# Headless CPU Stress Testing



## focusbob (Nov 21, 2008)

Hello forum,

I am looking for a cpu stress testing (burn in) program that fulfills the following criteria:

1) bootable
2) 64-bit
3) accompanied by temperature monitoring program
4) multicore compatible

I really need to be able to stress test multicore pcs prior to installing operating systems. I have been scouring the internet for the past 2 days and have not been able to find anything that fits all of these criteria. I have tried several bootable cd/dvds without success including, inquisitor, ubuntu x64 live cd (couldn't install prime95, various errors, I'm far from fluent in linux), ultimate boot cd (doesn't do multicore; does multiprocessor, not helpful for me), and a bartpe build that included prime95 (no temp monitoring software, not 64bit, can't run multiple instances). 

I am very surprised the sort of tool I am looing for is not widely available; it seems like an analogue to memtest86+ for cpu testing. I would prefer to use something based on linpack (e.g., intelburntest) because it seems to do a great job in a short amount of time. There is a native 64 bit version of intelburntest for winpe (http://www.ultimate-filez.com/files/IntelBurnTest-Legacy-x64.zip), but despite some searching, I have no clue how to build a winpe image that includes this program. If anyone can provide a step-by-step guide for dummies on how to do so (or provide a built image that also includes temp monitoring software), that would be ideal; building it with BartPE would not work because BartPE is 32 bit. Or any other solution that fits my four criteria would be great too!

Again, I'm really surprised a program that fits the four criteria I listed is not widely available. Hopefully it is, and I just haven't been able to find it. Let me know!

Thanks,
Jim


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## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

check this

http://www.softsea.com/review/IntelBurnTest.html


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## focusbob (Nov 21, 2008)

Hi Dai,

This is the preferred software I mentioned. However, if I'm reading the info on the link correctly, this is just the standard version of the software; this is not a bootable version of the software; it must be run from within windows.


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## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

see if any of these help

http://www.benchmarkhq.ru/english.html?/be_cpu.html


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## focusbob (Nov 21, 2008)

As far as I can tell, none of those are bootable.


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## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

i don't remember seeing one that runs from dos


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## Amd_Man (Jan 27, 2009)

This bootdisk has many tools. http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

I do exactly what you are trying to do with this one


I have found a great need lately for a method to determine if a computer system is stable without entering an OS

in this fashion we are able to ascertain if a systems CPU and memory are stable and can take maximum load without lock-up



so this bootable CD is a really easy one to use >>>> and it has Everest to monitor temperatures with

http://rapidshare.com/files/31986468/everestnokey.7z


the above file is *virus clean as IS*


then there is this one >>>>> its MUCH larger ......... a multi boot CD ...... you can boot into Hirens Boot CD or Barts PE

from within the Barts PE environment you can access all the tools that are available from within Hirens too

I found this bootable ISO in a torrent ........ this torrent has a back door virus which is found in the Programs folder / simply open the bootable ISO with Magic ISO and delete the ALCMD.exe

I did this and it came up clean , or you can PM me and I will send you a clean copy by mail or post a clean copy of the ISO on rapid share


this ISO is damn impressive though!! ray: the tools at your disposal are emense

the cpu stress testing program I used within here is 

S&M stress test and PC wizard or Everest to monitor your temps as your stressing

works wonders !! now I am able to prove to stubborn customers the computer is stable, even when they perform botched driver installs or windows file problems as well as the ohhhhh so common / flaky game a user wants to run >>>>>


I am now able to prove the machine is stable during 100% workload

now if they want to "fix" windows or their drivers or their game patches >>>> they have to pay the ferry man! :laugh:


http://www.mininova.org/tor/1170263



anyone that needs help or wants a bootable CD by mail >>>> just holler



there are several anti virus scanners as well as adware and mcaffe stinger in this bootable CD >>>>> there is no better way to clean a hard drive than from outside of windows, then the virus or trojan isnt "loaded" and morphing



best regards


joe

sorry that was lonnnng winded ........copied and pasted from our "library"


