How Do You Determine System Stability?

AkumaX

Lifer
Apr 20, 2000
12,648
4
81
You know, like, how can you determine a custom built computer "stable"?

Like, other than using Sandra 2003, Prime95, 3DMark, etc...

What do you determine a stable system?
 

ScrapSilicon

Lifer
Apr 14, 2001
13,625
0
0
up for more than 20 days, burning/ripping DVDs,installing/uninstalling progs, holding too many IE pages open for too many days, etc. ...without rebooting.
 

Chaotic42

Lifer
Jun 15, 2001
34,938
2,090
126
If it can survive lots of BF1942, Photoshop, Bryce, and kernel compiles, it's stable to me.
 

chizow

Diamond Member
Jun 26, 2001
9,537
2
0
I run Prime95, Memtest86, 3DMark when testing for hardware and system stability.

Any real world test is more a function of OS and driver stability and compatibility IMO.

Chiz
 

BFG10K

Lifer
Aug 14, 2000
22,709
3,004
126
I just run my computer normally and do the things I do all the time. If I can use it at least a few days like that then I deem it stable.

If I'm suspicious of something then I run looping timedemos for several hours from a wide range of 3D games, preferably as many different ones as possible.
 

RobCur

Banned
Oct 4, 2002
3,076
0
0
can play divx movies for at least 30min and gaming 3o min, no crashes? good, very stable!
 

ProviaFan

Lifer
Mar 17, 2001
14,993
1
0
If my system can endure weeks of my daily torturing it with hard work, then I deem it "stable enough" - however, if it fails Prime95 or Memtest86, it still isn't stable, despite what some people here like to think.
 

0roo0roo

No Lifer
Sep 21, 2002
64,795
84
91
use xp, patch it up all the way. then run stress test like prime95/games etc. see if it crashes:p
 

Priit

Golden Member
Nov 2, 2000
1,337
1
0
Stable = runs everything as should and never crashes unless I do something wrong (like fck up kernel :) . I may forgive 1 unexpected crash/restart a year but definately not more. I demand such stability both from hardware and software...