OCCT: how to use, use the program, install and test

Stability issues are caused by overclocking the PC. This is where stress testing comes into play. It ensures the stability of the main part and raises the level of computer performance, reaching the limit. OCCT test is a sanity check tool that was created back in 2003 and has been regularly updated ever since. The program allows you to fully check the operating modes of the computer using various options: CPU-OCCT and CPU-Linpack, designed to test CPU, GPU: 3D, power supplies.

OCCT test review

OCCT is a free application created within the hardware diagnostic software and available from DOCBASE for Windows. Variants of checks can be performed chaotically or during a certain period of time. Before using OCCT, are determined with the verification period. It is acceptable to include an idle period at the beginning or at the end of the test to better see how the PC temperature rises from the stateIDLE to full load state and vice versa.

OCCT includes a monitoring engine that provides a complete reading of the machine's internal temperatures, voltages and fan speeds, and displays them both on real-time graphs and during the process.

The graphs show the second line showing CPU and FPS usage during test OCCT. CPU usage is instantaneous, not average since the beginning of the test, as it was in the first releases of the program. The current version has 5 different variants, described at the end of the changelog.

Main tests:

1. CPU is the best test to find CPU bugs. It runs at cooler temperatures than Linpack and catches bugs faster.
2. CPU - Linpack-test reaches maximum temperatures, which makes the processor very hot, and the latter circumstance must be taken into account before using OCCT. It's ideal for troubleshooting overheating issues, but the first option is enough for everything else.
3. GPU:3D, according to AMD, is the best test for debugging a graphics card, as well as for testing performance at high temperatures.
4. Power Supply is designed to test the strength of the power supply. For this purpose, he uses a combination of Linpack and 3D to force the power supply to consume as much power as possible. Before using OCCT, pay attention to the model of the power supply, it is believed that it is better not to experiment with weak ones.

OCCT 4.5.1 is licensed asfree software for the Windows operating system (32-bit and 64-bit) for hardware diagnostics without restrictions, available to all users as Freeware. Hardware compatibility with this software may vary, but generally works fine under Microsoft Windows 10, 8, 8.1, 7, Vista, and XP. A standalone x64 version may be available on OCBASE as an.exe file and must be opened before using OCCT 4 5 1.

Program interface

System stability testing tool is designed for Windows OS. In addition to monitoring the voltages, temperatures, and fan speeds of various components, it can be used to benchmark power supplies (SMPS), graphics cards (GPUs), and mainstream processors (CPUs).

Built-in test controls system performance in stressful situations. If the performance is below rated, you can upgrade the equipment or replace parts that are operating below the rated values to improve the overall stability and performance of the machine.

In the main interface of OCCT in Russian, you can see various tabs related to the CPU, GPU and power supply. They display information related to those hardware components. You can select test configurations and then press the green "ON" button, which will run a stress test for a specific hardware component. Protective measures are taken before using OCCT, since tests can make the system inoperable and it is better tosave all data.

To the right of the main window, another window is displayed showing various real-time monitoring results. The monitoring window can be moved to the left or minimized. Sensor information is displayed in either tabular or graphic format.

Basic conditions for stress testing

A form of deliberate intensive and rigorous testing is used to determine the stability of a system or facility, and includes the creation of modes that exceed normal operating parameters.

Mode directions:

1. Determination of critical points or limits of safe use, their zone is set before using the OCCT program.
2. Verifying the fact that the mathematical model is accurate in predicting critical points or limits of safe use.
3. Checking compliance with given specifications.
4. Define failure modes when the system fails.
5. Checking the stability of a part or system outside of normal use.

PC reliability engineers test cells under expected voltage or overclock conditions to determine product life or identify failure modes. This is done by running a CPU-intensive program for extended periods of time to see if the computer freezes or crashes.

Preparing the system

BeforeBy conducting tests, the user needs to properly prepare the system. To achieve the best results, whether it is a stress test or a normal one, you need to control the following parameters.

When an OCCT test is performed, the temperature of the computer first rises sharply, so make sure that it does not exceed the maximum allowable limits. These thresholds vary by hardware model. As a rule, the maximum allowable limits for processors are up to 70 ^oC, while for video cards they are slightly higher than 80-90 ^oC.

It will be safer for the equipment to know the exact maximum temperatures in advance, for this they get acquainted with the operating instructions for the corresponding subsystem. You can find this data on the manufacturer's website on the Internet. Knowing the maximum allowable parameter, use a monitoring application to be sure that the PC will not be damaged during the process. A very simple and useful tool for this task is HWMonitor.

