100% CPU Usage - Possible Damage?

iKwak · Post by **iKwak** » Sun Sep 05, 2004 6:08 am

During the DVD encoding, my CPU usage is peaked at 100%.The process can take a minimum 30 minutes to a maximum 2 hours.

I am concerned that the CPU will be damaged and lead to a meltdown (read it somewhere). The AMD Athlon 1.2ghz CPU is using the stock fan that came along.

1) How long is it okay for the cpu usage to stay at 99-100%?
2) Should I get a new CPU fan that blows crazy amount of air?
3) Or should I invest in a new Athlon XP cpu (money is short)?

I like to continue using this outdated cpu if possible.

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Sun Sep 05, 2004 6:17 am

as long as the temps are okay and the system doesn't crash then all is good.

alot of people run their CPU's at 100% 24/7, me included. i mean after all they are designed to do it anyways.

iKwak · Post by **iKwak** » Sun Sep 05, 2004 6:37 am

I see. I don't have a software that lets me read the temperate and the pc does not crash.

Also:
Should I buy a budget priced CPU fan that blows crazy amount of air?
And does replacing the stock cpu fan with an aftermarket cpu fan help lower the % of the cpu usage?

Thanks for your time.

J-high · Post by **J-high** » Sun Sep 05, 2004 8:08 am

You can always buy a after market Heatsink/fan to put on your CPU which if you get a good one will keep your temps 10-15C cooler which helps in performance of your CPU.....

As for the Heatsink/fan reducing the amount of CPU % your using.... It doesn't... But keeping your CPU cooler does help in performance.... The cooler the chip the more efficent it runs.... No that does not mean it is really going to speed you up either just means that even though your running your CPU at full load it wont hurt it and can run at 100% all day long without any worries!!!

AMPLIFRIER · Post by **AMPLIFRIER** » Sun Sep 05, 2004 8:09 am

when you run any current game on a pc now the usage on the cpu goes to 100 percent...(at least with bf1942 and doom3 and painkiller)

and ill have any one of them running for hours at a time.

as Mark indicated.....

it wont hurt your proc as long as you have proper cooling in place on the cpu.

AMP

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Sun Sep 05, 2004 8:11 am

iKwak wrote:I see. I don't have a software that lets me read the temperate and the pc does not crash.

Also:
Should I buy a budget priced CPU fan that blows crazy amount of air?
And does replacing the stock cpu fan with an aftermarket cpu fan help lower the % of the cpu usage?

Thanks for your time.

you can try running either motherboard monitor or speedfan from here to see if they work on your system to tell you the temps.

installing a faster fan will bring down the temps but will be noisier and will not change the CPU usage.

but if it is not crashing then why worrry.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » Sun Sep 05, 2004 8:25 am

You should be just fine.. It is perfectly normal for something like a DVD encoding process to hog just about all of the "CPU time" Encoding a dvd takes alot of cpu power especially from an older cpu such as the 1.2athlon. I would not worry though.. as this doesnt mean for certain that your proc is overheating. Do you by chance know the motherboard manufacturer? Or better yet the chipset it uses? If its a VIA variant you can try using Motherboard monitor (MBM5) to view temps.. this is of course if your mobo even has a temp probe under the socket.

I wouldnt worry "too" much though.. That cpu probably runs hot normally.

-Joe

(let me try to find MBM5 for you)

Cheesehead · Post by **Cheesehead** » Sun Sep 05, 2004 8:59 am

Having your CPU running at 100% all the time is no big deal. Processors in servers often run for months at full capacity. However, if your CPU is not cooled properly, it may overheat, which can damage your CPU core.
If I were you, I would go out and spend 30$ or so getting a new heatsink, fan, and thermal paste. Your CPU will run at least 10 degrees cooler, and a cold CPU is a happy CPU.

loop2kil · Post by **loop2kil** » Sun Sep 05, 2004 9:30 am

AMPLIFRIER wrote:when you run any current game on a pc now the usage on the cpu goes to 100 percent...(at least with bf1942 and doom3 and painkiller)

and ill have any one of them running for hours at a time.

as Mark indicated.....

it wont hurt your proc as long as you have proper cooling in place on the cpu.

AMP

not for us HT guys...we only get to 50% on one logical processor

but yeah what amp said...it wont ur cpu to run 100% 24/7.
i have systems that stay at 100% 24/7 and never get turned off (F@H)

YARDofSTUF · Post by **YARDofSTUF** » Sun Sep 05, 2004 9:41 am

If you are running the cpu at stock speeds and have the stock cooler, don't worry.

stevebakh · Post by **stevebakh** » Sun Sep 05, 2004 7:24 pm

One of my comps runs at 100% CPU usage for pretty much, months at a time. This is with stock cooling (using AMD XP1600). I shouldn't worry about it.

spyder003 · Post by **spyder003** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 2:03 am

iKwak wrote: I am concerned that the CPU will be damaged and lead to a meltdown (read it somewhere). The AMD Athlon 1.2ghz CPU is using the stock fan that came along.

Don't worry about it. I run SETI@Home when I'm not on my PC, it constantly runs the CPU at 100% and I never have any problems on an overclocked PC.

Tawcan · Post by **Tawcan** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 9:00 am

I've been running my CPU at 100% for more than 2 years now...no problem at all.