Prime 95

[MaSonZ]

few questions about it. ive read good reviews about it, and some reviews make mention of different durations of time to stress test tehe system. is this so? also, the name "stress test" implies a great deal of stress on the machine as a whole. does Prime stress the machine to its limits in the stress  test or real close? also, i reckon i download it online, but should i be wary of the website i download it from or is there just one? also, any other thoughts on it? i have an i7-970 So dont be concerned abojt intel or amd. i know many on here have expierence with it and can offer valuable insight. 

[cattb]

I believe there is a 32 bit and a 64 bit, been awhile since I DLed prime 95.
There are different test in the program.
I have used it to test my computer when I have had problems or after overclocking to test the  system. If you run a torture test for any amount of time make sure and check your temps.

I would suggest that you goto the site and read up.

http://www.mersenne.org/freesoft/

good luck

[Krusty]

It stresses your RAM through varrying computations and transfers, then it double checks it to see if there are any corrupted RAM modules. It can also be used to stress test a CPU, and CPU/RAM together. It's not a 3D benchmark. If you want to really stress it that way, go to 3Dmark or some similar program.

It's more of a logical stress test, than a graphical muscle one.

Other than that, folks use it to bake in new builds to make sure there's no faulty problems with the CPU, motherboard, or RAM.

I've got a bootable copy myself. It's a handy tool.

[BaldEagl]

Prime95 will stress your CPU by running it at a constant 100% (all cores).  It's great for testing for stable overclocks and thermal testing.  You'll need to have a CPU temperature monitor running to stop the test if you start to overheat.  I personally like to stop if I run over 60C even though tha'ts well below the thermal limits of my CPU.

Many recommend running 12-24 hours to test an overclock for stability but I don't think you need to run that long.  For a light test 15 minutes is fine.  For a more thorough test 1-2 hours will do.

Prime95 will also test RAM and can do so in conjunction with the CPU test.

Prime95 does what it does by seeking unknown prime numbers and reporting them if found.  This takes millions of computers running full boar so make sure you DO NOT sign up to report.  Stress testing was simply an unforseen side benefit.

[cattb]

The last time I used prime 95, which has been awhile, there was never a RAM only test. A test which used mostly RAM and some CPU.

If a person wants to check RAM only, use memtest.

Think its been about 2 or 3 years since I used it.

[Chalenge]

Memtest first and then Prime95.... or IntelBurnTest.... I use OCCT mostly when I want to test for instability.

[Mace2004]

I like OCCT.  Let's you test CPU, GPU and even the power supply.  It also monitors your temps and voltages and will automatically shut down if it exceeds whatever limits you set. Ideal for extended tests and burn-in since you don't have to monitor it.

[Chalenge]

While thats true Mace nothing beats a scope for PSUs.