Prime95 Testing.

[PCTweaketh]

How should I change the settings to best test my systems stability?

 

[myocardia]

Well, the best way to use Prime95 is to do a custom Torture Test (go to Options, Torture Test, then click on Custom), and use 2048 Minimum FFT and 4096 Maximum. That way, you are doing roughly 2-3 DAYS worth of the "normal" Blend test in 12 hours' time. If you don't want to do it that way, just run it for at least 24 hours of "Blend" Torture Test, and call it stable if there are no errors and no warnings. If you get either errors (the test will stop if it errors, even once) or warnings, then lower your overclock slightly, or raise your vcore (processor voltage) a notch, and try again.

 

[PCTweaketh]

Thanks a bunch Myo!

 

[PCTweaketh]

I cant seem to find a stable OC using your settings. What are the settings most used by people on here? I want it to at least be stable for an hour and I dont want to lose 2.4GHz or have to raise the Vcore past 1.75.

 

[PCTweaker5]

Anybody?

 

[charloscarlies]

You're probably gonna need 1.75 volts to get to 2.4 ghz or better. What are you trying now that isn't stable?

 

[PCTweaker5]

Im using his recommended settings for Prime95 and have tried all the way up to 1.8v for 2.4GHz and it gets errors after 22 minutes. Is it just that this test is too intense or will I have to drop down to 2.3GHz? FarCry runs perfect for hours with the voltage at 1.7 at 2.4GHz but Rise of Nations and Max Payne 2 always crash to the desktop or just flat out reboot the system. There are no programs interfering so I know the problem has to be the OC. I guess I will try the 24hour test on Blend to see if I make it through and then if the problems still occur then I can maybe start blaming the video card which isnt overclocked.

 

[someone16]

You may want to try underclocking the ram back to default speeds to get that out of consideration and try prime95 again.

 

[PCTweaker5]

RAM is @ stock speeds and voltages as well as the timings. Video card is at stock settings and there are no programs running during my testing because I noticed that during testing it would report errors when the screensaver came on. So I'll just try the Blend test for 24hours and see how that goes @ 2.4GHz.

 

[mitchafi]

I have the same problems at stock settings. I have been trying to solve it for month's now. At all stock settings I fail after around 12 minutes-4 hours, sometimes a little longer. It's disturbing. Memtest86 reports my memory is fine, although I might test it again one day. I tried upping my DDR voltage to 2.7 but that doesn't do the trick either. I use the blended setting. I'm at the point where I don't know what else it could possibly be...any suggestions?

 

[PCTweaker5]

That sucks dude. Id say that your chip is heading for destruction but have you made sure every other setting is set to stock?

 

[ectx]

Originally posted by: mitchafi
I have the same problems at stock settings. I have been trying to solve it for month's now. At all stock settings I fail after around 12 minutes-4 hours, sometimes a little longer. It's disturbing. Memtest86 reports my memory is fine, although I might test it again one day. I tried upping my DDR voltage to 2.7 but that doesn't do the trick either. I use the blended setting. I'm at the point where I don't know what else it could possibly be...any suggestions?

Waht kind of cooling do you use?

 

[mitchafi]

I'm using the retail heatsink with AS5. The case has 5 80MM fans as well. The temperatures are definitely ok though, it doesn't break 40 idle and rarely breaks 50 at full load.

 

[PCTweaker5]

Have you tried putting a little more voltage to see if it works? Maybe your CPU has become dependant on a certain voltage which Im not sure is possible but dont see why not.

 

[edmundoab]

Ok I normally rely on 3 test,

Prime95 to run at least 3 hours or more,
some say 8 hours is best.

3dmark 01 & 03 or either 1 to see if it stalls..

Memtest86 loop test over 5 times or more as time permits..

 

[PCTweaker5]

Im not gonna run Memtest86 anymore for as long as it exists. Last time I did that my CPU got fried.

 

[AkumaX]

i had prime95 fail at 10 hrs once. i'm like, why?!

i've got a tbred @ 2300 right now.

11.5 x 200 it would fail prime in like 10 min

11 x 209 it would do prime 12+ hours. go figure?

 

[PCTweaker5]

THats some weird sh*t. I think it has a lot to do with programs running or something.

 

[hifisoftware]

There was an interesting test using memtest when they rated power supplies at anandtech (search for 'power'). Bottom line there is a reson why ECC memory exists. Wihout ECC, memory can get corrupted (not very likely, but you might see it once in a while). When memory gets corrupted memtest or prime can fail. Interference from power supply can make it more likely to fail. Nothing is perfect and even at stock speeds something might go wrong. Even ECC might fail, but it's probably a billion times less likely. I am not an expert, but when my Prime crashes I assume that it just unstable and raise vcore. As a programmer I do not think that any other process can affect Prime. Sure enoughif I bump up my VCore high enough I can run Prime and any other app in the background with no problems.
To get to 2.5 with my 2500 Mobile I had to use 1.9v to be stable (temp over 60). I usually do not run that high, because my cooling is not very powerfull (Silent Boost). I use 1.625 v core at 2300 (temp under 50).