One thing that can be a sign of major CPU malfunction and cause all sorts of related issues itself is if it overheats. You can track a CPU’s temperature through one of numerous system monitor apps that can usually warn you if it starts to get dangerously hot. Depending on how bad and long-term the overheating is, you could end up with anything from permanent hardware failures to visible burn or scorch marks on the chip.
Other symptoms of overheating CPUs include excessive fan noise, which might be your computer’s attempt to cool the CPU down. Computer systems also tend to “throttle,” or slow system performance, to give the CPU time to cool down. Your computer may also randomly shut down, or shut off shortly after booting up.
Determining the long-term impacts of an overheating CPU depends on how long it was overheating, how hot it was getting, and how much damage was done in the process. If your CPU is salvageable, then the fix depends on the problem. You may need to re-install or replace a malfunctioning cooler, replace dried-up thermal paste with a fresh coat, or improve the overall ventilation in and around the computer’s case.
