CPUs can make a little heat, as a treat
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README.md
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README.md
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# Heater 🔥
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# Heater
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A Rust command-line application that churns your CPU and GPU at maximum capacity for testing, benchmarking, or keeping your system warm.
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## Features
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- 🔥 Maximizes CPU usage across multiple cores
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- 🎮 Optional GPU heating using compute shaders
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- 🛡️ Leaves one core free by default (configurable)
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- ⏱️ Run for a specific duration or indefinitely
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- 🛑 Graceful shutdown with Ctrl+C
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- 📊 Real-time thread and GPU iteration status
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- 🌐 Cross-platform GPU support (Metal, Vulkan, DX12, OpenGL)
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A Rust command-line application that churns your CPU cores at maximum capacity so your laptop isn't cold
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## Build
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## Usage
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### CPU heating only (default)
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### Run indefinitely (until Ctrl+C)
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```bash
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# Run indefinitely (until Ctrl+C)
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cargo run --release
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# or
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./target/release/heater
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```
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# Run for 30 seconds
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### Run for a specific duration (in seconds)
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```bash
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cargo run --release -- --duration 30
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# Leave 2 cores free
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cargo run --release -- --free-cores 2
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# or
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./target/release/heater --duration 30
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```
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### GPU heating
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### Customize the number of free cores
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```bash
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# Enable GPU heating with the --gpu flag
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cargo run --release -- --gpu
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# Leave 2 cores free
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cargo run --release -- --free-cores 2
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# GPU + CPU for 60 seconds
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cargo run --release -- --gpu --duration 60
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# Use ALL cores (leave 0 free)
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cargo run --release -- --free-cores 0
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# Max heat: all cores + GPU
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cargo run --release -- --gpu --free-cores 0
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```
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### Advanced examples
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```bash
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# Use ALL cores (leave 0 free) + GPU for 2 minutes
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./target/release/heater --gpu --free-cores 0 --duration 120
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# CPU only, leaving 3 cores free, run indefinitely
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./target/release/heater --free-cores 3
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# Run for 60 seconds, leaving 2 cores free
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cargo run --release -- --duration 60 --free-cores 2
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```
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## Options
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```
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-d, --duration <DURATION> Duration to run in seconds (omit for indefinite run)
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-f, --free-cores <FREE_CORES> Number of cores to leave free (default: 1)
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-g, --gpu Enable GPU heating (requires compatible GPU)
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-g, --gpu Enable GPU usage (makes more heat)
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-h, --help Print help
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-V, --version Print version
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```
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## How It Works
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### CPU Heating
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The application:
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1. Detects the number of logical CPU cores on your system
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2. Spawns threads equal to (total cores - free cores)
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3. Each thread performs intensive mathematical operations in a tight loop
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4. Continues until the specified duration expires or you press Ctrl+C
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### GPU Heating
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When `--gpu` is enabled:
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1. Initializes GPU using wgpu (supports Metal, Vulkan, DX12, OpenGL)
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2. Creates compute shaders that perform intensive trigonometric and exponential operations
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3. Dispatches large workgroups (256x256) continuously to maximize GPU utilization
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4. Runs in parallel with CPU heating threads
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## Use Cases
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- CPU/GPU stress testing
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- Thermal testing and validation
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- Benchmarking cooling solutions
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- Testing throttling behavior
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- Power consumption testing
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- Keeping your laptop warm in winter ❄️
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## GPU Compatibility
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The GPU heater uses `wgpu` which supports:
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- **macOS**: Metal
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- **Windows**: DirectX 12, Vulkan
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- **Linux**: Vulkan, OpenGL
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- **Web**: WebGPU
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If GPU initialization fails, the app will fall back to CPU-only heating.
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## Safety Notes
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⚠️ **Warning**: This application will significantly increase CPU and GPU temperature and power consumption.
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- Ensure your system has adequate cooling before running for extended periods
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- Monitor temperatures if running for long durations
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- Some laptops may throttle or shut down if temperatures get too high
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- Use `--free-cores` to leave headroom for system processes