S&M stess test is what you want .............. everest home editon and PC wizard both work from within that bootable environment ..........


the ones we normally like to use in windows .........real temp / core temp / sensorsview pro etc etc etc will not work in a bootable environment ..........I tried even with the assistance of the people who wrote the program 


in summary >>>>> bootable YES / multi core = yes / temp monitoring = yes if you use everest or pc wizard which is included in the bootable offerings


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## focusbob (Nov 21, 2008)

Thanks linderman! This looks really promising. I am going to try these out and post back with my impressions.

Quick question: is S&M stress test 64-bit?
Another quick question: How long do you let S&M run the CPU test to determine stability?

This is the least important of my 4 criteria, but it would be nice...

Thanks again,
Jim


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

not sure if s&m is 64bit ? I dont think any DOS based utility or bootable CD is really 64bit ..........but I dont see why you would really need that anyway ? I am assuming your goal is a hardware stress to be sure all parts can take a beating 

I know it will do that for sure!


how long is entirely up to you ........when I build top notch systems with good quality heatsinks I test those for 2 hours

less costly builds (budget ones) with less worthy cpu coolers I test for an hour


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## focusbob (Nov 21, 2008)

There is a version of intelburntest (built on linpack) that is 64-bit that is specifically made for winpe (I linked to it in my original post). But, I don't know how to integrate it into a winpe image, so it's a moot point. 

I'm not sure why a 64-bit version would be better for the processor; from the maker of intelburntest - "But for the most accuracy, 64-bit OS is the best." http://www.xtremesystems.org/Forums/showthread.php?t=197835. I do know that with 12gb of RAM, a 32 bit program will not be able to fully stress my RAM. And I know that Prime95 (for example) stresses RAM alongside cpu; maybe this is the reason.


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

focusbob said:


> There is a version of intelburntest (built on linpack) that is 64-bit that is specifically made for winpe (I linked to it in my original post). But, I don't know how to integrate it into a winpe image, so it's a moot point.
> 
> I'm not sure why a 64-bit version would be better for the processor; from the maker of intelburntest - "But for the most accuracy, 64-bit OS is the best." http://www.xtremesystems.org/Forums/showthread.php?t=197835. I do know that with 12gb of RAM, a 32 bit program will not be able to fully stress my RAM. And I know that Prime95 (for example) stresses RAM alongside cpu; maybe this is the reason.





the whole idea of stress testing is to make both cpu & ram "sweat" from workload which will reveal any potential instabilities

as for the how to incorporate the intelburntest .........without a Barts PE plug-in it aint gonna happen

their is a website with a really steep learning curve call Raetogo ...........you can make your own plug-ins 

I played aroud with that stuff for quite awhile until I was winded :laugh:

the benefits of 64 bit OS are much more demonstrated in artificial worlds of benchtesting than real world computing ..........

just because a software is 64bit doesnt automatically translate to far superior performance; if this were the case, we as the computer world would be far more converted to an all 64bit world

server environments and numerous machines connected to them is really the only use I have seen 64bit truely shine .......beyond that, its a 5-10% improvment kind of thing with a whole new realm of problems dragged into the fray


its not until you can realize how much of our 32bit software world is really based on 16bit architecture that makes you understand we have not nearly employed all 32bit has to offer


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## focusbob (Nov 21, 2008)

Point taken about making a plugin...
That is certainly out of my league. 
Would you please check this link and tell me if this is a plugin?

http://www.ultimate-filez.com/files/IntelBurnTest-Legacy-x64.zip

I've dl'ed the file and I'm in the process of cleaning the virus. I wonder; is this a real virus, or one of those programs that gets picked up by antivirus programs because it does some shady maneuvers but isnt really a virus.


