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Originally Posted by Groth
Okay, yeah some VRM controllers use external caps and/or resistors to set the frequency.
Lower frequencies will mean cooler MOSFETs and inductors, but more ripple and transients. Higher will mean more heat and a smoother output. But if your inductors get too hot, thermal runaway and everything dies.
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Resistance in the inductor windings increases with temperature. When the resistance increases, current decreases and temperature goes down. They can't go into thermal runaway. MOSFETS are also immune to thermal runaway. However higher MOSFET temperatures mean less current from the power supply and a decrease in output voltage if the CPU needs more current can be supplied.
Another way to decrease MOSFET temperatures is to replace the ones on the motherboard with ones with lowest RSDON. These cost more which is why the best ones may not be used on motherboards. If all the other MOSFET parameters are the same, this should cause no problems.