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This is something I've been wondering about for a while now. I used to drive a turbo-charged car, and I was always told that I should let the car idle for a few minutes after a long or hard trip in order to prevent damage to the turbo.

Should the same care be taken will computers? I mean, let's say you close out a cpu intensive program, and the temp of the cpu is "right up there", would it be better to let the computer idle for a few minutes, allowing the fan to keep reducing the temperature of the processor and heatsink, or just shut the machine down all together, eliminating the workload of the cpu completely, but leaving the heatsink to work passively?

Would either option offer any advantage over the other?

computer and electronics are not a car or the intesnse heat in metals of the internal cumbustion engine

even the thing you were told about turbo chargers is a bit 'off' and would only apply under certain conditions.. and you would have to repeat those conditions for it to have any bearing on long term damage


yes, in theory some of that applies to hot electronics but shutting down a computer when hot will not damage anything worth discussing past 'theory' and nothing to worry about

 The reasoning behind the cool-down period for a turbo-charged engine is to allow the +500

The amount of heat and of course the oil system would be the primary difference between an automotive engine and a computer however I was looking further into the factors of thermal inversion to molecular fatigue and what happens when high temps are instantly dropped, a very real issue with everything from an automotive engine to silicone based electronics.

Although I also do not see modern automotive technology demanding people sit there and idle their engine to cool off the turbo, racing and of course tech from the past along with aftermarket designs in that respect did play further into that 'idle' recommendation

Under normal driving down a highway with a factory designed modern turbo that is not necessary. The automotive industry mandates different oil and oil change intervals to accommodate the temp issues a turbo charger presents.

If one was to go out and 'horse' on a modern factory designed turbo charged car on purpose, something that the manufacture would not expect the driver to do under normal driving conditions, a need to allow cool down would of course ensue

Hence the need for aftermarket "turbo-timers".

Obviously, the turbo reference was more of an analogy than a literal comparison, but that was the thought that got my gears turning. Just curious, as I had never heard anything about the subject.

WAY back in the day, I also used to have a computer with a "Turbo" button on it. What should I have done in that case? Huh

[quote]Hence the need for aftermarket "turbo-timers".

Obviously, the turbo reference was more of an analogy than a literal comparison, but that was the thought that got my gears turning. Just curious, as I had never heard anything about the subject.

WAY back in the day, I also used to have a computer with a "Turbo" button on it. What should I have done in that case? Huh

[quote]WAY back in the day, I also used to have a computer with a "Turbo" button on it. What should I have done in that case? Huh

I believe a cool down period is valid in a number of areas.

Cooling systems are supplied for a reason and if you are running any system at its maximum cooling capacity and then suddenly deprive it of that capacity you will retain the heat in the system--it has nowhere to go.

I think a cool down period is actually a good thing to practice

Col.

I'm pretty sure the "TURBO" button on the old PC's was actually used to trigger a compatibility mode which I have completely forgotten about, but I do believe it actually REDUCED performance.

 Correct. For example, an 80386/20MHz processor will run at 8MHz with turbo off and 20MHz with turbo on. The reason for this is some older programs, like the early versions of Lotus 1-2-3, wouldn't run at the higher speed.