[chrisper]

It's like overclocking your CPU very close to the limits of your cooling ability. You will get great benchmark scores, but your CPU will also last a lot less as well (though with CPUs it doesn't matter if they now run for 20 years or 32 years, but if you push it a lot more you might damage it. But hey, at least you got great benchmark points).

[amelius]

Wouldn't you also get more hardware errors, causing e.g. sudden kernel panics and stuff like that? And wouldn't that damage the brand more than the speed improvement is worth?

[chrisper]

Yeah. One could argue that if you are getting hardware errors you are already at the red line (and not just close to it).

Regarding damage: It depends what your goal is. Some people want to get as much performance out of the CPU as possible since they maybe upgrade after a year or two anyway. Some people even try to set records by using crazy cooling systems.