shuckyshabazz said:
hey Gvblake how do I use super pi also how do I know if everything is stable ?
With super pi, you just download it
HERE and unzip it to its own folder and then just doubleclick the .exe file and go to "Calculate" on the file menu and then select 1M from the dropdown menu for a quick test or select 32M for a more thurough test.
Just boot into windows with your overclocked settings and run each of these different tests. Some take longer than others so doing the shorter tests first is always nice because if they fail, then you know right away something is not stable without having to wait through a 24 hour test (will explain in a second...).
I usually start with super pi and then 3Dmark01 or 3Dmark03 (or both) to test for initial stability. 3Dmark01 is nice because you can loop it for as long as you want which will stress the system that much more. If it passes all that without crashing or freezing then I usually go to prime95 and run the "Blend" test. Make sure you keep an eye on your temperatures during the Prime95 testing as they will undoubtedly get very high; anything above 50 degrees C is undesireable and you should either lower your overclock speed or voltage (or both) or get better cooling before going any further.
Now, this next part will probably be the source of some arguments or disagreement, but I usually try to shoot for letting P95 run for a full 24 hours. Yep, thats right, a whole day. You can still use your computer while it is testing, it will just be a little slower because the processor is constantly at 100% load trying to complete endless calculations without errors. I have actually had P95 fail after 18 hours of testing (only once) so basically the longer you can let it run for, the better; but there is not really a need to run it for more than 24 hours.
If P95 fails with an error, then something about your overclock is unstable (not enough voltage, speed too fast, RAM timings not good). So when a stability test fails, it is back to the drawing board to try a different setting. This is where the tricky part comes in. I have found it helpful to keep a little journal and write down every setting you test and the scores you get on the tests that way you know if you are wasting your time with a slower overclock or so you don't repeat testing at certain settings you have already tested to be unstable or so you can go back the most stable/fastest settings you have found so far.
If a test fails and you had just changed RAM timings or the FSB, I would then suggest rebooting and testing those same settings in Memtest86 (which thuroughly tests only your memory) and see if the memory is unstable. If Memtest loops through a few times (it usually takes about 15 minutes per loop for all 7 or 8 tests or however many there are) and there are no errors, then you can zero in on the CPU or motherboard chipset being unstable or overheating. If memtest has errors anywere, you know that you need to tweak the memory in order to regain stability (if infact your CPU is stable and your memory is not).
Also, sometimes the CPU, chipset, and memory will be at unstable settings and that (obviously) requires much more setting changes and testing.
Basically, it is a seemingly never-ending test for stability at every combination of RAM/CPU/Chipset timings, voltages, and speeds to find your maximum overclock that doesn't overheat. It takes a long time (as you can imagine from reading this) and you just need to be patient and don't push it and make big jumps. Just change only ONE THING at a time in small increments so you know exactly what created stability or instability when testing that setting. Just be patient and keep your little journal and you'll be an OC master in no time
The Definitive Guide to Stability Testing
Good Luck and
WELCOME TO THE FORUMS!!! 
