Hardware - Stress Test With Prime95

How to Stress Test your Hardware for Stability and Heat Problems with Prime95​

   Tip

Be sure to keep an eye on your temperatures when running these tests, especially the Large FFTs. I recommend the free utility Speedfan.

1. Download the appropriate 32-bit or 64-bit Windows version of Prime95 from this link: Free Software - GIMPS

You can skip down to step 2 on that page; it is not necessary to register, if all you want to do is torture test.

2. Run the Prime95.exe file. If the UAC warning appears, click "Yes" to allow it.

3. Select "Just Stress Testing" in the first window that appears.

4. Select "Small FFTs", or whatever tests someone asks you to run. Prime95 will automatically select the maximum number of threads reported by Windows in the "Number of threads to run" box.

5. Keep an eye on your temperatures, and stop the test if the machine starts to overheat.

6. Leave the test running for up to 2 hours, unless errors occur sooner. Errors will show up by one or more of the workers stopping.

   Note

As with all hardware tests, Prime95 is not fail-safe. If the test passes for 2 hours with no errors, it is most likely to be stable. Unfortunately, it sometimes makes mistakes and gives a clean bill of health to faulty hardware.

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Stress Test a Video Card with Furmark
• How to Test and Diagnose RAM Issues with Memtest86+
• Test your CPU Stability with IntelBurnTest
• How to Diagnose Intel CPU with Intel Processor Diagnostic Tool

 

[Dave76]

Check you BIOS temps, the CPU will cool down quickly so it is just an indication of the temps.

Also use Core Temp and Speed Fan to check against Real Temp.
It's not unusual to have different readings but, they should be fairly close.

I wouldn't recommend going past 78°C on any test, you should find out why the temps are so high.
If they are due to OC or CPU cooler problems.

I'll take a look at your thread.

 

[kaizer1981]

^^^ hey can i setup one of these temp monitor programs to run in the background while the CPU stress test runs so that if it overheats it shuts down the computer / saves the hardware from any damage? really dont want to sit next to my PC for 6 hours if at all possible :~)

 

[Jonathan_King]

Hello Kaizer,

I don't know of any programs that will do that off the top of my head, but in reality, you only need to watch the program for the first 5 or 10 minutes. After that time, your system will be just about as hot as it's going to get, so you can walk away for the rest of the time.

 

[FredeGail]

Very interesting software I have to say. Thank you for this tutorial Jonathan!

Best Regards,
FredeGail

 

[lucent]

Single Core Test

Don't forget to tick the 'Round off checking' option under Advanced:
View attachment 87940

Otherwise you won't know if one of your cores has failed etc

(And I personally prefer Realtemp over Speedfan, but that's just my opinion)

Hello if I am testing a single core processor can I leave 'Round off checking' alone?

 

[Jonathan_King]

Don't forget to tick the 'Round off checking' option under Advanced:
View attachment 87940

Otherwise you won't know if one of your cores has failed etc

(And I personally prefer Realtemp over Speedfan, but that's just my opinion)

Hello if I am testing a single core processor can I leave 'Round off checking' alone?

Hello lucent,

That's completely fine.

 

[lucent]

single core processor

Thanks bud!

 

[Infinite]

I ran Prime95, 2 minutes later, some of them had a fire Icon on :S on Speedfan

 

[smarteyeball]

It's the temps that are more important than the icons.

I'm assuming you're on stock cooling?

 

[Infinite]

Yes, No Overclocks, etc, I did change the fan speeds and core speeds in SpeedFan, but then immediately reset them.

And I haven't opened the case at all so no upgrades.

 

[Bob Pickering]

Hi group. Am running Prime95. Group 2 seems to be much slower than the rest. It's on pass 3 whilst others are on 9 or 10 after less than 10 mins.
OK now after about15 mins all seem to be running similarly. Temps in low to mid 70s.

 

[Jonathan_King]

Hi Bob,

That seems pretty normal...keep running it for about an hour or so, and if there have been no errors after then, stop the test and start on one of the other two.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Jonathan could you please let me know is this just for over clockers or can I just run it for testing different thermal compounds and coolers in everyday machines.

At the moment I can only see idle and perhaps running some music , graphical stuff on my bog standard Sandy bridge and tester.

I ask because I have one machine that comes up 34C core temp no matter what cooler or thermal I am using in it.

I do also hope to get into trying the over clocking soon and is this the most reliable app to use?

 

[Jonathan_King]

Hello John,

Prime95 is good for pretty much everything - diagnostics, overclocking, thermal testing, and even finding prime numbers.

I use it for (almost ) all of the above. Opinions vary as to whether Prime95 is the most reliable program to use, but from what I've seen it's recommended as much as it's dissed. In my opinion, all those programs work essentially the same, so pick your favorite and get familiar with it.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Hello John,

Prime95 is good for pretty much everything - diagnostics, overclocking, thermal testing, and even finding prime numbers.

I use it for (almost ) all of the above. Opinions vary as to whether Prime95 is the most reliable program to use, but from what I've seen it's recommended as much as it's dissed. In my opinion, all those programs work essentially the same, so pick your favorite and get familiar with it.

Sorry to pester you but one last query Jonathan I am just a little wary right now re running this testing as I am not over clocking at the moment and do not know just what settings I should use for my i5 2500 on a H67 board as I am purely interested in thermal tests for my processor and also testing the processor on my test machine with a Q9650 quad core and DDR2 RAM.

I just don't want to frying anything as I have just done a lot of work / input into getting these machines just right.

 

[Jonathan_King]

The Large FFTs test will generate the most heat of the three, and thus, it will be best for your tests. Don't worry about frying stuff, really. Temps in the upper 90s or low 100s (for Intel CPUs) are immediately dangerous, and temps below that will just decrease the life of the chip depending on how long it spends running like that. For example, hitting 93c during a torture test won't fry the CPU, but if your system was running at that all the time, you can expect a much shorter life.

In general, if your stress-temps are pushing 80 or 85, it may be time to consider better cooling. The lower, the better.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Thanks Jonathan
I'll give it a try I just wanted to make sure of what I should use and expect - really appreciate your advice.

 

[brianlt]

The Large FFTs test will generate the most heat of the three, and thus, it will be best for your tests. Don't worry about frying stuff, really. Temps in the upper 90s or low 100s (for Intel CPUs) are immediately dangerous, and temps below that will just decrease the life of the chip depending on how long it spends running like that. For example, hitting 93c during a torture test won't fry the CPU, but if your system was running at that all the time, you can expect a much shorter life.

In general, if your stress-temps are pushing 80 or 85, it may be time to consider better cooling. The lower, the better.

I don't have the money to not worry about frying stuff ):

 

[1sadpc]

Waka waka

The flaming icons on speed fan are scary LOL!
temp1:46C "green tick"
Temp2: 60c "flaming"
Temp 3: 67c "flaming"
hd0: 42c "green tick"
core: 55c "flaming"

madness.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Ok I know I am little dense but I downloaded the test went though all that stuff and am stuck with a screen as in pic - is there anything happing because I can see nothing running at all. I did try it again and it semed to be over a heartbeat