Running Prime95 on FX-8320 stock speed.
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bgunner
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If your cpu is hitting 41 max your doing well. As you OC watch your max temps as these temps matter the most. According to this post here on Toms stay under 62°C for max temp.
link: http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-1716078/maximum-safe-temperatures-8320.html
link: http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-1716078/maximum-safe-temperatures-8320.html
bgunner
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OCCT has never stressed any of my CPU's properly to be used as a single all in one test. I use both Prime 95 and intel burn test to test stability for my CPU's.
I use OCCT for testing my GPU in conjunction with Furmark to find a stable OC and to stress the hole system as one using the PSU test. Using OCCT you MUST at all times leave the PC alone while running tests as it will give false positives if you use the system at all. this includes just switching windows.
If you would like I have a guide to find stability that I have been working on that I can post for you. It is more of a stress test guide. How to use the programs to make sure your stable.
- Oct 5, 2012
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Sure, love guides =D. I've got my CPU oc'ed to 4.0 atm. Fiddling with ram, it's picking up as 1333, though it's 1600. But, figured I'd let that be for the moment and give it a stress test running at 4.0. Started about 5 min ago.
*Started 10 min ago, and max temp is 37C. I did remove my top, have the Rosewill R5, the lack of the top cover filter is most likely responsible for the current lower temperatures. Noticed my GPU is idling at 26c.
bgunner
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keep in mind this guide does not cover GPU yet as I have not finished it. This is to find stability for stock AND Overclock settings as the process is the same.
Guide to stability testing for Windows OS
First: you need programs to to stability test and these you should have before building a new system. I like to keep them on a flash drive so once the Operating system is installed I can install them without haveing to down load them.
Second: all of these steps will work if you are overclocking your system. When overclocking remeber to stability test after each change in the settings.
Third: Stability testing is a necessary evil of building and overclocking a PC and will take hours to finish. Plan to have something else to do in the same room to keep an eye on temps and programs as they run. Most programs do not need constant supervision but there are some that produce a great amount of heat and without some supervision could hurt your system.
Program list for stability testing
Intel Burn test
Prime 95
Memtest86+
Furmark
OCCT
Program list for monitoring
Hardware Monitor
Speed Fan
CPU-Z
GPU-Z
Use these programs at your own risk. I will not be heald liable for you not using the temp monitoring programs properly. Some of these test can hurt your components if not monitored or used correctly.
Memory Stablity Testing
After a fresh build I like to start the machine and set the bios to the correct settings and restart. Next I run the program MEMTEST86+. This program gets run from the PC's boot menu and runs from a disk. No Operating System is required in order to run this program. This is the reason I like to run it right off the start. This is a program that can be left alone to run.
MEMTEST86+ Operation and Use
Once Memtest86+ is run from the drive boot menu from the PC, the program will automaticly scan the systems hardware and start testing.
What does Memtest86+ do?
The program tests the system memory (RAM) to make sure there are no errors. If the memory errors then it can cause corruption of data and potentially crash your newly built/Overclocked system. Errors can occur for a few reason. Those being, but not limited to: Wrong Bios Settings, Bad Stick/s of Ram, 2 or more Incompatible Sticks Of Ram, Ram Incompatible With Motherboard.
How do I know if the Ram Errors?
When the program is running it displays information at the top half of the screen. If the program encounters an error, the program will use RED writing in the bottom half of the screen informing you there was an error encountered. The program uses a blue background so the red writing really sticks out. There is really no way to miss it.
If there is no errors the bottom of the screen will be clear of Red writing.
How long should I run the program?
You should run the program for a minimum of 12 Passes. In the information on the top half of the screen, it will tell you how many passes it has completed. The time it takes to run a pass depends on the amount of Ram installed. The more ram installed the longer it will take to complete a pass.
Where do I look to see how many passes the program has gone through?
Towards the middle of the page you will see this
WallTime_ Cached_ RsvdMem_ MemMap_ Cache_ ECC_ Test_ Pass_ Errors_ EccErrors
__00:00 ____3565 _192KB __ +65+9 _ 5347 __ 0 __ 546 _ HERE___0 _______0___
Where it says Pass and right under neath it where it says HERE are where you will find how many passes have been completed. The program will replace Here with a number and that number will be how many passes are complete. The numbers I have entered will be different, I just used Random numbers to give a visual representation so you have an idea what your looking for and at.
If you have not had any errors and have not already installed the Operating System (OS) do so along with fully updating it. Make sure to have your monitoring programs installed at this point as the next programs will cause heat issues. The rest of these programs require the Windows OS to be installed to run.
