Breaking in a New Processor , is there such a thing?

[ProperRogue]

Just wondering if there's such a thing as " breaking in " a new processor? I had heard something like running it very hard or intense the first few days , so it at least breaks a sweat. i had this guy tell me, if you don't do that to a new processor , it'll never run 100% when you need it.

i've never heard such a thing, but i listened either way.

any of you heard something like that?

[ofbarea]

This CPU "burn-in" will be done by Intel or AMD at their assembly and test factories.

You may still get a lemon, but the possibilities are really very low.

[neomaine]

Whoever told you that was full of crap, the 'never get to 100% anyway'. That's a good one.

The 'breaking in' part is valid to the extent that it can tell you if the processor is good or not. Like anything else electronic, the failure rate is much higher during its initial usage than later on. Have you processor run at 100% doing folding@home or seti or something is a good way to excercise it. Keep an eye on the temp to see if the cooling is adequate

From my experience processors either don't work (doa), die within a couple of weeks, or they last for quite awhile (years and years) if taken care of properly (cooling). Its just better to find that out earlier rather than later if its not going to work.

[Abbadon]

Hi,

There is an application called Sisoft Sandra 2005 that runs a test on the CPU so intense that could crash your computer if the CPU has some flaw or lack proper cooling.

I remember that the CPU of a not so fast machine I had died a few days later after performing such extreme test.

[ProperRogue]

Whoever told you that was full of crap, the 'never get to 100% anyway'. That's a good one.

The 'breaking in' part is valid to the extent that it can tell you if the processor is good or not. Like anything else electronic, the failure rate is much higher during its initial usage than later on. Have you processor run at 100% doing folding@home or seti or something is a good way to excercise it. Keep an eye on the temp to see if the cooling is adequate

From my experience processors either don't work (doa), die within a couple of weeks, or they last for quite awhile (years and years) if taken care of properly (cooling). Its just better to find that out earlier rather than later if its not going to work.

cool. that's what i was thinking.

it's been so long since i've done a serious upgrade , i wasn't sure if he might have had something there, you know , with technology changing all the time.

thanks for the heads up though.

[dwill123]

Prime95

Prime95 (Torture Test )

[rallynavvie]

What they may be referring to is giving the thermal paste on a new system time to set. If you're building your own system some thermal pastes take some time before they set in and work at optimal efficiency. I use Arctic Alumina ceramic thermal paste and it says it requires so many hours before it's working at its best. Not all thermal pastes/pads work in this manner though.

[JerryB]

Just wondering if there's such a thing as " breaking in " a new processor? I had heard something like running it very hard or intense the first few days , so it at least breaks a sweat. i had this guy tell me, if you don't do that to a new processor , it'll never run 100% when you need it.

i've never heard such a thing, but i listened either way.

any of you heard something like that?

hi,
no there isn't...
but what a good shop will do.... is run a new system 24 hours continous...with a testing program to test the motherboard, graphic card, ram , cpu chip, etc... to make sure all parts work well and there no failures.....

myself I will run a new system 24/7 to see if any weak compnents.. if after that... generally i can rely on no problems with a system...

a well kept secret by the pc manufactures is that 7-12% of pc's will have a major problem out of the box!!

[normcar]

I have never heard of having to test the CPU on your computer, but you should always test memory in a new machine, or newly installed memory. memtest is a good test. Memory can be bad, and give you intermittant problems, which can be hard to find if you do not test the memory.

Also if you run your cpu a 100%, you should check the BIOS temp settings to ensure that you do not burn out your new CPU or your motherboard. The CPU heatsink and fan on most systems are not adequate to run a CPU at 100% for extended periods. If you do video encoding, you should upgrade the heatsink/fan (about 30-$40). This will prevent you from destroying the most expensive part of your system.

[SLK001]

"Burn-in" tests are basically used to weed out the infant mortalities on ICs, or the walking wounded just off the production line.

But the line "if you don't do that to a new processor, it'll never run 100% when you need it" is, like the others have said, is a load of crap. Avoid this person in the future when you need any good advice.