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

I think its a false positive / however whenever I give that link to a user they freak when the A/V scan picks it up .......so, hence the warning ? at your own risk, in fact, because I dont use the program for which that files is associated, I too removed the file



focusbob said:


> Point taken about making a plugin...
> That is certainly out of my league.
> Would you please check this link and tell me if this is a plugin?
> 
> ...






no that is not a plugin 

however.....if you could make a barts PE disk from a win xp 64bit ???? dont remember if barts will do that or not

you "may" be able to run that intelburntest from a thumb drive once you are in the Barts PE environment ????

sorry.........the answer is no Barts PE for X64


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## focusbob (Nov 21, 2008)

OK, so I tried the multiboot CD. Although an impressive piece of software there is a fatal flaw for me: everest was only reading from the mobo sensor not from the cpu. I need to monitor temps.

I also tried Hiren's boot cd 9.9, and couldn't get S&M to run ("opengl32.dll was not found"), but another monitoring program read from my cpu sensor so I know the sensor is OK.

Suggestions?


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

I dont enter from Hirens ........I enter into the PE side of the options/ then I run the S&M stress test (sometimes launching off a usb thumbdrive the S&M program)

I dont understand what you mean by getting temps off the motherboard sensor .....no program directly gets information off the cpu ?

use the PC Wizard which shows temps in real time as they change



another way I have tried ..........boot into the PE environemnt and then launch OCCT from a thumb drive or off a hard drive .....that shows temps right from within OCCT itself

http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=22229

I am confused ...........are you saying that while you are running that program S&M you can see what the cpu temps are from a monitoring app like PC Wizard or Everest ?

while looking for a Barts PE plug-in for OCCT (pre-made) that is


I have been told OCCT needs to write to the disk ......this is hard to accomplish off a CD, but It can be done easily off a pen drive ........that the trouble with core temp monitor; it wants to write to the drive in order to work .........so it look like I now can make a 2gig (no bigger>>>it must be fat16 bootable) pen drive have a barts PE environment and the USB drive can be written to with the RAMdrive included in barts .....what this means is .......Orthos should work as well as core temp monitor


I am digging for a 2ggi pen drive now to try it ..........my 8 gig wont work


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## focusbob (Nov 21, 2008)

That's right, I was running S&M, and I was unable to monitor the core temps from everest and pc wizard. All I was able to see was the mobo temp, but not the core temp.


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

ahhhhhhhh what cpu are you testing again ? I am going to "guess" and say i7 cpu and the version of PC wizard on that CD doesnt know what an i7 cpu is 

thats an easy fix ............make a newer bootable CD with PC Wizard 2009 included ........then when you run S&M you can watch temps with PC wizard ??


S&M also has a tab for monitoring the cpu tab; did you get to use that ?


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## focusbob (Nov 21, 2008)

I think youre right. I have an i7 920 and asus p6t deluxe v2. If I knew how to make a bootable cd with a new version of pc wizard and s&m, I probably wouldnt have made this post 

Is this pretty straightforward to do? Are there any tutorials you know of?

Can one monitor cpu temp from s&m? I didnt see that in the program.

Thanks!


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

I didnt get the i7 cpu at first; not that the problem we would encounter would have hit me right then anyway 

I am working on this to make a new CD which has the PC Wizard 2009 in it ........ be patient this can be a real [email protected]#$%^&*()_ making these reatogo cd's



linderman said:


> ahhhhhhhh what cpu are you testing again ? I am going to "guess" and say i7 cpu and the version of PC wizard on that CD doesnt know what an i7 cpu is
> 
> *thats an easy fix ............make a newer bootable CD with PC Wizard 2009 included ........then when you run S&M you can watch temps with PC wizard ??*
> 
> S&M also has a tab for monitoring the cpu tab; did you get to use that ?






I dont mean "you" fix it .........my fingers were typing out loud :wink: I am trying to make your CD


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## focusbob (Nov 21, 2008)

Well thanks a million for taking a stab at it!

That means you will be able to put the latest version of S&M (1.9.1) on there as well, right?