CPU Stability Testing
Next I run Intel Burn Test. (IBT)
Intel Burn Test Operation and Use
This program will generate the most heat from the CPU out of them all. Be sure to watch the CPU temps during the testing. The temps will get higher as the program runs then will level off. It is normal for the CPU to cool off just before the program produces a result from its pass. The heat will raise again right after the test starts a new pass.
Because of the heat generated by this program it is a good indicator of what your Max temps will be. My personal PC's and gaming PC's have never hit the high temp that was generated by this program. This is why I feel it is a good indication of what your Max temps will be.
This program tests two components on your PC. The first is the CPU, this is its main function. The second is Ram. If the Ram errors, the system will fail the test but you will not know which one it is. This is why I run Memtest86+ first. This eliminates faulty Ram with its settings from being the issue and leaves us with CPU being tested.
Once you start this program it is best to just let the PC sit without being used during testing.
What does IBT do?
Intel Burn Test uses a linpack designed by Intel to test there CPU's in the quality control process. This Does not mean that it only works on Intel CPU's. It Will work on AMD CPU's just as well. It uses your systems Ram and CPU to do mathematical equations. If the result is wrong then the system is unstable and the test will stop. If the system fails it can be for many reasons. They can be, But not limited to: Faulty CPU or Settings, Faulty Ram or Settings, Faulty Motherboard or Settings. I realize these are a broad description of issues but there are so many different bios settings that can cause a fail that for me to list them would be a major undertaking.
Why can the motherboard cause a fail when it's a CPU test?
This is simply because the motherboard connects everything together. If for some reason a part of the motherboard is unstable it causes the CPU to not function properly.
How do I know if the system fails the test?
The test will stop, play a noise, and put a popup box on your screen that says that the system has been found to be unstable. Alternatively you can look in the results column. If the results are not the same then the system is unstable. The Speed and GFLOPS will vary, this is normal and nothing to be concerned about.
What should I set the settings to?
32bit systems: you will not be able to use more than 2 GB of Ram. The program will not start if you set it to use more than 2 GB. For the stress level set to MAX if you have 2 GB or less ram installed. If you have more than 2 GB ram installed set it to custom and enter in 2000 MB. Yes I'm aware that 2 GB = 2048 MB But the program wont start with a 32 bit OS and much more than this.
64bit systems: Set the Stress Level to maximum
32 and 64 bit systems: Set Times to run to 40. The instructions say for the max to set at 20 but I have had systems fail at pass 25 and later.
32 and 64 bit systems: set Threads to auto. The program will use all threads on its own.
Now just click start and run the program keeping an eye on the temps. This program needs to be watched!
Prime 95 Operation and Use
Prime95 stress tests two different parts of your system, the Ram and the CPU. It does this by trying to find the highest prime number. This program will generate grate amounts of heat from your CPU as well so you will need to keep an eye on the temps while using this program.
This program tests two components on your PC. The first is the CPU, this is its main function. The second is Ram. If the Ram errors, the system will fail the test but you will not know which one it is. This is why I run Memtest86+ first. This eliminates the Ram and its settings from being the issue and leaves us with CPU being tested.
How do I know if the system fails the test?
If the system is found to be unstable or errors are found, the program will do one of three things. Either stop the core that had the error, Stop the hole program or the system will crash and restart. If either the core or hole program stops the green boxes next to each core will turn red. The icon in the system tray will turn red if you have the program minimized.
It is better to let this program run with out using your PC.
How do I set up the program?
When you first start the program it will ask you what you want to do. You will want to select "Just Stress Testing" and click OK. Make sure that all cores have a worker assigned to them. Meaning if you have a 6 core CPU that there are 6 workers working.
How long should I run the program?
You should run this program for 12 to 24 Hours before you can say it is stable. This is NOT a program where you can just let it run and never check on it. Because the CPU temp will raise you need to make sure you will not over heat during this test. Once you are sure it wont over heat you can walk away for a short time but being sure to look once in a while to see the progress and temps.
GPU Stability Testing
Guide to stability testing for Windows OS
First: you need programs to to stability test and these you should have before building a new system. I like to keep them on a flash drive so once the Operating system is installed I can install them without haveing to down load them.
Second: all of these steps will work if you are overclocking your system. When overclocking remeber to stability test after each change in the settings.
Third: Stability testing is a necessary evil of building and overclocking a PC and will take hours to finish. Plan to have something else to do in the same room to keep an eye on temps and programs as they run. Most programs do not need constant supervision but there are some that produce a great amount of heat and without some supervision could hurt your system.
Program list for stability testing
Intel Burn test
Prime 95
Memtest86+
Furmark
OCCT
Program list for monitoring
Hardware Monitor
Speed Fan
CPU-Z
GPU-Z
Use these programs at your own risk. I will not be heald liable for you not using the temp monitoring programs properly. Some of these test can hurt your components if not monitored or used correctly.
