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#1
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Stress Test
I've got a machine on my bench that has BSODed quite a bit when in
use...but just sitting idle on my bench it can sit there all day and is fine. I have been running something called "Heavy Load" but it does not appear to really be giving the machine a good test. Any suggestions? |
#2
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Stress Test
On 3/26/2014 10:19 AM, philo wrote:
I've got a machine on my bench that has BSODed quite a bit when in use...but just sitting idle on my bench it can sit there all day and is fine. I have been running something called "Heavy Load" but it does not appear to really be giving the machine a good test. Any suggestions? All of my machines with the exception of the home server run the BOINC client under World Community Grid 24 X 7 and that keeps the CPUs pegged at 100% so it might make for a good CPU/Memory/Chipset test but it won't do much for disk and I/O problems. Many people swear by the old Prime95 program as a test but it will suffer from the same shortcoming. |
#3
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Stress Test
On 03/26/2014 10:42 AM, John McGaw wrote:
On 3/26/2014 10:19 AM, philo wrote: I've got a machine on my bench that has BSODed quite a bit when in use...but just sitting idle on my bench it can sit there all day and is fine. I have been running something called "Heavy Load" but it does not appear to really be giving the machine a good test. Any suggestions? All of my machines with the exception of the home server run the BOINC client under World Community Grid 24 X 7 and that keeps the CPUs pegged at 100% so it might make for a good CPU/Memory/Chipset test but it won't do much for disk and I/O problems. Many people swear by the old Prime95 program as a test but it will suffer from the same shortcoming. Thanks I'll give that a try. I can always run the manufacturer's diagnostic on the HD |
#4
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Stress Test
philo wrote:
On 03/26/2014 10:42 AM, John McGaw wrote: On 3/26/2014 10:19 AM, philo wrote: I've got a machine on my bench that has BSODed quite a bit when in use...but just sitting idle on my bench it can sit there all day and is fine. I have been running something called "Heavy Load" but it does not appear to really be giving the machine a good test. Any suggestions? All of my machines with the exception of the home server run the BOINC client under World Community Grid 24 X 7 and that keeps the CPUs pegged at 100% so it might make for a good CPU/Memory/Chipset test but it won't do much for disk and I/O problems. Many people swear by the old Prime95 program as a test but it will suffer from the same shortcoming. Thanks I'll give that a try. I can always run the manufacturer's diagnostic on the HD I use Prime95 torture test, as proof a computer is stable and ready to give to another person. http://www.mersenne.org/download/index.php The downloads are about half way down the page, and are available for a number of platforms. When the software asks "Join GIMPS?", answer No as you are Just Testing. That software computes a number of FFTs (fast fourier transforms) in assembler code. It opens an execution thread per CPU core (virtual or physical). It makes the CPU run warm, and it can help you determine whether the CPU cooler you are using, is adequate. There is a setting, to select how much RAM to test. On large RAM machines, you may need to run multiple copies, if attempting to cover the maximum amount of memory possible. (Copy Prime95 into a separate folder, to be able to run a separate copy. As long as each executable has its own private folder, it's happy.) If any testing thread gets "the wrong answer", the text in that thread turns red and the thread stops. So the first error detected, is enough to tell you there is a problem, and either the RAM is bad, the RAM settings need to be adjusted, or maybe VCore needs to be bumped up a notch. It's a CPU, Northbridge, RAM tester. For my own personal machines, if it runs for at least four hours, with no threads stopping, that's my proof (acceptance test) that the machine is ready to use for serious work. You can include 3D game play, while Prime95 is running. On some of the older computers, the combination of some AGP slot activity (video card traffic), plus the Prime95, may do a slightly better job of uncovering problems. But testers don't really have the time to play games, while Prime95 is reaching it's acceptance condition. The test would run forever, if you didn't stop it. You can just leave Prime95 running over night, assuming your CPU cooling is in good shape. If I was running it on a laptop, I'd want to watch the CPU temperature for a bit, to make sure the fan cooling is working properly. Someone managed to melt a corner of their laptop once, when the laptop was running with high CPU usage, and the cooling wasn't working well enough :-) Paul |
#5
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Stress Test
On 03/26/2014 01:21 PM, Paul wrote:
philo wrote: On 03/26/2014 10:42 AM, John McGaw wrote: On 3/26/2014 10:19 AM, philo wrote: I've got a machine on my bench that has BSODed quite a bit when in use...but just sitting idle on my bench it can sit there all day and is fine. I have been running something called "Heavy Load" but it does not appear to really be giving the machine a good test. Any suggestions? All of my machines with the exception of the home server run the BOINC client under World Community Grid 24 X 7 and that keeps the CPUs pegged at 100% so it might make for a good CPU/Memory/Chipset test but it won't do much for disk and I/O problems. Many people swear by the old Prime95 program as a test but it will suffer from the same shortcoming. Thanks I'll give that a try. I can always run the manufacturer's diagnostic on the HD I use Prime95 torture test, as proof a computer is stable and ready to give to another person. http://www.mersenne.org/download/index.php The downloads are about half way down the page, and are available for a number of platforms. When the software asks "Join GIMPS?", answer No as you are Just Testing. Thank you Paul, I'll use it and give the machine a good test That software computes a number of FFTs (fast fourier transforms) in assembler code. It opens an execution thread per CPU core (virtual or physical). It makes the CPU run warm, and it can help you determine whether the CPU cooler you are using, is adequate. There is a setting, to select how much RAM to test. On large RAM machines, you may need to run multiple copies, if attempting to cover the maximum amount of memory possible. (Copy Prime95 into a separate folder, to be able to run a separate copy. As long as each executable has its own private folder, it's happy.) If any testing thread gets "the wrong answer", the text in that thread turns red and the thread stops. So the first error detected, is enough to tell you there is a problem, and either the RAM is bad, the RAM settings need to be adjusted, or maybe VCore needs to be bumped up a notch. It's a CPU, Northbridge, RAM tester. For my own personal machines, if it runs for at least four hours, with no threads stopping, that's my proof (acceptance test) that the machine is ready to use for serious work. You can include 3D game play, while Prime95 is running. On some of the older computers, the combination of some AGP slot activity (video card traffic), plus the Prime95, may do a slightly better job of uncovering problems. But testers don't really have the time to play games, while Prime95 is reaching it's acceptance condition. The test would run forever, if you didn't stop it. You can just leave Prime95 running over night, assuming your CPU cooling is in good shape. If I was running it on a laptop, I'd want to watch the CPU temperature for a bit, to make sure the fan cooling is working properly. Someone managed to melt a corner of their laptop once, when the laptop was running with high CPU usage, and the cooling wasn't working well enough :-) Paul |
#6
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Stress Test
Somewhere on teh intarwebs Paul wrote:
On 3/26/2014 10:19 AM, philo wrote: I've got a machine on my bench that has BSODed quite a bit when in use...but just sitting idle on my bench it can sit there all day and is fine. I have been running something called "Heavy Load" but it does not appear to really be giving the machine a good test. Any suggestions? [snip] I use Prime95 torture test, as proof a computer is stable and ready to give to another person. http://www.mersenne.org/download/index.php The downloads are about half way down the page, and are available for a number of platforms. When the software asks "Join GIMPS?", answer No as you are Just Testing. That software computes a number of FFTs (fast fourier transforms) in assembler code. It opens an execution thread per CPU core (virtual or physical). It makes the CPU run warm, and it can help you determine whether the CPU cooler you are using, is adequate. There is a setting, to select how much RAM to test. On large RAM machines, you may need to run multiple copies, if attempting to cover the maximum amount of memory possible. (Copy Prime95 into a separate folder, to be able to run a separate copy. As long as each executable has its own private folder, it's happy.) If any testing thread gets "the wrong answer", the text in that thread turns red and the thread stops. So the first error detected, is enough to tell you there is a problem, and either the RAM is bad, the RAM settings need to be adjusted, or maybe VCore needs to be bumped up a notch. It's a CPU, Northbridge, RAM tester. For my own personal machines, if it runs for at least four hours, with no threads stopping, that's my proof (acceptance test) that the machine is ready to use for serious work. [snip] Snap! I use exactly the same programme, for about the same amount of time (unless there's intermittant glitches, then it runs for 24 hours minimum). I've been using it since the good old days when overclocking Mendicinos and Coppermines and I still give it a good workout when undervolting laptops. ;-) That process, finding a stable voltage for each 'speedstep' (and transitions between them) can take days but pays off with less heat and better battery life. -- /Shaun "Humans will have advanced a long, long, way when religious belief has a cozy little classification in the DSM." David Melville (in r.a.s.f1). |
#7
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Stress Test
On 03/27/2014 05:16 AM, ~misfit~ wrote:
X snIP p] Snap! I use exactly the same programme, for about the same amount of time (unless there's intermittant glitches, then it runs for 24 hours minimum). I've been using it since the good old days when overclocking Mendicinos and Coppermines and I still give it a good workout when undervolting laptops. ;-) That process, finding a stable voltage for each 'speedstep' (and transitions between them) can take days but pays off with less heat and better battery life. I just shut the machine down now. I ran the torture test for 17 hours and there were no glitches. I did unplug and replug the power supply connectors when I first put the machine on my bench. It's possible that's all it was. I see that problem a few times a year. |
#8
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Stress Test
Somewhere on teh intarwebs philo wrote:
On 03/27/2014 05:16 AM, ~misfit~ wrote: X snIP p] Snap! I use exactly the same programme, for about the same amount of time (unless there's intermittant glitches, then it runs for 24 hours minimum). I've been using it since the good old days when overclocking Mendicinos and Coppermines and I still give it a good workout when undervolting laptops. ;-) That process, finding a stable voltage for each 'speedstep' (and transitions between them) can take days but pays off with less heat and better battery life. I just shut the machine down now. I ran the torture test for 17 hours and there were no glitches. I did unplug and replug the power supply connectors when I first put the machine on my bench. It's possible that's all it was. I see that problem a few times a year. That could indeed have been it. My standard approach to hardware problem solving when it's not something obvious is to re-seat all expansion cards, cables and connectors (often using 'CO cleaner' in slots and a pencil eraser that I keep specifically for the purpose on the contacts of cards and RAM modules). When I build a machine I also cover unused expansion / RAM slots with bits of masking tape cut to size to keep out dust so they're pristine if needed in future. -- /Shaun "Humans will have advanced a long, long, way when religious belief has a cozy little classification in the DSM." David Melville (in r.a.s.f1). |
#9
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Stress Test
On Wednesday, March 26, 2014 7:19:59 AM UTC-7, philo* wrote:
I've got a machine on my bench that has BSODed quite a bit when in use...but just sitting idle on my bench it can sit there all day and is fine. I have been running something called "Heavy Load" but it does not appear to really be giving the machine a good test. I just shut the machine down now. I ran the torture test for 17 hours and there were no glitches. Generally, failures that happen only at high power levels indicate a problem with the power supply or one of the voltage regulators on the motherboard (one for the CPU, another for memory), but because you're getting BSODs only at lower power (I assume -- a Kill-A-Watt can verify), I'd bet on a bad driver software or memory module. Most retail memory is substandard, made from chips that are either factory rejects, used, or overclocked from 15% to 100%. You can bet on that for modules with heatsinks covering their chips. Prime95 is probably not that good a memory diagnostic, compared to MemTest86, MemTest86+, and Gold Memory, and you want to run all 3 of those because MemTest86 and 86+ often give different results despite using the same test methods, and Gold Memory has found errors missed by both of them, sometimes in as little as 2-20 hours. |
#10
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Stress Test
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