[SOLVED] Would cpu throttling prevent all damage to a CPU?

[cpucoolingproblems]

My Intel CPU has been running for about 2 years without a fan reaching often 100 celcius for several hours each day. This is obviously very bad, but my question is:



if it was so bad that it would cause problems, wouldnt the cpu throttle down to an acceptable level? Would that mean that 100 celcius was perhaps not so bad after all?



Or maybe the CPU lost its ability to throttle down because of a new motherboard?

Or maybe the CPU got signal from the fan that it was working so it didnt slow down? (but then again the cpu "saw" the temps so it would, wouldnt it?).



How many years of life do you guys think it lost?



Thanks

 

[USAFRet]

My Intel CPU has been running for about 2 years without a fan reaching often 100 celcius for several hours each day. This is obviously very bad, but my question is:

This is like running your car with no radiator fluid.
Yes, it runs, and yes, it is very bad.

With no CPU cooler, at just basic idle it would exceed 100C. It would increase to a level that would actually cook some things inside.
So the CPU limits its performance to not go over that.

How many years? Completely unknown.


Where does this second motherboard come into play?

 

[cpucoolingproblems]

Thanks for replying so fast and nice, at idle it was 65 celcius and at full load 95-99celcius. I mentioned the second motherboard because the change might have affected the cpus ability to throttle I dont know. Do you think the damage is significant even given the fact that the cpu would throttle if it got to that point?

 

[USAFRet]

Thanks for replying so fast and nice, at idle it was 65 celcius and at full load 95-99celcius. I mentioned the second motherboard because the change might have affected the cpus ability to throttle I dont know. Do you think the damage is significant even given the fact that the cpu would throttle if it got to that point?

Current condition of the CPU is completely unknown.
Of course, we don't know which CPU, or all the other parts involved.

2 years with no CPU fan? It was just in there bare? No cooler at all?

 

[cpucoolingproblems]

It had the cooler with the heatsink on and with thermal paste, but it just didnt rotate

 

[USAFRet]

It had the cooler with the heatsink on and with thermal paste, but it just didnt rotate

And no fan to blow cool air over the cooler fins.

 

[drea.drechsler]

My Intel CPU has been running for about 2 years without a fan reaching often 100 celcius for several hours each day. This is obviously very bad, but my question is:



if it was so bad that it would cause problems, wouldnt the cpu throttle down to an acceptable level? Would that mean that 100 celcius was perhaps not so bad after all?



Or maybe the CPU lost its ability to throttle down because of a new motherboard?

Or maybe the CPU got signal from the fan that it was working so it didnt slow down? (but then again the cpu "saw" the temps so it would, wouldnt it?).



How many years of life do you guys think it lost?



Thanks

The mechanism that degrades a CPU (electron migration) is driven by the temperature of the semiconductors. So even if it's throttling itself if it's been running for 2 years frequently hitting 100C it's highly likely it's at least degraded. That means even with proper cooling it might not achieve the same performance it would when new.

 

[cpucoolingproblems]

oh ok, but if i install a new good cooler it will not fail right? the damage will be stopped?

 

[USAFRet]

oh ok, but if i install a new good cooler it will not fail right? the damage will be stopped?

Any "damage" has already happened. You can't undo that.

 

[cpucoolingproblems]

I see, thanks for replying!