All AMD processors are rated at a limit of 100°C safe operating limit. Keep below 80°C for optimal performance and useful life. If you are reaching temps of 90°C or greater, your cooling is insufficient, and you should check to see that the heatsink is clear, and the fan is running at peak efficiency. CPU fan RPM should exceed 3200RPM as an average, below that, there may be a problem.
Motherboard temps should be less than 40°C for optimal performance. 40°C is their rated maximum ambient (surrounding) temperature. If you are nearing that limit, you need to install/upgrade your chassis fans for more airflow. Alternately, run your machine "open-case", just be sure to stay ahead of dust buildup. Many will advise against an "open-case" setup, but being attentive and caring of your computer negates the arguments, such as dusting regularly.
HDD's should not exceed 100°C either, to be safe. Many can handle 130°C, but is still not adviseable. Keep chassis temp as cool as possible. The trade-off with airflow is increased dust collection, in a "sealed" system.
Simply put, keep all components as cool as possible. CPU comes first, hard-drives second, and motherboard third. CPU heats up most rapidly, but hard drives collect and generate more heat than anything. Motherboard temps are a direct reflection of global case-cooling.
Ideal ambient temps are:
CPU -35°C
Motherboard -10°C
hard-drives +25°C
RAM -20°C
Most cannot achieve these specs, so simply-put, just keep things as cool as possible. The most important thing with computers is to limit temperature change as much as possible. The enemy of semiconductors is not just overheating, it is variances of temperature, due to physical expansion/contraction. Keep hard drives cool, but don't overcool them to extremes. Warm-to-the-touch is healthy and proper for a hard drive, but not burning hot.
For semiconductors such as the MB, RAM, and CPU, cool to excess, as you want to limit their temperature rise for optimal performance. You cannot overcool a semiconductor, unless it's hot already. The cooler the relative ambient temperature of a semiconductor, the better it performs, and the less it needs for heat dissipation devices. The cooler a semiconductor gets, the closer to a superconductor it gets. Although air cooling is far limited in this respect, it always helps, which is why it's implemented in the first place.
Always opt for overcooling whenever possible, at the least it will keep temperatures more stable and within lower tolerances, which increases the life of the component dramatically. Overclocking only works efficiently when you overcool the CPU, so treat a factory-clocked CPU like an over-clocked one, and it'll last a lot longer. Treat an over-clocked CPU as a "super-clocked" CPU (no, not possible to the average bank-account), and all will be good for a long time.
Although I despise the use of "over-clocking" a CPU as it reduces efficiency and stability, it is essential if you choose this route. The famous last words are, "Gee, it's running kinda hot"....and then seconds later the whole system fails. I should know from personal experience. It's no fun to limp a crippled machine back to the shop, if you get my meaning,....
Keep your temps as close to room temperature as you can (20-30°C) with minimal temperature rise, and you will be safe and happy in your specs. I run my machine "open-case" to eliminate heat buildup from the "TEFC" (totally-Enclosed, Fan-Cooled) design.
Hope this is helpful....It works for me, maybe it might work for you too....
