The AMD Athlon X2 and other CPUs are the main component of the computer which runs code and performs calculations. Overclocked CPUs running at a faster speed than they're designed for or defective CPUs will crash or generate errors when under load. The AMD Athlon X2 and other computer processors aren't particularly stressed when running normal desktop software, but additional load generates more heat, which can cause problems. You can test an AMD Athlon X2 by running a third-party CPU stress test program designed to put the CPU under heavy load.
Instructions
1. Download and run Prime95 (see Resources.) Double-click the downloaded .zip file on your computer, double-click the "prime95.exe" file inside it, click "Just Stress Testing," then select a type of CPU stress test in the list and click "OK." Right-click the "Self Test" icon in the system tray and click "Exit" after several hours of testing.
2. Install PassMark's BurnInTest (see Resources). Open it after installing it by clicking "Start," "All Programs," "BurnInTest," "BurnInTest" and "Continue." Start a CPU test by clicking the "Quick Tests" menu and clicking "CPU Coverage." The test stops automatically after ten cycles, or you can stop it manually by clicking the "Stop" icon.
3. Download and use AIDA64 (see Resources). After installation, click "Start," "All Programs," "FinalWire," "AIDA64 Extreme Edition," "AIDA64 Extreme Edition" and "OK." Open the CPU test window by clicking "Tools" and "System Stability Test." Uncheck the "Stress Cache" and "Stress System Memory" checkboxes by clicking them, then start the test by clocking "Start." Let the test run for several hours before clicking "Stop."
Tags: AIDA64 Extreme, AIDA64 Extreme Edition, Athlon other, clicking Stop, Extreme Edition, several hours