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Background: The process com.docker.hyperkit has consistently been using between 100% and 200% cpu on my mac (which has 2 physical, and (in total) 4 virtual cores).

Question: is there such a thing as unsafe CPU levels (as displayed in the activity monitor) on a mac? If so, at what levels should I get worried?

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No. Your CPU will thermally throttle itself if it becomes too hot. If it goes beyond its thermal limit, it will shut itself off.

The only thing you actually have to worry about is reduced performance.

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  • Thanks for your answer. I'm not an expert here, but I am assuming you are implicitly addressing the risk of killing the CPU during one of these sessions. Would higher avg load over a long timespan not reduce the life of the CPU?
    – gen
    Commented Apr 7, 2020 at 15:03
  • That’s been engineered in. Obviously, if you run your CPU at 100% all the time, it will shorten its life, but we’re measuring CPU life around the decade mark. Even at full capacity, it will be obsolete before it’s toast
    – Allan
    Commented Apr 7, 2020 at 15:45
  • Also see apple.stackexchange.com/questions/295250/…
    – Allan
    Commented Apr 7, 2020 at 15:45
  • I see, thanks for the clarifications!
    – gen
    Commented Apr 7, 2020 at 17:33

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