Do CPUs wear out?

[Bondy3]

I've googled this and I feel like the information is pretty 50-50 (half people say yes, half say no)

 

I frequently run my system pretty hot (80c) and I was wondering if I should be worried about my cpu crapping out.  ive had it for about 5 years.  I have been debating replacingmy system but I am short of funds and I want to get as much life out of it as possible.

 

I don't over-clock, and have never overclocked it (intel i7 2820QM)

[19_blackie_73]

as long as it runs fine... maybe clean the laptop and replace the thermal past so it runs a bit cooler again. but most times, you'll replace the system before it is dead

[KE2012]

Heat does effect CPU's, with the hotter it is the worse the affect, but they don't wear out from age.

 

But in your situation, 80DC is fine if that is the max temp. If it gets to 100DC though, then you have real issues.  

[Dash Lambda]

I sure as hell hope you're not overclocking a mobile chip.

 

Anyway, yes, they do wear out, everything wears out. If it's running at 80C all the time, it'll wear out a bit faster. I'd suggest cleaning out the machine, because that might be dust buildup.

 

I can't say how much longer you can expect that chip to be usable (though it'll likely last a long while), but I wouldn't be comfortable with a chip running at 80C.

 

EDIT: To clarify, 80C is a fine peak load temp, but if that's something it sits at for extended periods, then you wanna figure out how to stop that.

[TidaLWaveZ]

Yes, they depecrate with use.  The hotter they're running the faster they deprecate.  That being said, I still have heavily used i7 920's and even Q6600's that still work great and I've never actually had a CPU die on me even with high overvoltaging and being overclocked 24/7.

[TidaLWaveZ]

Also, you probably can't replace that CPU.  If it's a mobile CPU it's probably built onto the motherboard.

[Bondy3]

2 minutes ago, TidaLWaveZ said:

Also, you probably can't replace that CPU.  If it's a mobile CPU it's probably built onto the motherboard.

I would replace the whole laptop.  ive had it for 5 years.  but a new laptop is not exactly cheap

[19_blackie_73]

4 minutes ago, Bondy3 said:

I would replace the whole laptop.  ive had it for 5 years.  but a new laptop is not exactly cheap

maybe get a desktop with more power for the same money if that works for you

[Bondy3]

1 minute ago, 19_blackie_73 said:

maybe get a desktop with more power for the same money if that works for you

needs to be portable      

 

I have a desktop as well, but need the portability of a laptop

[Darel321]

a good cpu working at normal temps its gonna live longer than you.. that's granted

[TidaLWaveZ]

IMO it probably won't just stop working all the sudden.  You'll notice signs that it's on it's way far before it goes.

 

If you're already noticing signs of fatigue, then it's time to start saving for a replacement.

[Bondy3]

2 minutes ago, TidaLWaveZ said:

IMO it probably won't just stop working all the sudden.  You'll notice signs that it's on it's way far before it goes.

 

If you're already noticing signs of fatigue, then it's time to start saving for a replacement.

what kind of signs should i be looking for?

[TidaLWaveZ]

6 minutes ago, Bondy3 said:

what kind of signs should i be looking for?

 

Big slowdowns during everyday tasks.  For example if you start to notice that the system is struggling to perform tasks that it has not struggled with in the past.  You might also see the temps rise or notice that the fans are revving up or running full speed constantly.

[LabRat]

yeah, I'm heart broke. my 939/4800 is starting to make my pc reboot as soon as it starts having to compute so much at the same time, whereas 6 month's ago it wasn't a problem. ( confirmed with cpu swap ).

 

[SLAYR]

34 minutes ago, Bondy3 said:

what kind of signs should i be looking for?

With laptops heat is usually caused by dust, clogging the heatsinks cleaning it will lower the temps.

[Bondy3]

1 minute ago, SLAYR said:

With laptops heat is usually caused by dust, clogging the heatsinks cleaning it will lower the temps.

I do a pretty good job of de-dusting it every 6 months or so  (I also have a bunch of cats,  so I need to clean all electronics or cat hair ruins them)

[Dash Lambda]

2 minutes ago, Bondy3 said:

I do a pretty good job of de-dusting it every 6 months or so  (I also have a bunch of cats,  so I need to clean all electronics or cat hair ruins them)

By that do you mean dismantling it and cleaning out the heatsink?

[Bondy3]

1 minute ago, Dash Lambda said:

By that do you mean dismantling it and cleaning out the heatsink?

for the laptop yes, for the desktop I blow the crap outa it with an air blower

[Dash Lambda]

4 minutes ago, Bondy3 said:

for the laptop yes, for the desktop I blow the crap outa it with an air blower

Do you unmount the heatsink from the CPU when you clean it?

Because, if you do that enough without occasionally reapplying the thermal compound, that could cause the temps to rise...

Or the fan could be wearing out, but I'm not sure how likely that is.

 

If neither of those are the issue, then I'm out of ideas.

 

Either way, it doesn't sound like your machine is in any trouble, just running a little hot. I'd start looking around at replacements and saving up money, but I don't expect it to just up and die any time soon.

[BrightCandle]

CPUs do degrade over time, Intel has put out multiple whitepapers on the topic over the years around electron migration and other degrading effects in silicon products. It used to be the case that Intel's CPUs were designed to run for about 20 years before failure set in from electron migration but I haven't seen an updated detail on the topic for at least 10 years or so. Its by far the most reliable part in a machine however, the fans, drives, PSU and motherboard will all fail long before the CPU does. If a machine were to be one of the miracle machines to survive use for 20 years it would also be utterly obsolete by that point as well.