GMP damaging Zen 5 CPUs?

Whether GMP Can Really “Burn” Zen 5 CPUs

• Many commenters stress that user‑space software should not be able to physically damage a modern CPU; if tight MULX/AVX loops from GMP can, that implies a hardware/firmware defect.
• Others note that very dense vector/math workloads can act as “power viruses,” creating unusual, highly localized hotspots that stress parts of the die differently than typical mixed workloads.

Thermals, Hotspots, and Throttling Limits

• Several posts argue that modern CPUs have sophisticated DVFS and thermal protection and should only throttle or crash, not die, even with poor cooling or missing coolers.
• Counterpoint: thermal mass of the die is tiny and power is huge (hundreds of amps at ~1–1.3V), so localized regions can heat in microseconds; sensors and firmware must predict load patterns, not just react.
• Some suggest GMP‑like tight loops or AVX/FFT workloads can concentrate heat in a small area (e.g., vector units) faster than protection triggers.

Cooling Solution and Mounting Debate

• The chosen cooler (Noctua NH‑U9S, ~140–165W class) is below the 9950X’s 170W TDP and well below observed ~200–240W socket power; many call this under‑spec for 24/7, all‑core heavy math.
• Others counter that Noctua’s own compatibility table classifies it as acceptable (“medium headroom”) for 9950X and that paste patterns show full IHS contact, with intentional offset mounting toward the hotter chiplet side.
• Broad agreement that an undersized or marginal cooler should reduce performance, not kill silicon, if protections work properly.

TDP, Power Draw, and Marketing Confusion

• Large subthread argues that AMD/Intel TDP figures are marketing numbers, not hard limits on heat or power; real sustained draw can exceed TDP by ~30% or more under boost/PBO.
• This makes it easy for builders to unintentionally pair “TDP‑matched” coolers with chips that, in practice, sustain far higher power under heavy workloads.

Motherboards, Firmware, and Over‑Aggressive Defaults

• Multiple comments blame boards more than GMP: reports of AM5 boards (especially some ASRock and budget Asus models) using aggressive PBO, high VSOC/XMP settings, and marginal VRMs, leading to instability or failures.
• Suggestions: disable PBO, use Eco Mode, cap VSOC (~≤1.2V), undervolt, and overspec cooling and PSUs, especially for long‑running HPC‑style loads.

Anecdotes and Broader Reliability Concerns

• Several users report Zen‑era CPUs or boards dying under heavy or quirky loads (Prime95, LINPACK, evolutionary algorithms), and note similar recent issues with Intel’s 13/14‑gen parts.
• Overall sentiment: something in the Zen 4/5 + AM5 ecosystem (power limits, board tuning, or protections) appears fragile under worst‑case workloads, and merits independent thermal/power investigation.