Just got this today from AMD Tech Support. Note what he says about Tcase (it is NOT the temperature taken from a diode on the socket).
From: TECH.SUPPORT@AMD.COM
Sent: Wed 5/16/12 8:09 AM
To: xxxxxxxxxxxxx@hotmail.com
Dear Stephen,
Your service request : SR #{ticketno:[8200488157]} has been reviewed and updated.
Response and Service Request History:
It's quite alright, this is a question that I can't really find a specific answer to as well. Obviously software can tweak the numbers a bit (Catalyst vs HWMonitor vs CoreTemp), since they're just interpreting the BIOS info, which is the most accurate, but I can't seem to find any documentation or source code or manuals or ANYTHING from HWMonitor that shows where they determine CPUTIN. All I've seen are people noting errors in HWMonitor specifically, but obviously I can't confirm these issues. The HWMonitor forums seem to imply that it is based on TCase, but all I can confirm is that it's taking a value from the board and reporting it, but the introduction of a 3rd party really does temper the values a little bit, and they don't seem to actually say which one they are using (TJ, TCase, etc).
From what I can figure out, each software really does their own thing (like CoreTemp uses TJ for Intel processors and TCase for AMDs). I know that this didn't really help, all I can say for sure is that HWMonitor doesn't have available documentation on where they get their info, but the majority of software will just rely on the board to give them info, as they won't have access to those numbers directly, but interpretation and rounding errors and such can yield slightly skewed results.
Either way, TCase is supposed to be the physical temperature of the inside-top of the CPU, while core temperatures most often refer to CPU-NB temperatures (for AMD processors at least), or Tjunction (for either brand of processor), depending on the software. But obviously each software developer can do what they want with their information, and define/interpret it in different ways. That's part of the joy of open-sourced software, 10 versions that do the same thing to sometimes-contradictory results. I know that this really didn't answer the question, but it's all that I am able to get out of HWMonitor, and what info we have on processors in general over here.
Feel free to ask more questions, having people informed like you, who are willing to pass this information on (after interpreting and translating it into something that resembles a coherent thought) makes life easier for all of us, and helps to show people that we're more than just a manufacturer of processors and GPUs, but a company that wants to help, no matter the question or problem. .
In order to update this service request, please respond, leaving the service request reference intact.
Best regards,
AMD Global Customer Care
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Original Text
From: xxxxxxxxxxxx@hotmail.com
To: tech.support@amd.com
Sent: 05/15/12 16:32:02
Subject: RE: AMD Service Notice:{ticketno:[8200488157]}
I apologize for going back to the temperature question again but now a new issue has popped up. Now that you've clarified that the maximum safe operating temp listed is the Tcase temperature, the confusion lies in what reading shows Tcase. I was under the impression that in a program like HWmonitor, CPUTIN = Tcase however more and more people are referring to Tcase as the "core temps" that are listed in programs like HWmonitor.
This is what I just sent as a reply so I'll post the response when I get it:
Stephen (xxxxxxxx@hotmail.com)
Sent: Wed 5/16/12 10:44 AM
To: tech.support@amd.com
I'll sum up what I've learned and deduced and tell me if it's makes sense and/or is correct. As you've stated the Tcase is a singular temperature taken at the top of the CPU (I'm assuming from a diode at the top of the die where it makes contact with the IHS?). What seems to me as a dead giveaway that Tcase is not being used by programs like HWmonitor is that they list seperate values for each of the cores that can be the same but usually differ from each other (usually by 1-3C). Are individual "core" temperatures taken from a diode within each core? Or is it mathmatically based off of something like Tjunction to give a "guesstimate" for each core? But clearly the standard assumption I see that says quote: "CPU Temp = Tjunction or true Junction Temperature (This reading is taken from the sensor fixed in CPU socket on Motherboard.)" is clearly wrong. I was also under the assumption that motherboards didn't use a "socket" diode anymore as well. Does all of that make sense?
Edited by Bubba Hotepp - 5/16/12 at 10:47am
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:D
