Stress testing.

BoomAM · 24 Aug 2007 at 14:12

Hi.

Ive recently built a new rig, and apart from some dodgy memory that ive removed, is reasonably stable, however, every now and then it'll restart/BSOD. Not loads, prehaps once a day.

I was wondering what 64bit compatible programs i could use with Vista64 to stress test the system to see if its a hardware fault or not?

Thanks in advance all.

.

Gonzo0 · 24 Aug 2007 at 14:30

Orthos
Prime95
Memtest

KangooVanMan · 24 Aug 2007 at 14:34

If you can take a photo of the blue screen error when it happens might be able to narrow the diagnosis.

BoomAM · 24 Aug 2007 at 14:39

Well i get 2-3 different types.
I 'think' ive narrowed one of them down to an ATI error listed here:
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=38647

But ive had errors relating to some usb system file, some 'gears' file (which is a CD drive afaik) and a few IRQ_less_not_equal errors.

BoomAM · 24 Aug 2007 at 14:53

Well it managed 3 minutes of Orthos before it rebooted.

Not got a clue whats causing this instability.

Any ideas?

Kalpsn2000 · 24 Aug 2007 at 15:39

Is anything overclocked?

KangooVanMan · 24 Aug 2007 at 16:09

Sounds like it could be chipset related to get that many different errors. I can't see how graphics drivers would give you usb or cd-rom errors.

KangooVanMan · 24 Aug 2007 at 16:11

Also check through the bios make sure nothing is being overclocked unintentionally. Also try and get a temp for the northbridge. That really does sound like a VERY unstable system at the mo.

BoomAM · 24 Aug 2007 at 16:36

Its not horrdendusly unstable. Just certain things crash it.

Being playing with Orthos, CPU test runs fine for an hour, but the stress ram/blend tests reboot the system after a few mins.

Im taking my broken ram back tomorrow, so i think i'll take the mobo with me?

KangooVanMan · 24 Aug 2007 at 16:47

It's a job to say for sure, but if you haven't got another to swap, it is a job to know if it's that or not.
Did you check in the bios? mainly the ram options. Just make sure that it isn't undervolted or overclocked. Also turn off any onboard features your not using, raid, onboard sound, video ect.
You say you have got a good working stick too? not just the duff ram? Might be worth memtesting it anyway. Perhaps even try updating the chipset drivers.
Just with all those different errors it just would appear to be something that interacts with all eg the chipset/mobo or maybe the power supply.

BoomAM · 24 Aug 2007 at 16:53

KangooVanMan said:
Did you check in the bios? mainly the ram options. Just make sure that it isn't undervolted or overclocked. Also turn off any onboard features your not using, raid, onboard sound, video ect.

I turn off things i dont use anyway.

The RAM, if set so the BIOS detects everything, gets run at 797Mhz rarther than 800Mhz, but if i set the BIOS to run the processor with a 266/9 bus & multiplier, it runs it at 816Mhz, at which speeds windows wont boot? (even though, afaik, thats the defaults for a Q6600?

You say you have got a good working stick too? not just the duff ram? Might be worth memtesting it anyway. Perhaps even try updating the chipset drivers.

Working, im not 100% sure, its memory i bought a while ago, identical to the extra 2Gb i bought. It passed a 3 hours memtest yesterday morning.
Chipset drivers, i cant find any P35 drivers from the intel website, so atm, im just using the ones off the Abit website for my mobo.

Just with all those different errors it just would appear to be something that interacts with all eg the chipset/mobo or maybe the power supply.

Im hoping its not the mobo or PSU tbh, took me hours to route all the cables in this P182!

lol.

Im going to OCUK tomorrow morning, so i'd like to track down the causes of the problem by no later than 11 tonight.

KangooVanMan · 24 Aug 2007 at 17:08

The ram voltages are ok? quiet common for the defaults to undervolt.

BoomAM · 24 Aug 2007 at 18:23

What are the defaults?

According to the OCUK website, my ram, has a voltage of 1.8v.
According to Abit uGur, the RAM voltage is 1.8v, and the Ram VTT voltage is 0.9v

Is that right? Whats the VTT voltage?

BoomAM · 25 Aug 2007 at 17:14

Took the memory and motherboard back to OCUK.
The mobos getting replaced, and the memory is fine aparentely. So im guessing that the mobo was also causing the problems with the memory.
So i'll go and pick them both up next week and keep my fingers crossed.

.

Vista should be fine shouldnt it? Like for like mobo installation?

triggerthat · 25 Aug 2007 at 22:57

BoomAM,

None of your pictures in your posts work (I clicked the links within your sig).

BoomAM · 27 Aug 2007 at 13:44

triggerthat said:
BoomAM,

None of your pictures in your posts work (I clicked the links within your sig).

Dont they?
I think their all stored on the FTP from my old ISP. Dunno if ive still got the pics to relink them to mt new FTP.

Thanks for pointing it out

.
I'll give it a look when i get the time.

Anyway.
Got the mobo back this morning, started having the same problems.
For a laugh, i bumped the voltage to 1.9v, from the default of 1.8v.
I ran all the tests that usually crashed/rebooted the machine (Orthos Blend, Orthos Min Ram, MemTest, Vista Scoring), and they ran through fine!

A quick word with OCUK tech support says that these modules, despite advertising, are FAR more stable at 2.1v than 1.8v. So now ive got them set at 2.1v. I'll see how it goes.

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