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Is it safe to leave a CPU on 100% load for many, many days?

Ricochet J

Ricochet J

Ricochet J

Soldato
Joined
29 Jun 2004
Posts
12,957
Hello,

I'm going to build a computer for computational fluid dynamics (CFD). This will involve leaving the CPU on 100% load for days on end. Some times it might be a day, other times it might be 10 ten days.

It completely depends on the CFD problem I will be tackling. There will be adequate cooling in the case and on the CPU.

Is it safe?
 
Yup perfectly safe.

If for any reason temps got out of control (broken fan etc) chips shut themselves off to prevent damage anyways.
 
I used to run seven machines 24/7/365 on folding@home and never had a problem with any of them, so I'd say yes.
 
If the cooling is adequate, no problem at all. I've had machines running for years under 24/7 100% load, subject of course to routine power-downs to clean out dust etc. I've had power supplies fail after 3 yrs or so, a motherboard failure (capacitors) after 5 yrs, and some rubbish Crucial memory fail, but these are all longer term issues.
 
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If it didn't... it would be a faulty CPU, should be fine but I'm sure you've gathered that from the previous responses.
 
It will degrade faster, naturally. But apart from that it'll be fine. Just keep it cool and stable.
 
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You can buy your CPU and from day 1 run it in stock configuration with the stock cooler at 100% for as long as you wish. Right there it's working as intended. Any CPU that couldn't work in that manner would not be 'fit for purpose' and you would have grounds for redress with your supplier under the provisions of the 'Sale of Goods Act'.

Note - an item being determined as unfit for it's advertised purpose has nothing to do with warranty at all. An item can be out of warranty completely, but if an item is determined to be unfit for a given purpose (eg, due to a manufacturing flaw) then you are entitled to a repair, refund of replacement.

I've had many items replaced outside of warranty where I've been able to demonstrate a failure due to a manufacturing flaw or design issue. If your processor could not run 24x7x365 under 100% load when installed in accordance with the manufacturers instructions then it is simply not fit for purpose, and thats all there is to it. You could even make a case for replacement outside of the warranty if you could prove that it's failure was down to design or some other factor outside of your control but within the scope of what the manufacturer could reasonably have avoided.
 
Rossi~ said:
It will degrade faster, naturally. But apart from that it'll be fine. Just keep it cool and stable.
Click to expand...

Degrade?

Assuming the CPU is not being overclocked and isntalled/used in accordance with the manufacturers instructions then it should not degrade. If performance did deteriorate to any reasonable level from day 1 to day-whenever (within a reasonable time frame) then it could easily be defined as being 'unfit for purpose' since it is no longer performing at the advertised level. An outright failure due degradation, if it could be reasonably proven, could easily be regarded as 'unfit for purpose'.

You'll notice the key word used a couple of time there is 'reasonable' ... one always has to be reasonable and realistic when it comes to consumer law, but that in no way gives a manufacturer a 'get out' clause when it comes to providing items that no longer work as advertised, at any time in the products useful life, even outside of warranty.
 
CPU's are designed to run at 100% when needed, they wouldn't make for a very good computer if they couldn't.

Degradation is generally not a problem for CPU's unless you're overvolting, the main problem with 'degradation' comes from heavy overclocking and motherboards that are being stressed beyond what they're really designed for, the capacitors on the motherboard are likely to fail long before the CPU does.
 
Degrading occurs naturally with stress of the CPU (or any component for the that matter), it will degrade over time regardless of overclocking, overvolting or heat, though these things will speed it up, quite drastically in some cases.

By this i mean if you run a CPU full load forever it may for example last 10 years instead of 12, by which time you will have gotten rid of it anyway.
I'm NOT saying that it will go pop in a few months or a year.
 
Rossi~ said:
Degrading occurs naturally with stress of the CPU (or any component for the that matter), it will degrade over time regardless of overclocking, overvolting or heat, though these things will speed it up, quite drastically in some cases.

By this i mean if you run a CPU full load forever it may for example last 10 years instead of 12, by which time you will have gotten rid of it anyway.
I'm NOT saying that it will go pop in a few months or a year.
Click to expand...



tbh has anyone actually got a cpu that has degraded to any significant degree?


I mean I know people who still have perfectly fine overclocked pentiums 2s that have led hard and abusive lifes that are still working perfectly fine nigh on 15 years down the line.
 
Everything has a lifespan but CPU's will easily last 10yrs or more even under load, they will definitely outlive the motherboards... even if they do degrade slightly over time your average chip has 500mhz or more headroom so it won't be noticeable at all, it's only when you're overclocking close to the limit that degradation (if any) becomes a factor... the degradation people speak of could easily be caused by the motherboard too, capacitors won't stay at peak condition forever.

IMO CPU's are the most resilient part of any computer if you keep it in spec.
 
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