testing a new computer

[BriGy86]

i've heard of memtest to test your ram and see if its stable

are there any other programs i should use after i build my computer?

 

[Monkey muppet]

Build it - if it works great, if it doesn't then there are a multitude of little apps to try.

I only use them to see if any OC'ing is going to be stable

 

[BriGy86]

well some other guys were saying after you build a computer you should run it just to make sure the ram is good

 

[ChicagoPCGuy]

If you want to be sure your system is stable, OC'd or not, the way to do it is build it, flash the BIOS to the latest rev, and then use a bootable CD with MemTest86 v1.50 on it (they have a bootable ISO image for this) and test it for at least 25 full passes. THEN, power down the machine for 30 minutes and repeat MemTest86 for another 25 full passes. THEN, load the OS and all apps. THEN run Prime95 in Torture Test Mode for a full 24 hours. If you make it past this, then you will have a 95% chance or higher of having a totally reliable system that will last a long time. Just my experience from building PCs since '88. I have always run diags in this fashion (not the same diags then as now, obviously) and this is one of the bullet proof methods of QC.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

a really easy one to run is prime95.

first just run a benchmark test and make sure it completes that.

then set it to run a stress test and let it go for a while. I think I read that an unstable computer will usually fail within the first 10 minutes of it. If you can get it to run for 24 hours you are totally stable.


There's another program that just checks your ram to make sure it's good... memtest or something? I haven't used it in a couple years since I got my current 512mb pc2700 that's still working so I havent' run these tests in a while.

These sort of tests will detect if your OC'ed computer is stable, but they will also check to make sure everything is working right in a normally clocked computer. If you want more programs, just look around at any threads about "stress testing" or checking stability of OC'ed computers.

 

[ribbon13]

SuperPI is a great way to test it. That brings a system down quick if the memory is faulty.

 

[Chris1122]

If you want to be sure your system is stable, OC'd or not, the way to do it is build it, flash the BIOS to the latest rev, and then use a bootable CD with MemTest86 v1.50 on it (they have a bootable ISO image for this) and test it for at least 25 full passes. THEN, power down the machine for 30 minutes and repeat MemTest86 for another 25 full passes. THEN, load the OS and all apps. THEN run Prime95 in Torture Test Mode for a full 24 hours. If you make it past this, then you will have a 95% chance or higher of having a totally reliable system that will last a long time. Just my experience from building PCs since '88. I have always run diags in this fashion (not the same diags then as now, obviously) and this is one of the bullet proof methods of QC

Wow!!

Thats brutal!!!

 

[ChicagoPCGuy]

Good idea ribbon13. SuperPI is another one you can run--in fact run it concurrently with Prime95 in torture mode. Then, to really be sure, run 3dMark05 a few times with Prime95 running in the background.

 

[ChicagoPCGuy]

Originally posted by: Chris1122

If you want to be sure your system is stable, OC'd or not, the way to do it is build it, flash the BIOS to the latest rev, and then use a bootable CD with MemTest86 v1.50 on it (they have a bootable ISO image for this) and test it for at least 25 full passes. THEN, power down the machine for 30 minutes and repeat MemTest86 for another 25 full passes. THEN, load the OS and all apps. THEN run Prime95 in Torture Test Mode for a full 24 hours. If you make it past this, then you will have a 95% chance or higher of having a totally reliable system that will last a long time. Just my experience from building PCs since '88. I have always run diags in this fashion (not the same diags then as now, obviously) and this is one of the bullet proof methods of QC

Wow!!

Thats brutal!!!

Yup, and that is why my sister still has a KX133 system running with a Athlon 700 Slot A processor to this day without ever having a single problem. It is still chugging along. I am very serious about stability and reliability and will go to the extreme to make sure a PC I build is absolutely stable.

 

[moonsite]

My computer failed prime95 once. But I never have problem with it. I left it running 7 days straight sometimes. I only used memtest if I suspect it is a memory problem.

 

[ChicagoPCGuy]

Originally posted by: moonsite
My computer failed prime95 once. But I never have problem with it. I left it running 7 days straight sometimes. I only used memtest if I suspect it is a memory problem.

If I had that happen, I would have been tearing apart the system to find out why. Zero tolerance. A DFI board would never make it past my methods--as HardOCP also discovered. When it comes to mobo stability, I am one picky mofo.

 

[BriGy86]

and how important would you say it is that i do this?

i bought a bunch of parts from new egg

asus mobo for AMD 3000+ athlon XP
2 sticks of 512 MB corsair ram

 

[ChicagoPCGuy]

Originally posted by: BriGy86
and how important would you say it is that i do this?

i bought a bunch of parts from new egg

asus mobo for AMD 3000+ athlon XP
2 sticks of 512 MB corsair ram

If you do what I have recommended, no matter what your system looks like, you are going to end up with a reliable system. Are you asking me to rate your parts? Without specifics on the mobo, I cannot say. Manufacturer, while a good indicator of quality *most* of the time, is not a guarantee of a good mobo. Mobos are individuals. Lots of background research will reveal if your particular mobo is generally a good one or not. My testing methodology is done after intensive research--I am looking for defects, not a bad design. I weed out the bad designs BEFORE I test.

