Computer Hardware Can old software damage CPU?

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Subject Author Date
Can old software damage CPU? qpwmax 05-21-08
Posted by on May 21, 2008, 2:05 pm
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I use a very old program called QPW (Quattro Pro) and it uses 51% of
the CPU (yes 51%, not 50% or 52%). I have a Core 2 Duo E6750, and most
of the stuff I use hardly reaches 10%, even AVI movies. I used the
Asus temp monitor utility and found that when the PC is idle the CPU
is at 32=BAC (90=BAF), for normal work it's around 34=BA to 36=BA (95=BAF), =
and
with QPW it goes up to 42=BAC (108=BAF) and stays there. As soon as I
close QPW it quickly goes back down to 32=BAC. The CPU fan speed always
hovers between 1950 and 1980 RPM in all of these different
temperatures. The motherboard temp is usually at 36=BAC, and also
doesn't change.

These temps are ok with me, but what worries me is that this old QPW
program might be telling the CPU to do the same sequence over and
over, perhaps stressing certain section of it. I know nothing about
CPU architecture, so don't be surprised if what I just said doesn't
make any sense and I shouldn't be concerned about running this
software. I use QPW for about 2 or 3 hours a day, maybe 3 or 4 days a
week. I also use Excel, but I just love the old QPW (version 1.0).

Here's a graph of the CPU usage. There are 2 windows for the CPU (I
guess that's why they call it a "Duo" CPU). Notice that the left
window averages about 42% CPU usage and the right window about 58%.

Posted by on May 21, 2008, 2:12 pm
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qpw...@hushmail.com wrote:

> Here's a graph of the CPU usage. There are 2 windows for the CPU (I
> guess that's why they call it a "Duo" CPU). Notice that the left
> window averages about 42% CPU usage and the right window about 58%.

OOps, here it is:

http://img219.imageshack.us/my.php?image=qpw10cpuusageofcore2duoja1.gif

Posted by Robert Baer on May 22, 2008, 1:00 am
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qpwmax@hushmail.com wrote:
>
> qpw...@hushmail.com wrote:
>
>
>>Here's a graph of the CPU usage. There are 2 windows for the CPU (I
>>guess that's why they call it a "Duo" CPU). Notice that the left
>>window averages about 42% CPU usage and the right window about 58%.
>
>
> OOps, here it is:
>
> http://img219.imageshack.us/my.php?image=qpw10cpuusageofcore2duoja1.gif
I also have QPW, and always run it using true DOS (eg: MSDOS6.22,
PCDOS7.0, etc).
Since you run it in a Gooie, that Gooie probably is extending
effective RAM for the spreadsheet array(s) and the addressing done by
QPW is being "interpreted" or "reflected" or "translated" to the space
that the Gooie made for it.
I do know for a fact that a Gooie will allow more memory to be used
by a DOS program, if that program is created to use memory above
"conventional" memory, and most epecially beyond the DOS 1Meg "barrier".

Posted by philo on May 21, 2008, 2:22 pm
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I use a very old program called QPW (Quattro Pro) and it uses 51% of
the CPU (yes 51%, not 50% or 52%). I have a Core 2 Duo E6750, and most
of the stuff I use hardly reaches 10%, even AVI movies. I used the
Asus temp monitor utility and found that when the PC is idle the CPU
is at 32ºC (90ºF), for normal work it's around 34º to 36º (95ºF), and
with QPW it goes up to 42ºC (108ºF) and stays there. As soon as I
close QPW it quickly goes back down to 32ºC. The CPU fan speed always
hovers between 1950 and 1980 RPM in all of these different
temperatures. The motherboard temp is usually at 36ºC, and also
doesn't change.

These temps are ok with me, but what worries me is that this old QPW
program might be telling the CPU to do the same sequence over and
over, perhaps stressing certain section of it. I know nothing about
CPU architecture, so don't be surprised if what I just said doesn't
make any sense and I shouldn't be concerned about running this
software. I use QPW for about 2 or 3 hours a day, maybe 3 or 4 days a
week. I also use Excel, but I just love the old QPW (version 1.0).

Here's a graph of the CPU usage. There are 2 windows for the CPU (I
guess that's why they call it a "Duo" CPU). Notice that the left
window averages about 42% CPU usage and the right window about 58%.


Though 51% cpu usage may be a bit high...
it will not damage your CPU (assuming it's cooled properly)

Last year I did a major project in Publisher and my CPU stayed pretty well
pegged in the 90%+ area for many hours a day...
the project took a few months and the CPU survived just fine!




Posted by Rich Webb on May 21, 2008, 2:23 pm
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On Wed, 21 May 2008 11:05:55 -0700 (PDT), qpwmax@hushmail.com wrote:

>I use a very old program called QPW (Quattro Pro) and it uses 51% of
>the CPU (yes 51%, not 50% or 52%). I have a Core 2 Duo E6750, and most
>of the stuff I use hardly reaches 10%, even AVI movies. I used the
>Asus temp monitor utility and found that when the PC is idle the CPU
>is at 32ºC (90ºF), for normal work it's around 34º to 36º (95ºF), and
>with QPW it goes up to 42ºC (108ºF) and stays there. As soon as I
>close QPW it quickly goes back down to 32ºC. The CPU fan speed always
>hovers between 1950 and 1980 RPM in all of these different
>temperatures. The motherboard temp is usually at 36ºC, and also
>doesn't change.
>
>These temps are ok with me, but what worries me is that this old QPW
>program might be telling the CPU to do the same sequence over and
>over, perhaps stressing certain section of it. I know nothing about
>CPU architecture, so don't be surprised if what I just said doesn't
>make any sense and I shouldn't be concerned about running this
>software. I use QPW for about 2 or 3 hours a day, maybe 3 or 4 days a
>week. I also use Excel, but I just love the old QPW (version 1.0).

Back in the day, software was often written with "busy wait" loops
rather than being multi-tasking friendly and releasing itself to wait
on an event trigger from the operating system. I'd bet that the
original Quattro Pro for Windows was just a quick'n'dirty port of the
earlier DOS version where there *was* no multi-tasking operating
system and a running app would just assume that it owned all of the
machine's resources.

As long as the CPU's temperatures stay within the manufacturer's
recommended limits, you're okay. You won't "wear out" any of the CPU's
silicon. All it's probably doing is repeatedly polling the keyboard,
waiting for you to type something.

I was a fan of Borland's DOS-based Quattro too. Used to use it as a
drawing program for flowcharts and suchlike. Worked great! '-)

--
Rich Webb Norfolk, VA

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