prime95 & AIDA64 may not be ideal for stability testing.
prime95 & AIDA64 may not be ideal for stability testing.
Are you alone in this, or do these AVX-intensive programs behave more like CPU overloads, creating an excessive and unrealistic demand on the cores without providing real stability in everyday use? On a specific system I can run them continuously for hours without issues, but in newer games or when using Chrome for extended periods I encounter BSODs. Raising the voltage a bit fixes everything... I believe these stress testers are targeting me. What are your thoughts?
I apply stress testing just for diagnostic needs, believing it doesn't offer practical value. As you observed, you could push components or entire systems for extended periods and see a software component respond quickly. Stress testers evaluate systems uniformly, whereas real-world scenarios often involve limited resources like a single core, part of memory, or GPU, and may occasionally apply unusual loads to specific parts.
I perform stress tests on different software to ensure comprehensive coverage, covering both everyday use and extreme conditions. I start with AIDA64, which is relatively straightforward but still effective if you fail it, as passing it is essential for moving forward. I often conduct these tests during the night so I can keep using my machine during the day, dedicating 8 to 9 hours per session. Following that, I run the IBT AVX standard test; on a regular basis this mainly challenges the CPU, with 50 passes taking roughly 15 minutes and providing quick feedback on stability. Next, I perform Max settings overnight, which requires about 6 hours for 25 passes and also evaluates your RAM performance. Prime95 is another common tool, which I run overnight for 8 to 9 hours. Realbench stress and benchmark tests are longer, taking around 8 hours, offering a more realistic simulation. Occasionally, I finish with OCCT during the night as well. Additionally, I run some graphics benchmarks such as Heaven, 3DMark, Cinebench, which are quick to execute and can be done anytime. Since you’re not using your machine overnight anyway, it’s worth leaving it to continue testing. The worst-case scenario is encountering a BSOD, prompting you to tweak BIOS settings and retry the next day.
That's a week of testing, top, and I haven't experienced any crashes.