Prime95 testing

[EvertonB]

I've been testing my rig and it's only Prime95 stable for about 5-6 hours before crashing. I keep asking myself why is this a bad thing and why should I be aiming for 24 hours? I will never use my computer at the intensity level of prime95 for that long. Maybe, 8 hours occassionally if I had a big gaming session, but even then there would be breaks.

Seriously, how long should I be aiming for? 8hrs? 12hrs? I'm convinced a 24hr target is set by people who waste their time and money building machines just to post better folding units.

 

[Wentelteefje]

If your comp is already Prime95 stable for 5 to 6 hours, then you can already be pretty cofident it's 99% stable... However, you should try OCCT, as this one can make your CPU fail, even if Prime95 doesn't... It has happened before...

If it passes this test, then I'd not change a thing... People take 12 -24 hours of Prime95, just to take a worst case scenario in account, and to be completely sure of its stability... A stock clocked CPU shouldn't fail either, so when overclocking, people want the same feeling of certainty...

 

[harobikes333]

OCCT<-- Stands for?

 

[Wentelteefje]

Originally posted by: harobikes333
OCCT<-- Stands for?

OverClock Checking Tool... No it's a very good program to test the stability of your overclocked CPU...

 

[Thor86]

Because Prime can fail at 22 hours.

 

[Wentelteefje]

Originally posted by: Thor86
Because Prime can fail at 22 hours.

D*mn straight it can... I had mine running for a whole day, and when I came home it still hadn't thrown up any errors... When I checked back a half an hour later, it was fscked up... Threw OCCT at it, and that one errored after 6 min...

I only use OCCT now...

 

[harobikes333]

Link please?

 

[Wentelteefje]

Got interested? DL it here... It's still a beta, but it's pretty stable... Let's hope your comp is...

 

[EvertonB]

Originally posted by: Thor86
Because Prime can fail at 22 hours.

It could also fail at 60 hours or 1000 hours....when do you stop? That's my point.

 

[EvertonB]

Originally posted by: Wentelteefje

Originally posted by: Thor86
Threw OCCT at it, and that one errored after 6 min...

I only use OCCT now...

Ok, how long should I run OCCT for or does it just go through one cycle and if it passes your PC is certified?

 

[Wentelteefje]

You can start by letting the "Torture" test run... That one takes a half an hour... If it proves stable, take the full test... Go to options and set memory to the max...

EDIT: I mean "test priority"... You can leave memory at its default setting...

 

[EvertonB]

Thanks. I'm currently doing another Prime95 test which I'll leave running overnight (old habits die hard!) to see if my new settings are more 'stable'. I'll then run OCCT tomorrow evening.

How long does the full test take btw?

 

[Wentelteefje]

As long as you want... It just keeps on going until you stop it...

 

[Stoneburner]

Do you need to run 2 instances of OCCT for dual cores?

 

[harobikes333]

OCCT<-- lol I'm just going to copy down the URL for when I build my new computer. Right now I'm on a 789MHz computer with integrated graphics. And I have problems with it--> Thread

 

[EvertonB]

one final question - when you run prime95 on a dual core what tests do you run on each core? small FTTs on each core, or blended on one and large FTT on the other, or something else?

 

[Wentelteefje]

@ EvertonB: Normally Large FFT's give the most heat... However, there isn't much of a difference between the different stressing methods IMHO... The blended test stresses the RAM...

@ Stoneburner: I don't have a Dual Core myself, but I believe you could adress an instance of OCCT to every core with the Task Manager... Anyone that can confirm this?

 

[Stoneburner]

i cannot load 2 instances of OCCT

ANd how do you know when you get a prime 95 error?

 

[Jeffito123]

It'll say something like errors: 1 warning or something....i don't remember cause i haven't had an error for a WHILE but it'll stop and u'll know...trust me

and evertonB, I do both tests for 24 hrs each (small on each core...then blend (not on seprate cores)....this is all done after running memtest for 24 hrs as well

 

[Wentelteefje]

Originally posted by: Stoneburner
i cannot load 2 instances of OCCT

ANd how do you know when you get a prime 95 error?

Too bad... I really thought it being possible... Prime will say that there has been a rounding error or so... That the result isn't correct... Either way, it'll stop "Priming" instantly...