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I couldn't find a stackexchange site that's more suited for this question, I apologize. This doesn't necessarily have a lot to do with servers and stability....

I do not have problems with stability and I don't have problems with overheating, but I was wondering if higher temperatures (below any throttling threshold) had any effect on efficiency, or more specifically computing power.
The processor in question runs at 100% load 24/7 and is at about 75°C, fans run at about 65%. Is there any point in cranking up the fans to 100% to drop the temperature down to below 70°C ?
Does it make a difference to the lifespan of the processor at these temperatures ?

xyious
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    Does it affect the lifespan of the processors.. YES! At what cost and does the cost offset the shorted life span, that is a matter of HUGE debate. Hence them (big companies) testing air cooled server farms and learning how to shut down unused resources and throttle instead of cooling things off so much. – Damon Jan 16 '18 at 03:27
  • I'd love to see some actual hard data on this, but AFAIK, the processor is rated to run at 100% for the entire length of the warranty period, given suitable cooling. – Michael Hampton Jan 16 '18 at 05:42

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The resistance of semiconductor devices decreases with temperature and thus, load currents increase. Current - or more exactly, moving charge carriers - wear out a chips traces, which is called Electromigration. So yes, an increase in temperature will reduce the lifespan of a chip.

A temperature decrease of 5K would be insignificant for an average use case, but since your machine runs at full load and maximum current 24/7, I think every less Kelvin reduces the risk of latent damage at least through migration.

baldrianbandit
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