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Overclocking/Overvolting and CPU Wear?

989 Views 9 Replies 7 Participants Last post by  D3FiN3 SiN, 
Zeifer
So my friend is wigging out about me overclocking my Athlon II X3 435.

He's telling me because I'm overvolting from the AMD stock 0.90 - 1.425v vCore to 1.475v that I'm killing my processor, and using a metaphor that I'm holding the brakes and gas down in my car and burning the tires at 15MPH.

I know overvolting lowers the lifespan of processors, but he's claiming that my minuscule 0.05v increase is taking my projected 10 year processor lifespan down to 1 - 3 years.

Anyone have any linkies that can make him ****?


My PC is in my sig.
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NoGuru
No links but this site is proof enough to say he's wrong. You might shave off a couple years but it will be time to upgrade by then.
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Drift0r
CPUs are very durable and obviously you would cut down on lifespan as you are pushing more voltage though it but not something as drastic as a 7 year shortened life. Usually CPUs are meant to last about 8-10 years, and at most you're cutting it down to 5-6 years (IIRC) by overclocking, and even if it does break down, by that time, new CPUs would have come around and that CPU is obsolete. There is very little harm in overclocking as the benefits outweigh the risks.
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Zeifer
That's what I'm saying, and I'd like some online articles or whatever that say unless I'm running 1.7v and a 5GHz overclock, that I'm not going to reduce my CPU's lifespan by 75%.
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jimibgood
To a certain extent higher voltages do not degrgate these chips as in the past. Keep temps respectable and your golden.
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Zeifer
Quote:

Originally Posted by jimibgood View Post
To a certain extent higher voltages do not degrgate these chips as in the past. Keep temps respectable and your golden.
Right. My temps haven't gone above 50C with my new cooler, currently idling at 34C. Highest they went with my old cooler was 54C.

And a 0.05v increase doesn't make any sense in terms of killing my CPU's lifespan.
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Y
[email protected] your friend.

The phenom II architecture is designed to go past 1.5v. I have seen people go past 1.65. Now at that threshold, it will decrease the life-span of the CPU, but at the most 2-3 years. However most people (here) upgrade every 2-3 years so it doesn't even matter.
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Zeifer
Quote:

Originally Posted by youra6 View Post
[email protected] your friend.

The phenom II architecture is designed to go past 1.5v. I have seen people go past 1.65. Now at that threshold, it will decrease the life-span of the CPU, but at the most 2-3 years. However most people (here) upgrade every 2-3 years so it doesn't even matter.
Well I'd never dream of going to 1.65v. Haha.

I'm really tempted to post the conversation as a screenie. >_>
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Rick Arter
Keeping the temps low is key when OCing and overvolting. Helps in stability as well I would guess not much more I can add, about covered it above.
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D3FiN3 SiN
Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick Arter View Post
Keeping the temps low is key when OCing and overvolting. Helps in stability as well I would guess not much more I can add, about covered it above.
My man Rick is right.
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