CPU Overload will force the specified core(s) of your CPU to work at maximum speed.
This program can have multiple purposes: stress test of your CPU, thermal overload, stability test, miscellaneous system and programming tests.
100% freeware.
Download link (signed exe file)
Can it damage the CPU?
When a CPU like the AMD Ryzen 5 reaches its maximum safe temperature, the processor engages thermal management mechanisms to protect itself from overheating. These mechanisms typically include:
1. Thermal Throttling
- The CPU reduces its clock speed to lower power consumption and heat generation. This process is called thermal throttling, which prioritizes keeping the CPU within safe operating temperatures at the cost of performance.
2. Critical Temperature Shutdown
- If the cooling solution fails to lower the temperature and the CPU continues to overheat, the system may perform an emergency shutdown to prevent hardware damage. This is a built-in safety feature on most modern processors.
Performance Impact
- While thermal throttling prevents immediate damage, sustained operation at maximum temperature can degrade performance and potentially reduce the lifespan of the processor over time if it frequently operates near
TjMax.
Max CPU temperature
On the official website the maximum safe temperature (TjMax) for the AMD Ryzen:
Usage
I used CPU Overload to put my CPU under 100% load for 10 minutes to see how it handles the stress.
Note that it is designed is such way that you can still use your PC, even if the CPU is totally busy. As you can see, I can still make screenshots. The programs are a bit slower, but overall, the system is still 100% responsive.
The tests show that the cooling is sufficient. The temperature stopped at 82C, which is well within the maximum temperature for AMD Ryzen.
Perfect tool to bring your CPU to 80C:
Putting the fans to max does not bring the temperature down much.
This means that the problem is not in the ventilation but in releasing the heat from the CPU. Better thermal paste might reduce the temperature 2-3C.