How to Mitigate Thermal Throttling in HPC CPUs

Thermal throttling occurs when CPUs reduce their frequency to avoid overheating, impacting HPC performance. Follow these steps to mitigate thermal throttling effectively:

Step 1: Monitor CPU Temperatures

• Regularly monitor CPU temperatures using:
• sensors
• watch -n 1 sensors

Step 2: Optimize Cooling Solutions

• Ensure proper airflow within chassis and data centers.
• Maintain adequate cooling (e.g., improved heatsinks, additional fans, liquid cooling).

Step 3: Update BIOS and Firmware

• Regularly update BIOS and firmware for enhanced thermal management capabilities.
• Adjust BIOS settings for optimal fan performance and thermal limits.

Step 4: Tune Power and Performance Settings

• Configure power settings (DVFS and C-states) to balance performance and thermal output:
• cpupower frequency-set -g performance

Step 5: Balance Workload Distribution

• Distribute intensive workloads evenly across multiple nodes or cores.
• Implement workload scheduling to prevent excessive load on specific CPUs.

Step 6: Inspect and Maintain Hardware

• Regularly clean and inspect cooling hardware.
• Reapply thermal paste to maintain efficient heat transfer.

Step 7: Continuous Monitoring and Adjustment

• Continuously monitor CPU performance and thermal states.
• Adjust cooling strategies and workload management based on ongoing observations.

By systematically following these steps, you can effectively mitigate thermal throttling, ensuring optimal HPC CPU performance and reliability.