[SOLVED] Wrong CPU temperature being reported on Lenovo laptop

ndavid · 2025-07-24 22:58:57

I suspect the CPU temperature being reported by tools like htop is too high compared to the real temperature. I'm often seeing 100C and above and notice no lag at all, good performance overall and the laptop doesn't feel that hot. I suspect there's an upwards offset of 10-20 degrees.

My specs:
Lenovo Legion 5 15ACH6H
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600H (12) @ 4.28 GHz

I ran sensors-detect and here is what I believe some relevant output:

VIA VT82C686 Integrated Sensors...                          No
VIA VT8231 Integrated Sensors...                            No
AMD K8 thermal sensors...                                   No
AMD Family 10h thermal sensors...                           No
AMD Family 11h thermal sensors...                           No
AMD Family 12h and 14h thermal sensors...                   No
AMD Family 15h thermal sensors...                           No
AMD Family 16h thermal sensors...                           No
AMD Family 17h thermal sensors...                           No
AMD Family 15h power sensors...                             No
AMD Family 16h power sensors...                             No
Hygon Family 18h thermal sensors...                         No
AMD Family 19h thermal sensors...                           No
Intel digital thermal sensor...                             No
Intel AMB FB-DIMM thermal sensor...                         No
Intel 5500/5520/X58 thermal sensor...                       No
VIA C7 thermal sensor...                                    No
VIA Nano thermal sensor...                                  No

Some Super I/O chips contain embedded sensors. We have to write to
standard I/O ports to probe them. This is usually safe.
Do you want to scan for Super I/O sensors? (YES/no): Probing for Super-I/O at 0x2e/0x2f
Trying family `National Semiconductor/ITE'...               No
Trying family `SMSC'...                                     No
Trying family `VIA/Winbond/Nuvoton/Fintek'...               No
Trying family `ITE'...                                      No
Probing for Super-I/O at 0x4e/0x4f
Trying family `National Semiconductor/ITE'...               Yes
Found unknown chip with ID 0x8227

Do I have something misconfigured? Is there any known offset in these CPUs?

Last edited by ndavid (2025-07-25 08:42:35)

seth · 2025-07-24 23:50:17

reported by tools like htop is too high

The important question is what "sensors" reports.
Eg. you might have inadvertently set htop to display temperatures in Fahrenheit and 100°F is actually pretty cool - at least for the core temperature.
Otherwise see https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Lm_sen … ing_values

ndavid · 2025-07-24 23:54:11

sensors is reporting this atm:

k10temp-pci-00c3
Adapter: PCI adapter
Tctl:         +67.5°C

And I've noticed it matches with what `htop` reports.

I've read that, but I was hoping to find out whether an offset is expected on this model.
Or how I can find out if it isn't accurate or if there's any issue with the sensors.

Last edited by ndavid (2025-07-25 00:07:32)

seth · 2025-07-25 00:02:16

Please use [code][/code] tags, the bbs predates markdown by approximately your age. Edit your post in this regard.

Is that the *entire* output?
No other sensors? No range?

Put the system under maximum https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Stress_testing#stress and see where the temperatures are going.
Your CPU has a TJmax of 105°C, https://www.amd.com/en/support/download … 5600h.html
That should give you and idea about the offset (the CPU cannot exceed its TJmax or it will shut down)

ndavid · 2025-07-25 00:12:03

Doubt it predates it by my age, fixed the syntax everywhere, though .
Full output of sensors under stress --cpu 4:

sensors
k10temp-pci-00c3
Adapter: PCI adapter
Tctl:        +100.4°C  

nvme-pci-0200
Adapter: PCI adapter
Composite:    +35.9°C  (low  =  -5.2°C, high = +83.8°C)
                       (crit = +87.8°C)

mt7921_phy0-pci-0400
Adapter: PCI adapter
temp1:        +40.0°C  

nvme-pci-0500
Adapter: PCI adapter
Composite:    +34.9°C  (low  =  -0.1°C, high = +69.8°C)
                       (crit = +84.8°C)
ERROR: Can't get value of subfeature temp2_min: I/O error
ERROR: Can't get value of subfeature temp2_max: I/O error
Sensor 1:     +45.9°C  (low  =  +0.0°C, high =  +0.0°C)

BAT0-acpi-0
Adapter: ACPI interface
in0:          16.70 V  
power1:        0.00 W

Judging by that output perhaps it's safe to assume that there is no offset going on?

seth · 2025-07-25 06:08:05

try "stress --cpu 12" (6 cores + multithreading) but if you cannot get the temps >> 100°C (as asserted before) then no (and it seems lacking core sensors is common for AMD CPUs)

Edit. in case and please always remember to mark resolved threads by editing your initial posts subject - so others will know that there's no task left, but maybe a solution to find.
Thanks.

