Bench tests amd OC'n

[gwhea38411]

Ok my fellow technical wizards (geeks :D ), dont know if this post is in the right forum but here it goes. Im looking to run some base tests to see where Im at number wise. I then want to do some OC'n but I dont want to fry my first build (Paul's nephew). After I get the system OC'd n stable, I then want to run some tests to see where I went to. What do you'all think of using the ASUS utility "AI Booster" to OC?

[gvblake22]

I would not bother with those "auto" overclocking features. They probably work, but I just like the feeling of being in control of what my system is doing and knowing what my hardware is set to. So I would just disable all of that stuff and do it all straight through the BIOS.

I would also suggest running a good suite of benchmarks and stability tests to make sure that your system is stable at stock speeds before you start overclocking. This will help eliminate some of the guessing work if you hit some instability while overclocking (which you inevitably will). The other advantage to benchmarking your stock system is so you can see if you overclocked settings are in fact performing better than your previous or stock settings.

Check out the List of Recommended Software for some good links to some useful utilities and benchmarks.

I personally recommend:
Memtest86+ for testing for memory stability
Prime95 for testing overall system stability
SuperPI for benchmarking and testing memory and CPU
PCMark for benchmarking overall system performance
3DMark for benchmarking graphics/3D performance

The benchmarks (like 3DMark and SuperPI) can also be an indicator of system stability. It is possible that your system can pass the stability tests but artifact or freeze during the intensive benchmarks. So it is good to run a range of applications for the best overall system testing.

I also suggest keeping a little log of your system (BIOS) settings, the performance scores (in the benchmarks) for each BIOS configuration, and also some short notes on whether or not the system was stable and temperatures, etc. That way you can keep track of what you have tried and what you haven't so you don't waste your time repeating settings that were already tested to be bad or unstable. It is also nice to be able to look back at things you have tried and the result.

[gwhea38411]

Ok, I'll forego the AI Booster. Can u recommend some suites for the benchies?

[gvblake22]

Post edited, look for the link

[gwhea38411]

Good deal, I'll be runing them over the next week in between work and family. Thanks Blake.

[gvblake22]

Of course, anytime :)
Good luck with everything!

[Capper]

I don't recommend Prime 95, just a personal preference, but it was coded for Intel processors, and to be honest I've heard people using AMD based systems having issues with it.
I personally believe in using Memtest86, Super Pi, and FutureMark (PCMark04, 3DMark05 and06, as well as Everest and Sisoft Sandra

[gwhea38411]

Thanks capper

[Captain Crunch]

Originally Posted by Capper

I don't recommend Prime 95, just a personal preference, but it was coded for Intel processors, and to be honest I've heard people using AMD based systems having issues with it.
I personally believe in using Memtest86, Super Pi, and FutureMark (PCMark04, 3DMark05 and06, as well as Everest and Sisoft Sandra

I'll second those

[Tyreal]

I no longer use Prime95. Try using the program OCCT. Its not as popular as Prime95 but i found that it finds instability faster.

Heres a link for you: http://www.short-media.com/download.php?d=456