 

[BriGy86]

well i just mentioned them because maybe some one has had very good luck or bad luck with them

 

[ChicagoPCGuy]

Originally posted by: BriGy86
well i just mentioned them because maybe some one has had very good luck or bad luck with them

Give me some specifics and I will do some background research for you. The Corsair RAM is generally good stuff, but the Value version of it might cause you issues depending upon your motherboard/chipset.

 

[BriGy86]

motherboard

RAM

CPU

and thank you

 

[ChicagoPCGuy]

Originally posted by: BriGy86
motherboard

RAM

CPU

and thank you

I will do some checking. One thing--with AthlonXP's you should run the RAM synchronously with the FSB of the processor--in this case 333Mhz DDR (166Mhz actual frequency). A 1:1 ratio with RAM/FSB provides best performance with the AthlonXP. Additional latencies are added when you increase the RAM speed to 200Mhz (400Mhz DDR).

And, you are welcome.

BTW--the processor is an excellent pick.

Question, though. Why are you not picking up a S754 mobo and Athlon64 2800+ or 3000+ for the money you are spending? Given you are getting a bit raped on the CPU, you could spend $14 less and get the 2800+ A64 and a Soltek K8T800 mobo in the $70 range and spend about the same. Just food for thought. You will have an upgrade path going in this direction, even if it is S754. Socket 462 is at end-of-life.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

I don't want to seem like I'm saying that having 100% stability is a bad thing, but I wouldn't worry about it too much if your system can't run prime95 or any of these other programs for 24 hours. Before I got a replacement ram stick from Mushkin, my computer would fail prime95 after a couple hours (now it's good and stable), but even though it failed the test, I never experienced any stability issues doing normal tasks.

These stress tests are designed to push your hardware to the limit and will uncover faults that you wouldn't normally detect with normal everyday computer usage.

I just thought I'd mention this before you think your life is ruined if you can't pass a 24 hour stress test

 

[ChicagoPCGuy]

X-Bit labs reviewed this Asus board and really liked it. The VIA KT880 chipset is a good one-I have used it before on AsRock motherboards. The ASUS board is using 2-phase power, so make sure you have a quality PSU -- such as an Enermax Noisetaker ATX12V v1.3 (370 Watt, with 420 being the better of the two for upgrade path). I will continue research.

Here is the link to the X-Bit review:

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/chipsets/display/via-kt880.html

Incidentally, X-Bit is a tough review site.

I do not believe the Corsair Value Select will cause an issue with the KT880 chipset or this mobo. I will see if I can find anything specific on this, but right now I would say OK.

You might also consider this RAM: http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=20-141-162&depa=1

It is cheaper and very very high quality stuff--uses Samsung TCCD chips on a Brainpower PCB. Not to mention it is CAS 2.

More to come.

 

[ribbon13]

Originally posted by: BriGy86
motherboard

RAM

CPU

and thank you

BAD BAD BAD!!!

Get this instead
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=20-145-440&depa=1

ram can run at a lower speed....

 

[ChicagoPCGuy]

Originally posted by: ribbon13

Originally posted by: BriGy86
motherboard

RAM

CPU

and thank you

BAD BAD BAD!!!


Get this instead
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=20-145-440&depa=1

ram can run at a lower speed....

Good catch ribbon13, that RAM is yet another $20 cheaper and PC3200 to boot. I bet at PC2700 speed he could get it to run CAS2. Still, the PQI stuff *is* top notch. I recommend CAS2 with this chipset because I saw a 120MB/sec difference in memory bandwidth as soon as I went from CAS 2.5 to 2.0 on a AsRock KT880 mobo. That is pretty significant IMHO.

 

[BriGy86]

i decided on the PC 2700 because it would be in sync with that CPU (am i right?)

also here is the PSU i bought link

 

[ChicagoPCGuy]

Ok, other than forum posts, and the NewEgg rating, X-Bit Labs appears to be the only major review site that has reviewed this motherboard.

You are taking a bit of a risk, but not much. The chipset itself is good. Nearly as fast as the nForce2 Ultra 400 (perhaps 3% slower), and you get SATA along with Marvell Gigabit ethernet on this ASUS mobo. Great deal at $66.

That said, I still recommend you reconsider your Socket A system.

Perhaps this:

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=13-180-056&depa=0

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=19-103-452&depa=0

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=20-145-440&depa=1 (the RAM ribbon13 recommended)

I think you would have a better system going in this direction. If you spend $7.00 more, you can get this mobo, which is hands-down one of the best nForce3 250Gb chipset mobos on the planet:

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=13-180-061&depa=1

 

[ChicagoPCGuy]

Originally posted by: BriGy86
i decided on the PC 2700 because it would be in sync with that CPU (am i right?)

also here is the PSU i bought link

Great PSU--you will have no trouble with it.

As far as the PC2700 vs. 3200, you can down-clock the PC3200 to PC2700 levels and then try for CAS 2.0. Obviously, strenuous testing with MemTest86 is called for when doing this. You will also spend $20 less.

Again, consider the A64 as I described. The Soltek nForce3 250Gb chipset mobo is incredibly good--my last four system builds used this mobo.

 

[BriGy86]

i don't really know the benefit of the 64 systems yet, i think there is a windows XP 64 bit addition but i have no idea where to buy it, and as for changing my mind..... i already bought the stuff, lol