Thermal diodes are used to control the temperature of the GPU in modern computer technology. The term "GPU diode" means "GPU diode". If the temperature of the thermal diode is too high, the computer may freeze.
A GPU diode is a thermal diode on a computer's graphics processing unit (GPU). He is responsible for monitoring the temperature of the processor. The GPU is engaged in graphic rendering, that is, it processes data and displays it in the form of computer graphics. In modern video cards, GPUs are also used as a 3D graphics accelerator.
The principle of operation of thermal diodes
Like conventional processors, GPUs get warm during their operation. Thermal diodes are used to control their temperature. These devices are capable of operating in a temperature range of 80 to 150 degrees. The upper limit of the operating temperature of the thermal diode is limited by the temperature of the thermal breakdown of the electron-hole junction. In the case of germanium diodes, it can reach 200 degrees, and in the case of silicon diodes, it can reach 500 degrees.
The widespread use of thermal diodes as temperature sensors is determined by their low cost of production, small size and high reliability. The operation of a thermal diode is based on the phenomenon of an electron-hole transition. If two or more electron-hole junctions are combined in one crystal of a diode, its current-voltage characteristics may change depending on external conditions. So, in thermal diodes with a change in temperature, the resistance of the junction changes, which leads to a change in voltage.
GPU diode problems
One common problem with GPU diodes is that when the GPU is under heavy load, the thermal diode quickly overheats, causing the computer to freeze. The computer is only rebooted from this state. Especially often, such cases occur in summer, when the air in the room warms up to 27-30 degrees.
If the temperature of the GPU diode without load is 70 degrees, this is already a sign of its overheating. When "heavy" games are started on the computer, the temperature of the thermal diode can go up to 100-120 degrees, which leads to the freezing of the computer. Of course, it is difficult to burn something in this case, because the computer is equipped with an overheating protection system. But constant overheating of the graphics processor affects the operation of the computer and can lead to a decrease in the resource of its electronic components.
How to prevent overheating of a thermal diode
To get rid of the problem of overheating of the thermal diode, in most cases it is enough to clean the video card from dust, change the thermal paste on the GPU and check the cooler is working properly.