Memory Stablity Testing
After a fresh build I like to start the machine and set the bios to the correct settings and restart. Next I run the program MEMTEST86+. This program gets run from the PC's boot menu and runs from a disk. No Operating System is required in order to run this program. This is the reason I like to run it right off the start. This is a program that can be left alone to run.
MEMTEST86+ Operation and Use
Once Memtest86+ is run from the drive boot menu from the PC, the program will automaticly scan the systems hardware and start testing.
What does Memtest86+ do?
The program tests the system memory (RAM) to make sure there are no errors. If the memory errors then it can cause corruption of data and potentially crash your newly built/Overclocked system. Errors can occur for a few reason. Those being, but not limited to: Wrong Bios Settings, Bad Stick/s of Ram, 2 or more Incompatible Sticks Of Ram, Ram Incompatible With Motherboard.
How do I know if the Ram Errors?
When the program is running it displays information at the top half of the screen. If the program encounters an error, the program will use RED writing in the bottom half of the screen informing you there was an error encountered. The program uses a blue background so the red writing really sticks out. There is really no way to miss it.
If there is no errors the bottom of the screen will be clear of Red writing.
How long should I run the program?
You should run the program for a minimum of 12 Passes. In the information on the top half of the screen, it will tell you how many passes it has completed. The time it takes to run a pass depends on the amount of Ram installed. The more ram installed the longer it will take to complete a pass.
Where do I look to see how many passes the program has gone through?
Towards the middle of the page you will see this
WallTime_ Cached_ RsvdMem_ MemMap_ Cache_ ECC_ Test_ Pass_ Errors_ EccErrors
__00:00 ____3565 _192KB __ +65+9 _ 5347 __ 0 __ 546 _ HERE___0 _______0___
Where it says Pass and right under neath it where it says HERE are where you will find how many passes have been completed. The program will replace Here with a number and that number will be how many passes are complete. The numbers I have entered will be different, I just used Random numbers to give a visual representation so you have an idea what your looking for and at.
If you have not had any errors and have not already installed the Operating System (OS) do so along with fully updating it. Make sure to have your monitoring programs installed at this point as the next programs will cause heat issues. The rest of these programs require the Windows OS to be installed to run.
CPU Stability Testing
Next I run Intel Burn Test. (IBT)
Intel Burn Test Operation and Use
This program will generate the most heat from the CPU out of them all. Be sure to watch the CPU temps during the testing. The temps will get higher as the program runs then will level off. It is normal for the CPU to cool off just before the program produces a result from its pass. The heat will raise again right after the test starts a new pass.
Because of the heat generated by this program it is a good indicator of what your Max temps will be. My personal PC's and gaming PC's have never hit the high temp that was generated by this program. This is why I feel it is a good indication of what your Max temps will be.
This program tests two components on your PC. The first is the CPU, this is its main function. The second is Ram. If the Ram errors, the system will fail the test but you will not know which one it is. This is why I run Memtest86+ first. This eliminates faulty Ram with its settings from being the issue and leaves us with CPU being tested.
Once you start this program it is best to just let the PC sit without being used during testing.
What does IBT do?
Intel Burn Test uses a linpack designed by Intel to test there CPU's in the quality control process. This Does not mean that it only works on Intel CPU's. It Will work on AMD CPU's just as well. It uses your systems Ram and CPU to do mathematical equations. If the result is wrong then the system is unstable and the test will stop. If the system fails it can be for many reasons. They can be, But not limited to: Faulty CPU or Settings, Faulty Ram or Settings, Faulty Motherboard or Settings. I realize these are a broad description of issues but there are so many different bios settings that can cause a fail that for me to list them would be a major undertaking.
Why can the motherboard cause a fail when it's a CPU test?
This is simply because the motherboard connects everything together. If for some reason a part of the motherboard is unstable it causes the CPU to not function properly.
How do I know if the system fails the test?
The test will stop, play a noise, and put a popup box on your screen that says that the system has been found to be unstable. Alternatively you can look in the results column. If the results are not the same then the system is unstable. The Speed and GFLOPS will vary, this is normal and nothing to be concerned about.
What should I set the settings to?
32bit systems: you will not be able to use more than 2 GB of Ram. The program will not start if you set it to use more than 2 GB. For the stress level set to MAX if you have 2 GB or less ram installed. If you have more than 2 GB ram installed set it to custom and enter in 2000 MB. Yes I'm aware that 2 GB = 2048 MB But the program wont start with a 32 bit OS and much more than this.
64bit systems: Set the Stress Level to maximum
32 and 64 bit systems: Set Times to run to 40. The instructions say for the max to set at 20 but I have had systems fail at pass 25 and later.
32 and 64 bit systems: set Threads to auto. The program will use all threads on its own.
