I am not sure what you are trying to convince yourself of. If you want a new intercooler, or justification for following a certain oil change interval, by all means do it.If cooler intake air will not increase the engine output (hp) - why would you install a more robust intercooler in the first place?
More power = hotter turbo
Yes - the intercooler is AFTER the red hot turbo!
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But the improvement in charge air temperature is the spec used by the intercooler manufacturers. The drop over the stock system is often like driving in the fall instead of the summer. Are you changing your oil more often in cold weather because your turbo truck feels snappier? The point is, the actual horsepower gains there are minimal, inconsistent, and would vary based on ambient, which is why intercooler manufacturers usually don't claim power numbers.
The reasoning for swapping out intercoolers has already been mentioned in this thread by more than one person: prolonged heavy loads like towing where heat soak will sap power, and performance tunes. The tunes are what really push the boost pressure to rise, along with the associated charge air temp.
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