pegging out
Real shop floor term for pushing equipment to failure point
To push a system to its limits; such that the system is at its maximum work output at which failure is more likely.
Despite the multi-core CPU and high capacity of RAM, the system started pegging out when the simulation began executing. As he floored it, the car 's engine began to roar, and despite pegging out the RPM gauge beyond the red-line, the engine did not falter.