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Can an active Screen Saver hurt my computer in the long run

D

dobomode

macrumors newbie
Original poster
I really love the active desktop Screen Saver hidden feature of OS X and I have been running LotsaSnow constantly over the past day or so.

What kind of implications does running a desktop Screen Saver in the background have? I know it uses up CPU resources (LotsaSnow uses 20% CPU on my MBP 2.2 GHz), but I am fine with that if I am using the laptop for casual work (I'd turn it off if I were doing something more intense). So ultimately, could running a desktop screen saver hurt my computer in the long run?
 
Practically speaking, no. Let's say, in a worst case scenario, you have the mbp on a blanket. The mbp has thermal protection, so there's nothing to worry about, really. Theoretically, extra heat could affect things on a sub-micron level but that just reduces the lifetime of your CPU and fans from thirty to, oh, twenty years? I think it will meet its demise far earlier than that from the myriad other dangers in this world.
 
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