# How, exactly does a CPU generate heat?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-exactly-does-a-cpu-generate-heat/676652>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 18, 2013, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-exactly-does-a-cpu-generate-heat/676652 "2013-12-18T15:45:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\
**Post date:** [December 19, 2013, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-exactly-does-a-cpu-generate-heat/676652/21 "2013-12-19T17:18:09Z")

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> [@Chronos](#):
>
> There are a great many moving parts. They’re just all really, really small.

Top 5 favorite answer ever.

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**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\
**Post date:** [December 20, 2013, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-exactly-does-a-cpu-generate-heat/676652/22 "2013-12-20T01:03:04Z")

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> [@ZenBeam](#):
>
> Smaller transistors means it takes less charge to make a state a 1 instead of a 0. That means less current is required to change state. Going to lower voltages also reduces the charge needed for a 1, reducing the amount of current. On the other hand, faster clock speed means states change more often, increasing the current.

So effect of smaller transistors \> increased resistance?

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**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\
**Post date:** [December 20, 2013, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-exactly-does-a-cpu-generate-heat/676652/23 "2013-12-20T01:27:25Z")

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The point is that there are multiple factors, some helping and some hurting. You’d need to look at them all together. You can’t just look at a single factor.

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**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\
**Post date:** [December 20, 2013, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-exactly-does-a-cpu-generate-heat/676652/24 "2013-12-20T01:27:50Z")

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> [@friedo](#):
>
> [Resistance](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_resistance). There’s a lot of it.

But in the end, the resistance was futile, as your processor still manages to get its tasks done.

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