[frogger4]

I was recently reading a thread here about a person who was getting 100 degree C temperatures from running FurMark at stock clocks (that was an isolated issue that I think is resolved now). In that thread though, I saw several people arguing that FurMark is not a useful test and only serves to damage hardware. While I have always known it is not representative of real usage, I had not heard before that it should be avoided. I personally use it for a couple minutes at a time to get an idea if my core clock and voltage are remotely stable or not, then proceed to run benchmark type tests (3DMark) for a more realistic stress test.

In your opinion:
Is FurMark useful?
Are you concerned about hardware lifespan from it?
More generally, what do you use for stability testing?

 

[deafboy]

I don't because it was advised against from the card manufacturer... not worried about temps or anything, there just isn't any point.

Fold.

 

[PhilWrir]

Quote:

Originally Posted by deafboy

I don't because it was advised against from the card manufacturer... not worried about temps or anything, there just isn't any point.

Fold.

Generally speaking, Overclocking is advised against too and folding does pretty much the same thing to the card, albeit a bit more gently.

I use it for preliminary testing.
20 minutes stable in furmark means I can graduate to gaming benches and folding for longer term stability testing and use.

So, Yes its useful, and no im not worried about lifespan.
If my temps havent stabilized within 20 minutes, i have other problems besides stability to deal with.
As long as they level out at a reasonable level, im fine.
Furmark is basically worst case scenario anyway.

 

[Master__Shake]

how else you gonna heat a cold room?? gtx 480's ftw

 

[Capt]

I have always used FurMark when bought a new GPU. If your GPU survives FurMark then you have nothing to worry about. I don't think it can kill your GPU even if you leave it for 24hrs unless you have a crappy case with zero airflow or the cooler on the card is crap but otherwise you have nothing to worry about.

 

[grunion]

Furmark doesn't do much more than tell you how hot your card can get.

Passed Furmark plenty of times only to have games crash.

These are some old furmark power figures of mine.

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

Quote:

Uninstalled the 480, booted, kill a watt displayed 120w.

Test numbers below, efficiency not figured in.
All numbers read from the kill a watt

No GPU 120w

Desktop

GPU idle .91v/145w = 25w
GPU-Z open 1.0v/190w = 70w

Crysis

Stock speeds 1.0v/340w = 220w
830/1660/1000 1.063v/390w = 270w
875/1750/1000 1.138v/448w = 328w

L4D2

Stock speeds 1.0v/242w = 122w

Collatz Conjecture

Stock speeds 1.0v/275w = 155w
830/1660/1000 1.063v/325w = 205w
875/1750/1000 1.138v/376w = 256w

[email protected]

Stock speeds 1.0v/276w = 156w
800/1600/1000 1.10v/342w = 222w

Power Virus Furmark

Stock speeds 1.0v/400w = 280w
Stock speeds 1.063v/452w = 332w
Stock speeds 1.138v/506w = 386w

830/1660/1000 1.063v/502w = 382w
875/1750/1000 1.138v/580w = 460w

Remember, efficiency not figured in.

I find CBT to be more reliable as a stability test.

 

[glina]

Yes. I use it to check how my cooling mods affect temperatures. It's fast, reliable and the only thing to guarantee a maximum load.
I don't want my card to overheat under any load, and that includes Furmark.
Farcry 3 actually comes prette close to Furmark as far as extreme temperatures go, it just takes more time to get there.

 

[chalamah]

I don't see the point in furmark really. It makes my GPU and VRMs get way hotter than they will in any game and therefore stops me from overclocking further because it just gets uncomfortably hot. Unigine Heaven is what I have been using. I can go as far as I can knowing that the temperatures I see during the run are going to be what i get running the latest titles. Also like someone else mentioned before me, being stable in furmark doesn't mean your stable for all games too.

 

[verbatim]

Quote:

Originally Posted by frogger4

I was recently reading a thread here about a person who was getting 100 degree C temperatures from running FurMark at stock clocks (that was an isolated issue that I think is resolved now). In that thread though, I saw several people arguing that FurMark is not a useful test and only serves to damage hardware. While I have always known it is not representative of real usage, I had not heard before that it should be avoided. I personally use it for a couple minutes at a time to get an idea if my core clock and voltage are remotely stable or not, then proceed to run benchmark type tests (3DMark) for a more realistic stress test.

In your opinion:
Is FurMark useful?
Are you concerned about hardware lifespan from it?
More generally, what do you use for stability testing?

That guy is new to the game who left furmark on for ages while he went off somewhere. He came back to a cooking card.
I use it the same as you, for little tiny bursts. I dont think it should be used for new guys as it provides no real data for them. It causes confusion due to AMD and Nvidia throttling with it and can cause damage if left too long.

 

[sinnedone]

Ive also found running furmark stable for 30 minutes or so only to completely crash in games.

Ive found heaven and 3dmark better tests for stable overclocks. Follow that by a couple of hours of gaming and your set.

Temperature wise to test cooling mods seems like the best use case for furmark.

 

[tsm106]

Furmark is not a stability test, ppl who are using it as such are wasting their time and heating their cards to the limit for the wrong reason.

 

[Art Vanelay]

I don't use furmark because I don't need to cook my VRMs. It also is vastly inferior to OC scanner X, which does cook my VRMs as well, in its ability to find instability, as well as Unigine heaven and folding @ home.

 

[sinnedone]

In alot of the tutorials for overclocking gpu's (forums and youtube) they always mention running furmark or kombustor to test if your overclock is stable.

From personal experiance (and I believe others as well) I have come to find out this is not the case and hence the previous post.

 

[jlhawn]

I don't use anything too test my 2 cards, if they run fine gaming or folding then they are stable as they are mostly made for gaming per the
manufacturers advertising. and while folding my 2 GTX 580's get worked over pretty good, plus they have a lifetime warranty.

 

[Kaldari]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tsm106

Furmark is not a stability test, ppl who are using it as such are wasting their time and heating their cards to the limit for the wrong reason.

So what do you use?

 

[rafety58]

I use it for 10-30 minute runs, when I oc a card. After that I move on to Heaven and other benchmarks followed by a few hours of gaming.

I also use it for, before and after temps when I change tim on a card (I always change the stock tim, I got a 6C drop on my 7950 at load from a change of tim)

 

[tsm106]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kaldari

Quote:

Originally Posted by tsm106

Furmark is not a stability test, ppl who are using it as such are wasting their time and heating their cards to the limit for the wrong reason.

So what do you use?

I don't have any one special test. I just throw it thru a battery of benches and then game time in the games I enjoy.

 

[Kaldari]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tsm106

I don't have any one special test. I just throw it thru a battery of benches and then game time in the games I enjoy.

The exact name(s) of the "battery of benches" would have been the obvious answer. It's odd for someone to be critical of something without listing a reason or alternatives.

 

[Jacer200]

I only use it to check temps.

 

[tsm106]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kaldari

Quote:

Originally Posted by tsm106

I don't have any one special test. I just throw it thru a battery of benches and then game time in the games I enjoy.

The exact name(s) of the "battery of benches" would have been the obvious answer. It's odd for someone to be critical of something without listing a reason or alternatives.

You itching to pick a fight or something? What you don't know of any benches. Need to be hand fed?