Prime95 has problems when run in conjunction with RTHDRIBL. Help!

[PhlegmMaster]

Hello.

I'm not doing any overclocking just yet, just trying to test my new PC (Q6600 with Vista 64).

I tried running 4 threads with Prime95 v25.6 for about two hours so far, and everything seems to work fine. The problem appears when I try to run RTHDRIBL at the same time. If I do, thread #3 will stop responding. It won't actually fail, in the sense that there will be no error message, and if I stop RTHDRIBL it will continue working as if nothing had ever been wrong, except that it will be late compared to the other three threads.

All my temperatures are fine (42, 43, 39, 39, according to realtemp). I was wondering if anyone could formulate a hypothesis as to what's causing the problem?

 

[Raxxath]

I can't tell you what's wrong, but have you tried another GPU stressing program, like ATITool?

 

[PhlegmMaster]

I can't tell you what's wrong, but have you tried another GPU stressing program, like ATITool?

No I haven't. Is there a version of ATITool that works with Vista 64?

EDIT: To answer my own question: Yes, the newest beta does: http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=45596

 

[Ocellaris]

Hello.

I'm not doing any overclocking just yet, just trying to test my new PC (Q6600 with Vista 64).

I tried running 4 threads with Prime95 v25.6 for about two hours so far, and everything seems to work fine. The problem appears when I try to run RTHDRIBL at the same time. If I do, thread #3 will stop responding. It won't actually fail, in the sense that there will be no error message, and if I stop RTHDRIBL it will continue working as if nothing had ever been wrong, except that it will be late compared to the other three threads.

All my temperatures are fine (42, 43, 39, 39, according to realtemp). I was wondering if anyone could formulate a hypothesis as to what's causing the problem?

I fail to see the problem here. RTHDRIBL is just using one of the cores for CPU functions at a higher priority than Prime is. The same thing happens if you run FurMark too, one of the Prime threads will ssllooww down and be way behind the other 3.

 

[heatlesssun]

I think ocellaris is correct. Remember when you're running Prime 95, your CPU is maxed out, so when you start other CPU consumptive tasks, something has to give, one of the Prime 95 threads. Nothing to worry about.

 

[PhlegmMaster]

I fail to see the problem here. RTHDRIBL is just using one of the cores for CPU functions at a higher priority than Prime is. The same thing happens if you run FurMark too, one of the Prime threads will ssllooww down and be way behind the other 3.

All right, thanks a lot. I'm just following the Coding Horror guide ( http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/000907.html ).

The guide says to put your finger on various parts including the video card, to see if anything is too hot. Everything seems fine, but the metal part of the video card is pretty hot, I can't keep my finger on it for more than 4 or 5 seconds.

I just tried ATITool, and unlike RTHDRIBL it doesn't make one of the threads stop completely, although it does slow down thread 3. The max temp reached by the core is 76, is that too hot?



Wow, my PC just started making this whiny sound. Umm. It's not very loud, I had to put my ear close to it to make sure, but it's weird. It sounds like my cat.

 

[BillR]

I think ocellaris is correct. Remember when you're running Prime 95, your CPU is maxed out, so when you start other CPU consumptive tasks, something has to give, one of the Prime 95 threads. Nothing to worry about.

Prime95 like Folding & Home works on the principal of using unused (spare) computer cycles. As such when you start another program and that program makes a call on one core that core will automatically become the priority program and prime would simply give up it’s cycles as needed.

 

[Ocellaris]

All right, thanks a lot. I'm just following the Coding Horror guide ( http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/000907.html ).

The guide says to put your finger on various parts including the video card, to see if anything is too hot. Everything seems fine, but the metal part of the video card is pretty hot, I can't keep my finger on it for more than 4 or 5 seconds.

I just tried ATITool, and unlike RTHDRIBL it doesn't make one of the threads stop completely, although it does slow down thread 3. The max temp reached by the core is 76, is that too hot?



Wow, my PC just started making this whiny sound. Umm. It's not very loud, I had to put my ear close to it to make sure, but it's weird. It sounds like my cat.

Ok couple things here... That Coding Horror guild is pretty good, however do not touch anything inside your PC while its running. Just do not do it. Ever. Poking fingers around on a video card and counting is completely unneeded. All that is doing it looking for a problem when there is not one there. You are way more likely to screw something around reaching hands around inside a PC than you are to discover some horrendous problem.

Do not worry about ATITool not locking down one core while RTHDRIBL does.

76C is toasty, is that for the GPU? If so, do not worry about it. These cards can (and do) run hot. You can replace the cooler on the GPU, however thats another example of trying to fix something that's not broke. As long as you are not overclocking the GPU and have some air moving through your case, you will be fine.

PCs make noise, if you need to put your ear close just to hear it, its fine. When you get some crazy screeching that you can hear two rooms away, then you need to investigate that.

Just relax! If you got the PC up and running, enjoy that for a bit before looking for problems.

 

[PhlegmMaster]

Ok couple things here... That Coding Horror guild is pretty good, however do not touch anything inside your PC while its running. Just do not do it. Ever. Poking fingers around on a video card and counting is completely unneeded. All that is doing it looking for a problem when there is not one there. You are way more likely to screw something around reaching hands around inside a PC than you are to discover some horrendous problem.

Oh, ok.

Do not worry about ATITool not locking down one core while RTHDRIBL does.

All right.

76C is toasty, is that for the GPU?

Yes, it's the max temp I get when when I click ATITool's "Find Max Core" button.

If so, do not worry about it. These cards can (and do) run hot.

Oh, ok.

PCs make noise, if you need to put your ear close just to hear it, its fine. When you get some crazy screeching that you can hear two rooms away, then you need to investigate that.

Oh, ok.

Just relax! If you got the PC up and running, enjoy that for a bit before looking for problems.

Hahaha, you're right, I need to calm down. You see, I've had some problems with previous PCs: I only found out that one of the parts was defective a few months after the time limit the store gave me to return them! So I guess I am a bit paranoid this time.

Thanks for your help, I appreciate it.

 

[Raxxath]

The noise you're hearing is your graphics card. They get very loud in the ATITool artifact test.