Awesome!

OK, old problem solved and new problem found...

I gave a shot at downloading some system information apps from portable freeware and loading them on a thumb drive. I booted to the multiboot cd you posted a link to (with thumb drive inserted) and attempted to open the portable apps from the thumb drive inside the PE environment. Although PC Wizard 2009 did not get past the splash screen, both SIW and core temp opened without difficulty. I left both apps open and ran S&M 1.9.0, then I realized my new problem:

SIW and core temp are only reading temps from core #0. This is a quad core proc so I would expect to see temps from 4 cores. Being suspicious that S&M was also not stressing all four cores, I searched the internet for screenshots of S&M in action, and found that folks with dual core procs had two cpu tabs, and had pass fail information from each "cpu". These folks referenced in their posts that they had one proc with dual cores, not two separate cpus. My S&M window had one cpu tab and provided one set of pass/fail results.

Have you tested dual core procs before with S&M in the PE environment? Do you have two tabs? What's the deal?


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

I am looking into the matter of which you last replied. PC Wizard 2009 will not run soley off a thumb drive as you have discovered; only apps which dont need registry enteries will run in that matter; if a program normally installs its self onto the start/programs menu then its registry dependent as such only PE plug ins will allow such programs to run.

you are also correct on the core temp; I am inquiring with the writer of that app if it can be made to work from a PE environment ..........last time I asked them this very question they said no; because the utility needs to have write access; well the use of the USB thumb drive as the "booting" device, not the CD; as I have just tried has delivered the "write access" such programs require yet I too still can not get core temp to show more than one core; I have seen two cores tested with s&m; I am re-runnign that in the day day or two to double check that two cores are being tested !

this is turning out to be complex; most because I can get PC wizard 2009 to run in PE environment yet and most other apps arent compatible with i7

will keep you updated as more info develops


there is some "talk" that intelburnin will work off a linpack but at this point I am staying focused on the above procedure to avoid saturation of my mind LOL


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## focusbob (Nov 21, 2008)

Important addition:

I also tried running the latest version of Prime95 (which explicitly allows running multiple threads, and has been used to test all 8 threads of i7), and it would not allow me to run more than 1 thread. 

This is very strange because winpe is multithreaded.

What's going on?


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

mabye we can share tasks


have you tried a PM to "agentgod" about intelburnin and linpack ?


http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=197835




this dude seems responsive and knows programming ?


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## focusbob (Nov 21, 2008)

Just did, we'll see if he can share some insight into the matter...


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## AgentGOD (Jul 16, 2009)

Since I couldn't reply to your PM on XS... might as well post it here:



AgentGOD said:


> When I was messing with BartPE back in the day, there was a multi-processor plugin that enabled Windows to access multiple cores, which required the MP kernel as well. You'll have to mess with loads of things to get it working, you can look on 911cd.net forums for more info on it if you're interested.


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

yeah, Agent you hit the nail right on the head! I found that info yesterday morning, thanks ray:


http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=15598


however I must say; talk about a "deep" undertaking! way over my head I must admit; but there are screenshots on replies close to the end of that thread which show two cores being actively stress tested

but I know nothing of what has to be done with all that code those fellas are copying and pasting in their replies ?


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## focusbob (Nov 21, 2008)

Thank you AgentGOD! I think my account is still being processed on that forum. Ill take a look at what you posted, although if linderman thinks its a heavy undertaking, its probably well over my head.


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

I surrender......:Thinkingo....... this task is beyond me 


at this point, I would strongly advise you save youself alot of headache, use a "drive image" program

make a snapshot of your OS boot drive partition so you can restore at "will"

store the image on another drive not involved with the stress testing

then go ahead and stress test away using OCCT

"if" you booger your OS; no sweat boot into the CD for the image program and restore your boot drive to EXACTLy the way it was; before you started stress testing

now thats childs play ............the bootable PE disk for multi core processors is "professor's" play


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