Prolonged use of the "speed" buttin in emulators
 

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So i was using VBA on my laptop, and i noticed that when i used the "speed" button, the fan was going nuts, so it seems when i used that, the CPU usage of VBA in the task manager jumps to like 98% from 09%.

I've had two motherboards die on my old computer, and BOTHER were after i started using zsnes again, but i assumed that it didn't make sense for zsnes to be the cause of that. I guess using it often is a dangerous practice?

No, the "speed" option just uses the maximum processing power of your system. Hence the increased fan speed.

Well, if i use it frequently, thats what i'm saying. Is it good to keep my VBA using 98% of the CPU for long periods of time? :\/

As long as it doesn't overheat, there should be no problem. I've had my PC encode to XviD for eight hours at a time and it stayed cool (of course it's an older PC so it doesn't heat up much). Any CPU should be able to work at or up to 100% of its CPU usage for most of its life, otherwise many CPUs would have died within a year of buying them. Just check your laptop for excess heat, if it seems too hot, then don't use the speed option so much. In fact in recent builds of ZSNES (found here), you can set how much ZSNES accelerates. Something like 4x normal speed should be enough for most of us. ZSNES is a very processor light emulator (a 1st generation Athlon chews through it no problem) and shouldn't put much strain on the CPU usage unless you fast forward.

zsnes was for my old computers, i'm using VBA currently. But thanks, i guess i'll just try to limit it =p

Whops, I guess I glazed over what emulator you said you were using, but whatvere my advice still holds. If the fan noise really annoys you, you could invest in a better, quieter fan (since its a laptop, it might not be as easy to change out as a PC fan).

Actually, I would be somewhat uncomfortable allowing my laptop's processor to run at maximum for long consecutive periods. It isn't like a desktop where you've got more open space for the heat to spread into. In a laptop, everything is compacted in so tight that processor heat is likely going to affect more than just the processor itself, it can possibly affect many components. I'm running a Pentium M in my laptop and it can still get kind of hot.

Going by that logic, you'd never be able to play modern games on a laptop.

I have my CPU on 100% load since... about 3 years (my computer going 24/7) and experienced no problems so far...
(aside from ridiculous power bills)

Continuous load won't hurt your computer unless its got cooling problems.

No, he just means for extended periods of time. If you run it at 100% util 24/7 for a few weeks straight, a laptop will buckle more quickly than a desktop. They play games because they are only in shorter bursts.

No it won't. These things are designed to run at 100% capacity at ridiculous core temperatures. There are so many safety features built into today's CPUs that it is near impossible to damage a CPU while under normal (normal = 100% usage, not overclocked) use. The CPU will downstep its clock speed or just power down the system long before core temperates can reach a damaging level.

Most desktops only have the CPU and GPU fan and they run fine. Dunno where this idea comes from that a laptop CPU is somehow more sensitive to heat issues. Not only that, but the huge amount of space inside PCs actually creates more of a heat issue that the non-space in laptop chassis as air inside the desktop chassis will get much warmer than the outside air. That's why you need fans on desktop cases, to remove this hot air and get some cool air flowing into the case. You don't have this issue with laptops as there is next to no empty space inside a laptop for hot air to sit in.

Most laptops are designed to radiate most of the system heat though the chassis, that's why a lot of higher powered laptops get so warm to the touch. A hot laptop means the chassis is doing its job and removing the heat from the CPU core and radiating it to the air around the laptop. You don't need all of these fans in the laptop since so much surface area is in direct contact with surrounding air.