crucial when building computer systems. 

Maintaining the proper thermal environment is key to reliable, long-term system 

operation.

A complete thermal solution includes both component and system level thermal 

management features. Component level thermal solutions can include active or passive 

heatsinks attached to the processor Integrated Heat Spreader (IHS). Typical system 

level thermal solutions may consist of system fans combined with ducting and venting.

For more information on designing a component level thermal solution, refer to the 

 4 Processor Thermal and Mechanical Design Guidelines.

The boxed processor will ship with a component thermal solution. Refer to 

for details on the boxed processor.

To allow for the optimal operation and long-term reliability of Intel processor-based 

systems, the system/processor thermal solution should be designed such that the 

processor remains within the minimum and maximum case temperature (T

C

) 

specifications when operating at or below the Thermal Design Power (TDP) value listed 

per frequency in 

. Thermal solutions not designed to provide this level of 

thermal capability may affect the long-term reliability of the processor and system. For 

more details on thermal solution design, please refer to the Intel

Processor Thermal and Mechanical Design Guidelines.

The processor uses a methodology for managing processor temperatures that is 

intended to support acoustic noise reduction through fan speed control. Selection of the 

appropriate fan speed will be based on the temperature reported by the processor’s 

Thermal Diode. If the diode temperature is greater than or equal to T

CONTROL

, then the 

processor case temperature must remain at or below the temperature as specified by 

the thermal profile. If the diode temperature is less than T

CONTROL

 then the case 

temperature is permitted to exceed the thermal profile, but the diode temperature 

must remain at or below T

CONTROL

. Systems that implement fan speed control must be 

designed to take these conditions in to account. Systems that do not alter the fan 

speed only need to ensure the case temperature meets the thermal profile 

specifications. 

To determine a processor's case temperature specification based on the thermal profile, 

it is necessary to accurately measure processor power dissipation. Intel has developed 

a methodology for accurate power measurement that correlates to Intel test 

temperature and voltage conditions. Refer to the Intel