Check this first tbh. I have had cpus forever running past stock. Motherboards on the other hand...
-
Competitor rules
Please remember that any mention of competitors, hinting at competitors or offering to provide details of competitors will result in an account suspension. The full rules can be found under the 'Terms and Rules' link in the bottom right corner of your screen. Just don't mention competitors in any way, shape or form and you'll be OK.
Do CPUs deteriorate over time?
- Thread starter benjo
- Start date
Check this first tbh. I have had cpus forever running past stock. Motherboards on the other hand...
Capacitors (especially electrolytic) and carbon film resistors tend to be the worst culprits for deteriorating. That said, any semiconductor will gradually degrade as a result of heat over time (square relationship if I remember my studying right, double the temperature, quarter the lifespan).
the gates in processors degrade over time, faster dependant on voltage and such. so not strictly true, there will be cases where degradation will reach a point where the processor will no longer work at its factory settings however it would probably work with voltage bumped. nothing is free from wear, the only thing that doesn't really wear is biological based materials, because they regenerate lost material to an extent but even that has limits!
My QX9650 ran @ 3.6GHz, 1.28v, 55c under load for a couple of years before i started getting BSODs out of the blue. Returned to stock clocks for a while which solved the problem, but got curious and started to test to see what i could do with it. I found it would run fine @ 3.2Ghz but would refuse to do anything more, no matter what the settings/voltages.
I'm inclined to think this is a mobo, not CPU, issue though as the processor was never pushed hard and never ran hot. It's been running fine @ 3.2Ghz for ages and it is rock steady!
I'm inclined to think this is a mobo, not CPU, issue though as the processor was never pushed hard and never ran hot. It's been running fine @ 3.2Ghz for ages and it is rock steady!
Deleted User 298457
Deleted User 298457
My I7 920 still works at 4.2 Ghz @ 1.38v after 32 months
It even used to go up to 92 degrees on my air cooler, but I fixed that with a lovely Anter 620 H2O.
Best CPU ever!
My 920 was hitting those temps regularly also, quite worringly for a long period! Still seems fine *touch wood*
Apart from occasional blue screens of secondary clock interupts.
Yes they can degrade over time, typically start needing more and more voltage for the same speed although this certainly isn't commonplace.
I remember I had an old Cyrix cpu that I used to overclock to 180mhz, then stock speed of 150mhz, then underclock to 133, then it finally just stopped working.
My attitude tends to be, hammer your cpu for all it's worth, whether it lasts 10 years or 4 years is largely irrelevant for enthusiasts like us, chances are by the time it packs up either you will have upgraded already or something faster will be available fairly cheap.
I remember I had an old Cyrix cpu that I used to overclock to 180mhz, then stock speed of 150mhz, then underclock to 133, then it finally just stopped working.
My attitude tends to be, hammer your cpu for all it's worth, whether it lasts 10 years or 4 years is largely irrelevant for enthusiasts like us, chances are by the time it packs up either you will have upgraded already or something faster will be available fairly cheap.