Best way to stability test a graphics card

[Nuclear Fusion]

I should be the happy owner of a 7950 TF3 tommorow and am planning on overclocking (of course!). I was wondering what the best way to stability test is. I know that Furmark was what most people used before, but now many people shy away from it and say it can damage the card, calling it a 'power virus'. I've heard similar things about OCCT as well. So I was wondering what stability tests people here use. Thanks

 

[chief barker]

Play a few hours of BF3. If you have no crashes then you'll be good to go.

 

[OptimaLnrg]

heaven 3.0 is what I use

 

[Nickolp1974]

Play a few hours of BF3. If you have no crashes then you'll be good to go.

+1
Have run heaven and thought it stable only then to play bf3 and it crash.

 

[Monkeyspaz5000]

I personally just let heaven run a benchmark test.

Once complete just let it sit for a while running. Never had it be ok in heaven and crash in game.

 

[Nuclear Fusion]

Ahh ok thanks, I was thinking much the same thing, so a good few hours of BF3 and a Heaven run should do the trick.

 

[Monkeyspaz5000]

I would heaven first.. then if ok play your games.

It would do my nut in to overclock - play a game. Crash... adjust, play a game, crash...etc.

Run heaven, if it crashes adjust and run again.

 

[AlfBaxter]

Agree with some of the posters above that gaming is better than benchmarking. My 7850 will loop 3dmark11, Heaven etc. at 1200/5600 but it wasn't stable at that speed in Metro 2033 so had to back off to 1150/5400. No substitute for a really demanding game IMO.