70
votes
Accepted
Can I run my CPU at 100% usage for a long time?
tl;dr– Issues like overheating and excessive wearing can be important considerations for computers that handle heavier loads.
A lot of folks do run their computers continuously at ~100%. This is ...
- 1,963
58
votes
Can I run my CPU at 100% usage for a long time?
In theory, so long as a computer can keep itself within tolerance as to temperatures, then it should be able to do that 'forever'.
In practice, laptops tend to struggle with the keeping cool part and ...
- 50k
39
votes
Accepted
Is it safe to use a laptop if the CPU fan is failing?
Will it work? Sure. Is it "safe"? Maybe
Modern CPUs, especially mobile ones, feature thermal throttling in order to protect them from extreme temperatures. What this means is that if a fan fails ...
- 93.8k
32
votes
Accepted
Three-wire and four-wire CPU fans, what's the difference?
Basic Differences
A three pin connector is basically power (5/12 volt), ground, and signal. The signal wire measures how fast the fan is moving without any controls for the fan speed. With this type, ...
25
votes
Accepted
Laptop noisy sound - fan or HDD?
I have the exact same laptop model and the exact same issue. It is the fan blades rubbing against the fan's housing. I was able to open up the fan assembly and pull out the fan by the blades, as it ...
- 73.6k
22
votes
Accepted
What does HAMP mean, computer fan context?
It stands for High Amperage Fan. There should be a header (pins) on the board for you to plug in multiple fans or fans that are higher current. H-Amp fans usually have better cooling.
The manual ...
- 884
20
votes
Three-wire and four-wire CPU fans, what's the difference?
A three wire fan reports its speed. Add a fourth wire, and the fan's speed can be varied by the motherboard.
The simplest PC fan requires two wires. The red wire provides power (+12 VDC), the black ...
- 938
19
votes
Is it safe to use a laptop if the CPU fan is failing?
No, this is not safe. Stop using your computer right now.
Maybe, just maybe, the CPU will protect itself from immediate death by thermal throttling or emergency shutdown.
However, the fan in a ...
- 239
17
votes
Accepted
What is this cable which came with my chassis fans?
It���s for powering the fan using the classic Molex power connector. So as not to reduce the amount of available power connectors, it offers a pass-through connector.
This is also what you’re looking ...
- 64k
14
votes
Can I run my CPU at 100% usage for a long time?
There's nothing to worry about, but download Intel Extreme Tuning Utility and see if you're getting throttled.
It shouldn't normally be a problem on that specific laptop, but there are power limits ...
- 6,312
13
votes
What does HAMP mean, computer fan context?
It is High AMPerage header connection for a fan on Asus motherboards, which can provide up to 3 A for powerful fans.
- 2,653
13
votes
Accepted
Silencing coil whine (?) by blocking fan vent
No. Do not do this.
Power supplies typically push their exhaust out the back of the PC from that particular vent.
The other vent is, depending on the case fan setup, either an air input for the CPU ...
- 93.8k
9
votes
How can I tell if my mini computer is dying or it is just the fan?
If your hard drive is dying, you would hear repetitive clicking or buzzing noises and the computer may occasionally freeze up, getting worse as it dies. You can also tell that your hard drive is dying ...
- 1,381
8
votes
Is it safe to use a laptop if the CPU fan is failing?
You're taking a risk, but I don't think it's as clear cut as other people are saying.
I have a 12yo Core 1 Duo laptop that I've been torturing with distributed computing just to see how long it'll ...
8
votes
Can I run my CPU at 100% usage for a long time?
Not entirely without worries. Though I guess you can probably do it, if you don't plan to do it for months.
There are different aspects to consider, the most important one for this particular ...
- 4,562
7
votes
How can I make Speedfan run automatically when the PC starts?
I have gone the route of making batch files for programs that I want to run when windows starts. For speedfan use the following:
Open Windows Notepad and type:
@ECHO off
start speedfan.exe
Save ...
- 71
7
votes
How can I tell if my mini computer is dying or it is just the fan?
You can open it up and disconnect the fan (or otherwise stop it from spinning).
If the noise stops, the problem was the fan. Otherwise try disconnecting the power to the HDD to confirm that it's the ...
- 71.4k
6
votes
Do fanless NAS devices exist? If not, can I build one myself?
As of 2018, several NAS manufacturers offer fanless NASs:
QNAP:
HS-251,
HS-251+,
HS-453DX
Synology:
EDS14 (I just spoke with Synology support: this item is discontinued.)
Western Digital:
My Cloud,...
- 3,832
6
votes
To prevent overheating, why not turn laptop upside down?
If you have the space, open the laptop 60 degrees, then turn it so the side. Put it on something soft to prevent scratches. I've used this setup in the past with my old Macbook which could heat up to ...
- 7,812
6
votes
Accepted
4 pin Molex KK (PWM) CPU fan connector
It would appear that the connector and the Molex part numbers are defined here.
The Molex part number of receptacle is 47054-1000. The Molex
part number of individual crimp contacts is 08-50-0114....
- 241
6
votes
Accepted
Is WD40 safe for computers?
Long-term, you're probably better off replacing the fan. There are four cases to consider:
Your fan is full of dust. This will usually make it noisy, and no lubricant will help here, so you're ...
- 9,891
6
votes
May keeping fan at 0 speed harm my computer?
Honestly, yes. You can permanently damage your laptop by turning off the fan long-term. Yes, the CPU will protect itself by throttling, and even turning off if temperature thresholds are met... but ...
- 10.8k
6
votes
Accepted
SpeedFan suddenly stops being able to detect controllers and sensors mid game
The issue here is the newest version of the BattlEye anti-cheat software is blocking some functionality of SpeedFan and potentially other similar programs. The following is from the BattlEye FAQ page. ...
- 10.8k
6
votes
Accepted
What is the difference between a CPU fan and a case fan?
What is a CPU fan?
A CPU fan is a fan that mounts on top of your CPU. A CPU fan, is also known as a CPU cooler, or heatsink. The CPU cooler will have a base that sits on top of your CPU, which is ...
- 10.8k
6
votes
Can I run my CPU at 100% usage for a long time?
If I planned to do intensive CPU-bound processing on any computer, I would use a "server-style" computer to do it instead of a laptop. In my opinion, laptops really are not designed to "run hot." I ...
- 339
6
votes
Can I wire a 2 wire case fan backwards?
You don't need to. Connect it correctly, and install it backwards. The mount is laterally symmetrical and there's a often an arrow pointing in the direction of the air flow.
- 130k
6
votes
Can I use my laptop without an internal fan, but tape a fan from another laptop to the exhaust vent?
This question basically comes down to the following question:
How does a CPU cooler cool the CPU?
The CPU generates heat, and lots of it. Temperatures go well over 150 degrees Celcius and the ...
- 62.4k
5
votes
Three-wire and four-wire CPU fans, what's the difference?
Minor correction to ndeMarco and Lukic Mike. PWM does not control speed by frequency it actually uses the duty cycle, ie. the ratio between the on-time to off-time and can be expressed as a percentage....
- 59
5
votes
Accepted
What does SpeedFan's 'Automatic fan speed' option do?
What does Speedfan's Automatic fan speed option do?
It tells SpeedFan to control the fan speed according to the rest of the configuration settings.
On the main SpeedFan window, you may have ...
- 159k
5
votes
Accepted
Is it recommended to use CPU_OPT header for second CPU fan?
You're going to be safer and get better behavior from the system if you put one fan on each connector instead of using a Y-cable. There are two reasons for this:
Many fan connectors are designed to ...
- 9,891
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible