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?

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.

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

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

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

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).

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.

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).

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.

On 03/28/2014 04:35 AM, wrote:


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.




The machine was made from spare parts
but the memory is very high quality.