CPU "Burn-in"

[Modular]

I'm finishing up a new HTPC build tonight (hopefully) and I was wondering if I needed to burn in the new CPU. If so what programs do you recommend for the job.

Specs:

A64 3400+ Skt 939
MSI K8N Neo4 Ultra
512 of some cheapo PC2700 RAM 2x256
400 GB Seagate 7200.10
MSI 6600 Pci-e HDTV out
Ultra V-Series 500 watter
Ultra Case

 

[Zolty]

I normally run Prime95 for a day, and memtest for a day just to be sure everything is working properly.

 

[sandorski]

Only as a test of stability. Not as a mythical performance enhancement.

 

[firewolfsm]

I'm sure sandorski is going to argue with me about this buut...

After owning my system for a year, I tried a burn-in for a day straight and my system suddenly lasted longer in Prime95 so I was able to raise the FSB by 3MHz. I'd burn it in for day then start overclocking...if you are at all. If not, then don't bother.

 

[A554SS1N]

With the stock stuff, I'd say no, but with arctic silver, it needs time to cure, i.e. heat cycles where it heats up and is allowed to cool again, so I'd "burn in" with that.

 

[Maximilian]

Originally posted by: sandorski
Only as a test of stability. Not as a mythical performance enhancement.

:thumbsup:

Yes the mythical performance increase some people find is due to the artic silver improving its thermal properties (dont know how else to word that) over time, usually this happens slowly but with a burn in the process is speeded up. Or it might be down to blind luck and the same people may experience crashes and broken parts regularly. Depends who you ask i guess, i would say its not neccesary.

 

[Modular]

Thanks for the info everyone. I figured it wasn't really a mythical performance increase from burning in a CPU. I just wanted to make sure I do this one right. I won't be overclocking it just yet (it's only a HTPC, so a 3400+ is plenty of power), but I might bust it out and mess around with it in the near future.

 

[sjandrewbsme]

Originally posted by: firewolfsm
I'm sure sandorski is going to argue with me about this buut...

After owning my system for a year, I tried a burn-in for a day straight and my system suddenly lasted longer in Prime95 so I was able to raise the FSB by 3MHz. I'd burn it in for day then start overclocking...if you are at all. If not, then don't bother.

In reading the info for TIM's like Arctic Silver 5, it mentions that max. thermal transfer rates are not obtained until after like 200+ hours of normal use with lots of thermal cycles.

Perhaps you were the beneficiary of something like this - who knows.

 

[mrred]

Originally posted by: firewolfsm
II tried a burn-in for a day straight and my system suddenly lasted longer in Prime95 so I was able to raise the FSB by 3MHz.

...seems to me that if it "lasted longer" then it was still failing at some point. It's either stable or unstable. If Prime95 errors after X hours, then it's unstable no matter how high X is.

 

[Zolty]

Originally posted by: mrred

Originally posted by: firewolfsm
II tried a burn-in for a day straight and my system suddenly lasted longer in Prime95 so I was able to raise the FSB by 3MHz.

...seems to me that if it "lasted longer" then it was still failing at some point. It's either stable or unstable. If Prime95 errors after X hours, then it's unstable no matter how high X is.

qft

 

[firewolfsm]

Originally posted by: mrred

Originally posted by: firewolfsm
II tried a burn-in for a day straight and my system suddenly lasted longer in Prime95 so I was able to raise the FSB by 3MHz.

...seems to me that if it "lasted longer" then it was still failing at some point. It's either stable or unstable. If Prime95 errors after X hours, then it's unstable no matter how high X is.

I don't need a stable system though, as long as it never crashes on me during 3D renders ot photoshop I'm fine. I will say that it ALWAYS failed at 2:47 except after using CPUBurn-in and leaving it on for a full day.

And it wasn't the TIM maturing, I'd had the system running with that setup for thousands of hours and hundreds of reboots (almost a year of work).

 

[91TTZ]

Originally posted by: sandorski
Only as a test of stability. Not as a mythical performance enhancement.

QFT.