The PC must be able to make the most of its capabilities during stress tests. To do this, the user needs to close all running applications that start with Windows and consume resources in the background. Ideally, it should run immediately after system startup, and the only running program should be dedicated to measuring temperature. Also turn off all sleep or hibernation settings and make sure that the power saving plan is not enabled.

Monitoring mechanism

OCCT 4.4 has a built-in monitoring engine, providing the user with a complete reading of the computer's internal temperatures, voltages and fan speeds, displaying them in real-time graphs.

If the user is concerned about PC performance, real-time charts can be left out, although they are actually light and do not take up much resources, besides, hiding the graphics panel will not allow the data to be updated in a timely manner and may lead to distorted results.

The program protects the computer from overheating or damage, including alarms that can be configured for each sensor. As soon as the values for temperature, voltage or fan speed are exceeded, the test will stop to protect the machine.

Functions	OCCT	PRO
Main Features	Yes	Yes
Multilingual interface	Yes	Yes
Context of use	For personal use only.	All
Testing	Yes	Yes
Test Planner	Yes	Yes
CPU: OCCT	Yes	Yes
CPU: LINPACK	Yes	Yes
GPU: 3D	Yes	Yes
Power supply	Yes	Yes
Custom test using native apps	Yes	Yes
Run a batch file when an error occurs		Yes
Monitoring	Yes	Yes
Built-in monitoring	Yes	Yes
Alarm values (min/max)	Yes	Yes
Real-time charts	Yes	Yes
	Yes	Yes
CSV output		Yes
Custom output path		Yes

Multi-option mode

OCCT offers a rather complex CPU stress test that is often overlooked by users. It can't generate the huge amount of heat that Prime95 has with AVX, but it's still a great choice for long-term test stability. Softwareregisters a number of important parameters, working in an infinite loop or stopping after a certain period of time. The "OCCT with small dataset" option generates the lowest available load and is less expensive than Prime95 with AVX.

Indicators	CPU package (PECI)	Basic Average	Sensor Connector	Memory capacity	CPU (W)	System (Tue)
Measurement	72	71 °C	84	34	148W	219W
Compared to maximum	82, 8%	82, 6%	80, 0%	94, 4%	86%	86, 9%

"OCCT with large dataset" mode - overall load drops again, making this test suitable for laptops that don't need to be brought to temperature limits. Memory is tested more strongly than in Prime95. In fact, this is the second largest memory load in software.

Indicators	CPU package (PECI)	Basic Average	Connector sensor	Memory capacity	CPU (W)	System (Tue)
Measurement	62	61 °C	72	35	113W	163W
Compared to maximum	71, 3%	70, 9%	68, 6%	97, 2%	65, 7%	64, 7%

The "OCCT AVX" implementation generates a total load, although it does not reach the numbers generated by this utility's own Small Data Set parameter. The memory load is quite high.

Indicators	CPU package (PECI)	Basic Average	Sensor Connector	Memory capacity	CPU (W)	System (Tue)
Measurement	68	67 °C	75	34	130W	187W
Compared to maximum	78, 2%	77, 9%	71, 4%	94, 4%	75, 6%	74, 2%

OCCT with Linpack and SSE. The implementation of SSE in OCCT generates a low overall load similar to the Big Data Set option. But so far it doesn't set any new records, so it's a good alternative for low-end computers with standard coolers. italso suitable for long-term testing.

Indicators	CPU package (PECI)	Basic Average	Connector sensor	Memory capacity	CPU (W)	System (Tue)
Measurement	65°C	64	74	34	115W	172W
Compared to maximum	74, 7%	74, 4%	70, 5%	94, 4%	66, 9%	68, 3%

Build Pro Online

OCCT Pro is the professional version of the program. Its use is permitted in commercial environments and companies, not just for personal use.

This version comes with all the features included in OCCT with the addition of the following:

1. Custom test compiled from own application. Simply fill in three batch files: one to start, one to stop, and one to report the status. You can also use your own scripts for your computer, including performing an OCCT on the power supply.
2. Monitoring test when OCCT does nothing but fix parameters: temperature, voltage and others.
3. Output CSV of all sensors along with graphs,it is possible to create your own charts and customize the output folder.
4. No more emptying My Documents folder.

OCCT Pro is available for purchase online. Its price depends on the number of employees in the company, therefore it is available for any organization and personal use.

Perestroika stability tool

OCCT Perestroika is a free stability testing tool for home use. It provides an accurate error detection algorithm for processors and graphics cards. The latest version of OCCT is Perestroika 3.0.0. This is a major release that includes new features with CPU monitoring, system information and CPU usage, GPU graphics cards, memory and SLI/Crossfire.