Now just click start and run the program keeping an eye on the temps. This program needs to be watched!
Prime 95 Operation and Use
Prime95 stress tests two different parts of your system, the Ram and the CPU. It does this by trying to find the highest prime number. This program will generate grate amounts of heat from your CPU as well so you will need to keep an eye on the temps while using this program.
This program tests two components on your PC. The first is the CPU, this is its main function. The second is Ram. If the Ram errors, the system will fail the test but you will not know which one it is. This is why I run Memtest86+ first. This eliminates the Ram and its settings from being the issue and leaves us with CPU being tested.
How do I know if the system fails the test?
If the system is found to be unstable or errors are found, the program will do one of three things. Either stop the core that had the error, Stop the hole program or the system will crash and restart. If either the core or hole program stops the green boxes next to each core will turn red. The icon in the system tray will turn red if you have the program minimized.
It is better to let this program run with out using your PC.
How do I set up the program?
When you first start the program it will ask you what you want to do. You will want to select "Just Stress Testing" and click OK. Make sure that all cores have a worker assigned to them. Meaning if you have a 6 core CPU that there are 6 workers working.
How long should I run the program?
You should run this program for 12 to 24 Hours before you can say it is stable. This is NOT a program where you can just let it run and never check on it. Because the CPU temp will raise you need to make sure you will not over heat during this test. Once you are sure it wont over heat you can walk away for a short time but being sure to look once in a while to see the progress and temps.
GPU Stability Testing
bgunner
Judicious
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HW monitor varies depending on hardware. most likely temp 0 is south bridge and lower on the board and temp 1 is higher on the board maybe North Bridge. These are just guesses but should point you close to where the sensor is. Heat rises and usually indicates a sensor that is located higher on the board but not always. Like I mentioned before every board reads differently and takes some getting used too to understand some readings. Even some readings on HW monitor are not useful. Some may be way out of perimeters and don't coincide with anything on the board. HW monitor is not infallible but is a guide to go by. Some times speedfan will give a closer temp but also is not infallible but between the two you should get a good Idea of what is close to actual temp.
- Oct 5, 2012
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I ran the memtest for a single pass (will run more later) passed fine. I manged 45 min at my current settings with prime95, without going over previous temps.
The issue I have, is opening up system fan with prime95 already running freezes my system. It has done this twice. I did read that it's not suggested to open things while prime is running, the first time I didn't know this, the 2nd time I didn't realize prime liked to start with system (Now disabled). Is this something I should be worried about? I'm thinking it's just because of prime running, also, had Cpu-z N hardware monitor open both times. I did run prime fine with all 3 open, it's just when I start speed fan with prime already running that the system freezes.
Note, it only freezes when speed fan is opened with prime95 running, nothing else has done it. Even when I was running not realizing prime95 was on in the background.
The issue I have, is opening up system fan with prime95 already running freezes my system. It has done this twice. I did read that it's not suggested to open things while prime is running, the first time I didn't know this, the 2nd time I didn't realize prime liked to start with system (Now disabled). Is this something I should be worried about? I'm thinking it's just because of prime running, also, had Cpu-z N hardware monitor open both times. I did run prime fine with all 3 open, it's just when I start speed fan with prime already running that the system freezes.
Note, it only freezes when speed fan is opened with prime95 running, nothing else has done it. Even when I was running not realizing prime95 was on in the background.
bgunner
Judicious
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All temp monitors should be started first before any programs. Then programs started after that. It is weird that you say Prime 95 starts with the system as it usually needs to be manually started. What version are you using so I can check and make sure nothing has been changed since my last Update of programs?
EDIT: I have 4. 49 As my latest version. and have it set to not start with OS.
EDIT: I have 4. 49 As my latest version. and have it set to not start with OS.
- Oct 5, 2012
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I'll have to check. Yea, I didn't expect it to auto start. Usually I check for things like that but, just assumed. I am amazed that I didn't realize it until I crashed my system with speed fan.
*I'm running V27.9 Prime95, same speed fan as you mentioned 4.49.
I set it off auto in msconfig.
Your guide was very helpful, answered some of the questions I had going into using the programs. It also wasn't filled with what I'd consider less useful information, and was a generally easy read.
bgunner
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OK i have checked out vers. 27.9 and there is very little difference besides the addition of the new CPU's coming out. In options there is an option to start with system and you must of somehow checked this off. This made my system try to start it from the OS boot but gave me an option (user account control option) to stop it from running at the start of the OS.
- Oct 5, 2012
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Yea, it's not a big deal. Must of accidentally checked it off to start with system (getting used to 1080P and a new mouse throws off the ol'mouse aim). It's already disabled, just caught me off guard when I opened speed fan and system crashed. Was a relief once I realized prime was open, since I had already noticed that system fan would cause it to crash.
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