Intel Core 2 Duo E7300 BX80570E7300 User Manual

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Thermal and Mechanical Design Guidelines  

Once the processor has sufficiently cooled, and a minimum activation time has 

expired, the operating frequency and voltage transition back to the normal system 

operating point. Transition of the VID code will occur first, in order to insure proper 

operation once the processor reaches its normal operating frequency. Refer to  
Figure 

4-2 for an illustration of this ordering. 

 

VID

Frequency

Temperature

T

TM2

f

MAX

f

TM2

VID

VID

TM2

PROCHOT#

Time

 

Refer to the datasheet for further information on TM2. 

Thermal Monitor must be enabled to ensure proper processor operation.  

The Thermal Control Circuit feature can be configured and monitored in a number of 

ways. OEMs are required to enable the Thermal Control Circuit while using various 

registers and outputs to monitor the processor thermal status. The Thermal Control 

Circuit is enabled by the BIOS setting a bit in an MSR (model specific register). 

Enabling the Thermal Control Circuit allows the processor to attempt to maintain a 

safe operating temperature without the need for special software drivers or interrupt 

handling routines. When the Thermal Control Circuit has been enabled, processor 

power consumption will be reduced after the thermal sensor detects a high 

temperature, i.e. PROCHOT# assertion. The Thermal Control Circuit and PROCHOT# 

transitions to inactive once the temperature has been reduced below the thermal trip 

point, although a small time-based hysteresis has been included to prevent multiple 

PROCHOT# transitions around the trip point. External hardware can monitor 

PROCHOT# and generate an interrupt whenever there is a transition from active-to-

inactive or inactive-to-active. PROCHOT# can also be configured to generate an 

internal interrupt which would initiate an OEM supplied interrupt service routine.