Main features of OCCT Perestroika:

1. Completely redesigned GUI.
2. Graphics include a second curve showing CPU or FPS usage when using 3D benchmark.
3. CPU usage is instantaneous, has 5 modes, the description of which follows the changelog.
4. The interface is fully modular, works on a tab system.
5. Help module.
6. Updated engine - support for the latest processors.
7. Fixed many bugs, including the known bug "3 cores found on 4".
8. Graphs show CPU or FPS usage during the test.
9. Demonstration of the legend to understand what is going on.
10. Configuration "test" in headerprograms.
11. Test description.

Scheduled PC Monitoring

The "monitoring only" test won't do anything. It starts and stops according to the schedule. All it will do is record readings until it is stopped by the user or the schedule ends.

Custom mode is enabled if the "Monitoring only" checkbox is disabled. The engineer will have access to his basic settings to run his own application. The main purpose is to give information about it, how to start it, close it and check its status.

Start Batch/Exe is the path to the.exe file, batch file, or any executable file to start. When executed, it will automatically stop the application and point to the package that "kills" the process.

Batch/Exe status is optional. This is usually a batch file that returns "0" if the application is working properly, or any other value if something is wrong. The tester uses it to detect the bug.

If "Stop on error" is checked, OCCT will stop as soon as "Status Package/Exe" reports an error. If the checkbox is not checked, it will keep running until the test reaches the end.

Custom test example.

This list lists all running processes and searches for "calc.exe". If it is not found (ERRORLEVEL will be 1), you can exit with the code "1". Otherwise, exit with the code "0", which means that the testperformed. Experienced users recommend checking the "silent" box, unless the user wants the "cmd.exe" window to appear every second.

CPU test algorithm

Stress testing is very important for overclocking. Without it, the user cannot be sure that the processor is completely stable at the declared speeds. Testing software applications provide the highest and unrealistic workload on hardware components, so if the overclocked component is stable during the process, it can accept any other type of load.

OCCT is great for stress testing the CPU, graphics card and power supply. Download and unpack in any convenient place, for example, on a PC desktop.

CPU check algorithm:

1. Open OCCT.exe.
2. Choose a Linpack processor.
3. In the "Test Type" field, select "Custom".
4. Enter the desired time. Usually 10 minutes for the first CPU overclock to save time. Once they get the maximum result, they test the processor for 2 hours.
5. In Test Mode select Max (90% free memory).
6. When the test is finished, the program will report any errors during the test, as well as create useful graphs that show the use of the processor, its temperature, ripple in the power lines, VCore of the processor and others.
7. If an OCCT error is detected during the stress test, the user will have to increase performanceV-Core CPU up a notch. If this has already been done and you are still getting error messages, you need to adjust your memory settings.
8. If the user thinks that the processor is overheating during stress testing, then it is required to stop it and provide additional cooling. Visit the manufacturer's website to find out the maximum temperature that the processor can operate at.
9. Before overclocking and stress testing OCCT rus make sure you have a good power supply (PSU) installed. Using cheap ones will lead to failure of system components. If there are doubts about its quality, you can not start overclocking and testing. Experts do not trust some Chinese PSUs, as they are not able to provide even 50% of the total power they are designed for.
10. It's also important to have a good third-party CPU cooler. Standard Intel and AMD heatsinks are good for regular situations. Anything above the rated clock speed only increases the temperature.
11. Last but not least, the thermal interface used also plays an important role in overclocking, every degree of heat must be considered. Experts recommend Arctic Cooling MX-2.

GPU graphics adapter control

OCCT offers a load test GPU. In fact, it generates the highest package temperatures of all similar programs. Like FurMark, they use full screen mode for maximum loading and arrays of multiple video cards. This software also provides some of the highest power consumption figures, making it ideal for determining the power and efficiency limits of coolers.

If using Windows 10, set the OCCT program to DirectX 9 mode for safe operation. The DirectX 11 setting either doesn't work at all or causes systems to become unstable. Luckily, DirectX 9 produces incredibly hot temperatures.

Functions	GPU	Package	VRM	Memory capacity	Power
Measurement	64°C	90, 1°C	81, 3°C	68, 5°C	103.3W
Compared to the maximum	98, 5%	100%	96, 0%	94, 2%	99, 6%

Every 15 seconds, someone in the world fires up OCCT. In order not to overload the PC and know its real capabilities, stress testing becomes a vital resource in the user's technical arsenal.