daveca
Mon Nov 19, 2012 12:41:35 am
Theres been mention of Ubuntu OS-es causing processor overheating. Here are some observations thru installing Zorin on a 6 year old high speed AMD machine (1.8GHz)
1.) Theres really no such thing as an OS causing a processor to overheat, that is, with respect to some other OS. The processor(s) generate heat in proportion to the instructions it is executing, at the speed at which it does so. Since the same processor, command set and command interpreter (thats not always true, but for logics sake), will be used regardless of which OS is using it (or abusing it as in Widow$ case), it is illogical to say one or the other OS will "cause" overheating.
Some things can cause a relative increase in heat:
1.) code efficiency. As an example, writing code in Assembler is more execution-efficient that C, its just tighter code and runs faster. The drawbacks to using assembler go way off topic from here.
2.) Age. Processors make a great deal of heat as they use electrical current and that heat must be dissipated. My 6 year old HP laptop was just disassembled down to the processor socket, as I knew it was more than old enough to have had the heat sink compound dried hard as a rock, and it was.
Years ago, RCA televisions had catastrophic failures due to excessive heat sink compound being used on horizontal output transistors.
Dried out heat sink compound needs to be replaced, and/or excessive needs removed. In this HP, excessive compound was used, such that it spilled over and insulated the side of the die. Silicone compound is a heat-insulator when used in excess.
It is a difficult and risky process to disassemble a heat spreader and remove the old compound and replace it with new, as there is ample chance for ESD to destroy anything on the motherboard, or have a screwdriver slip and send keyboard caps flying across the room. i did the second one...
The spreader assembly was loaded with dust, which greatly impaired airflow.
So, on a computer thats much more than 4-5 years old, especially with significant use, this must be done, especially if a laptop is used as a laptop, instead of on a desk. Laptop use both increases internal temperature, and makes for more debris in the heat spreader fins.
3.) My HP came with drivers and one was a utility to slow processor speed and manage voltage, to slow the clock, thus the system, down when (supposedly) not needed. Since it cannot anticipate that I intend to run its legs off at most all times, I fail to see how it knows, maybe its magic?
That utility was not installed last time around, and Window$ execution is faster, and hotter. With new and properly installed heat spreader and a clean one, its presumably back to new performance.
1.) Theres really no such thing as an OS causing a processor to overheat, that is, with respect to some other OS. The processor(s) generate heat in proportion to the instructions it is executing, at the speed at which it does so. Since the same processor, command set and command interpreter (thats not always true, but for logics sake), will be used regardless of which OS is using it (or abusing it as in Widow$ case), it is illogical to say one or the other OS will "cause" overheating.
Some things can cause a relative increase in heat:
1.) code efficiency. As an example, writing code in Assembler is more execution-efficient that C, its just tighter code and runs faster. The drawbacks to using assembler go way off topic from here.
2.) Age. Processors make a great deal of heat as they use electrical current and that heat must be dissipated. My 6 year old HP laptop was just disassembled down to the processor socket, as I knew it was more than old enough to have had the heat sink compound dried hard as a rock, and it was.
Years ago, RCA televisions had catastrophic failures due to excessive heat sink compound being used on horizontal output transistors.
Dried out heat sink compound needs to be replaced, and/or excessive needs removed. In this HP, excessive compound was used, such that it spilled over and insulated the side of the die. Silicone compound is a heat-insulator when used in excess.
It is a difficult and risky process to disassemble a heat spreader and remove the old compound and replace it with new, as there is ample chance for ESD to destroy anything on the motherboard, or have a screwdriver slip and send keyboard caps flying across the room. i did the second one...
The spreader assembly was loaded with dust, which greatly impaired airflow.
So, on a computer thats much more than 4-5 years old, especially with significant use, this must be done, especially if a laptop is used as a laptop, instead of on a desk. Laptop use both increases internal temperature, and makes for more debris in the heat spreader fins.
3.) My HP came with drivers and one was a utility to slow processor speed and manage voltage, to slow the clock, thus the system, down when (supposedly) not needed. Since it cannot anticipate that I intend to run its legs off at most all times, I fail to see how it knows, maybe its magic?
That utility was not installed last time around, and Window$ execution is faster, and hotter. With new and properly installed heat spreader and a clean one, its presumably back to new performance.
