[GRLUG] Burn up the CPU - NOT LINUX

[desert frag]

I run a few different distributed computing projects mostly 24/7 on a few quad core cpu's.  While it's never happened to me I've heard plenty of stories about burning up cpu's but mostly in the old days where it took just seconds, especially if the heat sink was put on improperly or forgotten altogether.  It seems to be somewhat less of an issue now with lower voltage cpu's, improved heat sinks, better ventilated cases, and thermal monitoring in bios where yes, it many circumstances the default setting was no monitoring.

I monitor temps with the command 'sensors' as well as running the gui equivalent xsensors.  When the temps go above 58C in the winter it's usually a sign of dust build up so out comes the air compressor for a good blasting.  Ambients are just too warm during the summer to run fun tilt unless the cpu's are clocked way back.

A lot of people are using gpu's these days to run projects.  I've heard the failure rate is pretty high as vid cards simply aren't designed to run high loads for such long durations.  


________________________________
 From: Bob Kline <bob.kline at gmail.com>
To: "Mailing List for LUG in greater Grand Rapids, MI area." <grlug at grlug.org> 
Sent: Friday, December 7, 2012 12:18 PM
Subject: [GRLUG] Burn up the CPU - NOT LINUX
 

On a scale of folklore to fact, is 
there anything to the notion that 
one can burn up a CPU by keeping
it at full throttle for an extended 
period?

Consider just nominal clock rates,
not over clocking.

e.g., if someone,  me for example,
was to process SETI data 24/7, is
the CPU likely to smoke?

I can imagine that a particularly 
dusty CPU and cooling fin might
pose issues.  Anything else?  Even
that?

Some motherboards have thermal
protection of various kinds. Is there
an open software package that can
display where things are at?  In the
olden days I think a motherboard 
would sometimes come with a DOS
or windoz package that would do that.

   -- Bob

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