Can you hurt a CPU from overclocking?

[Brian23]

From a technical standpoint, can a CPU be damaged from setting the clock too high? To me it seems like setting the clock too high can cause instability due to the transistors operating in the transient range in stead of saturation. However, if there is proper heat sinking, I don't see how this could damage the IC.

Please post comments

 

[Duvie]

Boy this is a tough one....

I would say setting clock too high by itself may not damage the cpu. It either can run at that frequency or not. But I don think setting it too high (fsb alone) will hurt the cpu if it errors out...then you go back to default or lower setting and it should have no detrimental effects.....On the other hand their could be a slight heat build up by speed alone but I dont think it is enouigh to damage it on its own...

It is overclocking be means of adding more vcore to stabilize those speeds that is damaging to the cpu. Anything above the rated AMD specs is decreasing the life cycle of that CPU per AMD specifications....How much shorter that will be is anyones guess....You run a cpu in 10% or less vcore boost range and you likely will not kill or damage that chip in your use cycle of that cpu. NOw start pushing to 15-20% and especially more on these smaller die chips then the death or damage can be brought on with a few years or months.....The smaller the process the mre sensitive the parts are to heat and volatge...


One thing to sum up is that just general use of these chips at all stock speeds and stock vcore are slowly damaging them. They eventually will quit working and this in evitable. It is just basic physics. Will it happen in the time of your use, or even in the tiem frame where this things can even be useful (non obsolete)...probably not.

 

[imported_Kensai]

Probably not just from FSB overclocking, but if you're raising the voltage, it won't last as long as it would running at stock.

 

[imported_whatever]

Although it will likely not last as long, as long as you are getting reasonable load temperatures it should last long enough (ie a few years)

 

[bjc112]

Originally posted by: Kensai
Probably not just from FSB overclocking, but if you're raising the voltage, it won't last as long as it would running at stock.

But then again, who defines long?

Instead of the 12-15 year life span, does it drop to 8? 5? 2?

I have had this 1700+@2.4 for almost 2 years (1.75v) running 24/7 and it's still going strong..