Last edited by seth (2025-07-25 06:08:31)

ndavid · 2025-07-25 08:28:54

Using stress --cpu 12, could only get up to 101C. I'm still finding it weird though, because it can rise from 40C to 100C in a second and then after I stop the heavy process in can also go back to like 50C in around 3 seconds. Seems like such a fast jump... And the laptop does not feel very hot, even the fans air does not come out that hot...

seth · 2025-07-25 08:33:56

That's not un-normal for the core temperature at all.
If I boot my notebook, the core is at ~30°C, when I immediately run some heavy task the core temperature goes up to 90+°C, the fans kick in, the notebook doesn't feel warm at all.
If I keep it running 40°C-50°C core temperature "doing nothing" (work stuff, no play. makes seth a dull boy…) the case will eventually warm up after some hours (w/o the fans *ever* starting)

You're looking at the temperature of a teeny-tiny piece of metal, albeit a very important and influential one.

ndavid · 2025-07-25 08:41:14

I see, that does make sense indeed. I went and cleaned the fans internally and changed the thermal paste one day ago. Didn't notice much difference in the max temperature, just that it now is able to cool it off much quicker after the intensive task stops.
So, most likely there isn't anything else I can do and is probably normal to be at around 100C when gaming or compiling some program at >80% CPU usage, right? It's also worth noting that I haven't felt it slow down or degrade in performance while at >100C.

EDIT: In any case, marking this as solved as there isn't likely any offset in the temperature.

Last edited by ndavid (2025-07-25 08:42:08)

seth · 2025-07-25 12:52:03

As long as the fans can keep the core below the TJmax, the cpu doesn't have to clock down to manage the temperature and you won't experience any slowdowns just from it being "warm".
There'r oc. various measures to keep the CPU/core temperatures low (by limiting the max frequency, cores available to tasks or even job stuttering where processes are frequently stopped and continued) - ie. artificially slowing the system down to prevent it from heating up.
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/CPU_frequency_scaling

ndavid · 2025-07-25 12:57:27

Thank you for the detailed replies. I'll eventually do a deep dive on that to keep the CPU temperature low.
For now I think it's okay, if it was being damaged in anyway I assume I would at least notice a decrease in performance (i.e. game stutter or severe FPS drops), but performance is actually really good, I get no stutters or freezes at all.

Arch Linux

#1 2025-07-24 22:58:57

[SOLVED] Wrong CPU temperature being reported on Lenovo laptop

#2 2025-07-24 23:50:17

Re: [SOLVED] Wrong CPU temperature being reported on Lenovo laptop

#3 2025-07-24 23:54:11

Re: [SOLVED] Wrong CPU temperature being reported on Lenovo laptop

#4 2025-07-25 00:02:16

Re: [SOLVED] Wrong CPU temperature being reported on Lenovo laptop

#5 2025-07-25 00:12:03

Re: [SOLVED] Wrong CPU temperature being reported on Lenovo laptop

#6 2025-07-25 06:08:05

Re: [SOLVED] Wrong CPU temperature being reported on Lenovo laptop

#7 2025-07-25 08:28:54

Re: [SOLVED] Wrong CPU temperature being reported on Lenovo laptop

#8 2025-07-25 08:33:56

Re: [SOLVED] Wrong CPU temperature being reported on Lenovo laptop

#9 2025-07-25 08:41:14

Re: [SOLVED] Wrong CPU temperature being reported on Lenovo laptop

#10 2025-07-25 12:52:03

Re: [SOLVED] Wrong CPU temperature being reported on Lenovo laptop

#11 2025-07-25 12:57:27

Re: [SOLVED] Wrong CPU temperature being reported on Lenovo laptop

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