First week burn-in and testing advice

[rawhide85]

I would like to compile a list of tests and procedures new owners can perform to help ensure they have a solid build. As we all know, there have been a few (very few) issues with GPU temps, Aero, Xfire, and some minor build flaws. Also, any help with how to record, post and share the info would be great. Again, there are very few problems with the M18, but I want to try and indentify any ASAP. Thanks in advance for your help.

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Alienware M18x Space Black, Intel Core i7 2920XM OC, 6GB DDR3, Dual 6990M CF, 750GB HD, Win 7 Pro, Blu-ray Reader, Killer Wireless-N 1103, WirelessHD Transmitter

[mw86]

I just installed my HyperX I bought in place of stock ram and since 4 sticks of ram requires you to open keyboard and bottom of M18x up I found one of the keyboard ribbon cables that's folded over gnarled but not broken. I was a bit annoyed but unless it acts up I see no future probs with it. The builder must of just jammed on the keyboard to lay down and didn't care about the ribbon cable. One fans wires were out clearly of their guides and been being pinched in the bottom cover since the factory, i put them through the proper guide. One screw on my bottom cover (there's 4 screws under battery) was over-tightened and the piece of cover that gets screwed down is split in half. These are all minor flaws but nonetheless it shouldn't happen. None of them take away from the performance of the computer. I'll check stock paste GPU temps and update my post when I install my SSD's, get the latest drivers and a clean install of windows.

[rawhide85]

mw86- Thanks for the quick reply. I will check my 18 with a fine tooth comb to see if there are any build issues. Also, I want to check my temps on both CPU/GPU to ensure a good paste job as I hope to not have to repaste, the teardown sounds somewhat difficult. What is the best way to document the results so I can share them on here? Lastly, mw86, I posted a link to your mem install at NBR. +1 rep

Edited July 22, 2011 by rawhide85
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[mw86]

Thanks, I think documenting the problem is straightforward. Check it over, describe problem, run a 10 minute burn test on furmark with hwinfo showing sensors take a screenshot of it showing temps. There are a few results in M18x section from his M18 when he had it. Just compare them... If I remember correctly he had high 90s celcius on second you which warranted repasting. If your getting high men temps from gpu, we have found here a good paste like IC Diamond is thick enough and has enough endurance to replace the gpus vram pads... Usually for a dramatic decrease in temps. This Avenger is a fickle beast, my experience shows me the harrowing experience was carefully removing the plastic keyboard boarder... It is hard and delicate work but it can be done. I haven't repasted but may if I can get enough courage, the gpus and CPU are in the dead middle of the system requiring the entire top cover to be removed. I'd say from my experience if wprime 1024 over 8 thread results in cpu throttling, you definitely will need to repaste the cpu. Read if you haven't StamatisX's IC Diamond review it could be the best TIM to use all around.

[mw86]

@rawhide85 I posted this in the M18X benchmark thread but the following is my recommendation to test the cpu and ram of your computer. Any cpu should be able to pass without crashing if everything is okay and if you overclocked if its stable...

Cheers this should point new computer owners in a good direction for making sure your hardware isn't faulty, when 21 days is all you get to return etc..

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Latest clock I am fully stable but went back to max Voltage ID. Tonight I'll see about undervolting again. After having my baseclock throw me off and made me think other factors were the prob I decided to Test for stability all night. If I leave my overclock as is, and just decrease my Flex VID I can have same speeds with sightly less heat therefore higher speeds maintained longer. I'll definitely be gunning for that 192 sec 1024M wprime for sure not yet though. I'll be posting a small hint guide on little things I noticed that could be easier for the next person if they knew ahead of time. Here is what I am stable in so far.

Intel Burn Test v2.50 by Agent GOD 1 run each setting, Stress Level: Very High (4096MB Ram) over 1,2,3,4,6,8 Threads

Prime95 64bit V26.6 Build 3 using options menu > Benchmark (stresses each type of multi thread scenario...)

Xtreme CPU Benchmark Version 1B by Agent GOD in Dual and Single Core

WPrime V1.55 @ 8Thread on 1024M and 32M + 7,6,5,4,3,2,1 Threads @ 1024M

Windows Experience Index Hardware Assesment

attached is the Xtreme CPU Benchmark by Agent GOD (1 core or 2 core use only)

****104.4 baseclock seems to work perfect for me... funny that I have to set 104.56 in bios to have windows detect 104.4

StamatisX , DR650SE I agree Stam damn DR650SE's dice too lol! I just might chase a local truck down lol!

What do you guys think? Still have to do a clean install with latest drivers and add dual Vertex 3 in.

- also I noticed Intel Burn to be the strongest benchmark @ 8 thread 4096mb ram at almost complete and getting over heated it was running down to 3.4Ghz and at a point or two in my all night run that same bench was the only to throttle my cpu bringing it to it 2.5ghz range... some IC Diamond should clear that up. Though I only did the Bench in Prime 95, I think if I ran small FFT ran the same length as Intel Burn did... it would have had a similar effect.

[rawhide85]

mw86- Thank for the info. Great work.

[mw86]

@rawhide85 you can check out my post over in the benchmark thread, you could see if your 2920XM is reaching the same speeds and scores.

http://forum.techinferno.com/alienware-m18x/548-official-alienware-m18x-benchmarking-thread-3.html

[rawhide85]

@rawhide85 you can check out my post over in the benchmark thread, you could see if your 2920XM is reaching the same speeds and scores.

http://forum.techinferno.com/alienware-m18x/548-official-alienware-m18x-benchmarking-thread-3.html

mw86- I will check it out. Never done any benching, but I want to stress my system, check temps and stability so I will give it a go. Thanks

[debaucher]

For me I typically run prime95 (eight instances to max out the 4 cores and hyperthreaded ones) and then furmark multi-gpu.

I run them for at least 10minutes and then until I see temps stabilize (ie.. not rise any further).

My temps were good to start with, but I decided to replace the paste on my cpu and gpu's and noticed a drop in overall temps and (best of all) that the temps rise MUCH slower.

With stock paste it hit max temp within a minute (stabilized at 83C for each gpu core) but with the new paste it maxed out at 81C (took ~2 minutes to reach that temp) then the fans kicked into high and the cores then stayed at ~78C.

The other thing I do when I want to test out a system is PLAY GAMES (lol) and do everything else I normally do with a system (encode videos, combine 24+ raw images into one panorama etc..) and just see how it does.

Either way, I am sure you will have fun.

D.