[Matthew Doucette]

Can 100% CPU usage damage CPUs?

Check out this Q&A on Chessmaster 8000:

Q: Chessmaster 8000 uses far more of the CPU than previous versions, sometimes as much as 100% for as long as I'm playing the game! Why is that, and could it be damaging to my processor?

A: Thanks to the WinBoard protocol, chess engines are completely separate executable programs that can control as much of your computer's CPU as Windows will allow. Since chess engines want to play as strongly as possible, they want to take as much of the CPU as they can! Different engines behave differently, but The King (the engine in Chessmaster 8000) is one of those engines that is hungry for your computer's CPU.

Full 100% usage of your computer's CPU is only damaging in these two instances:


If your CPU's fan is damaged or not adequate for cooling the processor. If the fan is not working properly, the CPU may overheat, causing damage to your CPU. This could be true for ANY CPU intensive program, however, so any time your CPU's fan is faulty, it should be replaced IMMEDIATELY.

If you have Chessmaster think about a position (either using the "Infinite" time control, or in a human vs. human game via the "Chessmaster" checkbox in the Thinking Lines or Visual Thinking windows) for several days without a break. A few hours (or even a day or two) of 100% usage is not damaging, according to technical support representatives from two major processor manufacturers (Intel and AMD). It is only when you have used the processor constantly for several days that damage could occur.

http://www.chessmasternetwork.com/faqs8000.html

[Matthew Doucette]

No one?

[infamous41md]

i was interested in the topic, and i read the link, but i dont have much to offer in terms of an answer! i am curious to know if there would be a way to measure the CPU's temperature, that would be cool if u had a utility u could run that tracked the temp that the CPU was running at, or rather how much heat it was giving off. i'd imagine u would have to connect some sort of digital thermometer next to it, and then figure some way to get that output?

[andy3109]

They're tons of 3rd party software that can measure your CPU temp as SiSandra or HLtemp, etc. etc. The only way I could see it damaging your CPU is if your CPU overheates for an excesive amount of time (50C or more).

[jej2003]

I also agree, I seriously doubt you'll do damage unless for some reason the temperature of your chip is rising above what is recommended by the manufacturers specs.

[Matthew Doucette]

I had a motherboard that came with its own softward to measure CPU temperature, chipset temp., fan speeds, etc. The alarm went off quite a bit whenever I ran Chessmaster too long. It was only over the max temp. but 0.5 degrees though.

[Spoot]

Not if you have proper cooling. I have several machines pegged at 100% running folding at home 24/7........no worries. Course, I blew bucks on SLK-800's all around......ouch.

[Sepodati]

My PIII 866 is pegged out at 100% 24/7 because I'm running that SETI program. Hasn't caused any problems and the program has registered over 6400 hrs so far.

Heat is the killer. As long as your fan is good and your temp stays down, they are made to run.

---John Holmes...

[SilkySmooth]

Yeah heat is the killer, I have an old PII running SETI 24/7, no idea how many hours it has churned out but it has been running for a few months now without any problems.

[Ctb]

Curiosity is killing me...

I too am under the impression that 100% usage is fine as long as you're prepared for it (cooling - my CPU at work frequently pegs 100% for a significant amount of time because I have two database engines running on it, and it has never experienced hardware problems), but wasn't there at least one chip or group of chips a while back (several years) that running the same instruction set for a long time burned out a part of them?

[a.koepke]

Originally posted by Ctb
my CPU at work frequently pegs 100% for a significant amount of time because I have two database engines running on it,

I think its not the databases but Frontpage working overtime to try and create the worst HTML code possible. It must draw a lot of CPU power to churn out rubblish HTML of that quality.

[SilkySmooth]

Originally posted by Ctb
but wasn't there at least one chip or group of chips a while back (several years) that running the same instruction set for a long time burned out a part of them?

I had a problem recently where the cpu died and all the machine was doing was running a SETI screen saver. It was a PIII but I don't remember exactly which one, I do remember however that when I tried to purchase a new one it was strangely no longer being produced. I never did find out what happened to the CPU, just sent it back and got a refund and purchased a celeron replacement.

[Ctb]

I think its not the databases but Frontpage working overtime to try and create the worst HTML code possible. It must draw a lot of CPU power to churn out rubblish HTML of that quality.

Actually, I think Frontpage must be CPU starved - you know, people start to do stupid things and can't think straight when their brain isn't getting enough oxygen.. maybe Frontpage doesn't get enough CPU time and is "suffocating"

Actually, it's Microsoft Access (// me curiously wonders why three postgres processes are running.....)... it's kind of a fun game really: focus Access and the CPU pegs at 100%. Switch to notepad and a few seconds later it's like 5%. Switch back to Access and wheeeeee! Back up in the air! It makes the CPU Usage chart look like some really neat roller coaster (and this is how I spend my day...).

[a.koepke]

LMAO, yeah Access is a troll when it comes to resource usage, my computer packs it in when I have 4 Access DB's open, which happens about once a week. After about 10 minutes system just goes bang. Need new PC