To reproduce graphics and video in computer systems, special devices called graphics or video cards are used. But not every card can meet the requirements, for example, of the same computer games. How to check, so to speak, the pain threshold of a graphic chip. For this, the FurMark 1.17.0.0 application is useful. How to use this program or any other version of it will be discussed later. Let us make a reservation right away: do not think that this utility is a means of overclocking graphics accelerators. Further it will be clear why. Just look at the features of this application. And immediately it becomes clear what it is capable of.
Can I use FurMark and what is this program for?
The application itself, which has been released for quite some time, was initially planned to be released during development as a specialized tool for conducting so-called crash tests. What is this test? This is testing devices at maximum peak loads. An analogy can be made with car tests, only in this case the card is not subjected to such a load so that it fails.
How to use the FurMark program will be discussed later, but from the very beginning it should be understood that testing is not limited to video chips only. Based on the results of the check, you can even get information about whether the power supply selected for the computer matches, whether it is suitable for the normal and correct operation of some “iron” components.
FurMark app: how to use? Key features
It is believed that basically the application is designed to control the set temperature modes of the graphics accelerator, which, when playing games that use modern three-dimensional graphics with complex textures, has the property of heating. Thus, it is necessary to find out this very threshold, without bringing the card to failure.
Immediately I want to say that during the verification process, the system may shut down or perform a spontaneous reboot. But this is considered normal, but the power supply will have to be replaced, since the video card is corny lacking power.
Download, installation and support kit
Now a few words about how to use FurMark 1.9.2 or some other version. As expected, first you need to download the application from the official site or other resource, and then install it. Here, however, there is one very delicate point. The fact is that the automatic or manual update module in the program itself is missing initially. And each new version may contain some corrections or improvements. Therefore, you will have to download each newly appearing modification yourself, and install using uninstall previous versions.
Speaking about how to use FurMark, one can not fail to note the fact that the program supports full integration with tools such as GPU Burner, GPU-Z and GPU Shark (they are, in a sense, built into the program shell). They are useful for tracking changes in loads and parameters in real time.
Familiarity with the interface
Now directly on how to use FurMark. The first thing you should pay attention to the interface. Although it seems very simple, since it contains only one main working window, when choosing an action or test, you need to pay attention to some important nuances.
It is advisable not to set the temperature alarm in the settings to the maximum value. It is doubtful, of course, that in games the chip can flare up to 100 degrees, nevertheless it is recommended to set the Temperature alarm threshold at the level of 80-90 degrees.
Video Card Test Launch
How to use FurMark in terms of crash tests? Easy peasy! To do this, it is advisable to initially launch the built-in GPU Shark and GPU-Z, so that you can get a clear idea of the behavior of the graphics accelerator at different loads in real time.
Please note that if the card is currently at a standstill (without loading) the card is warmed up to 70 degrees and above, it is not recommended to start testing, since the device may simply fail.
Next, you need to set the value 8x MSAA for the anti-alias filter, select a screen resolution and, if necessary, check the box next to the log saving option.
To start testing, you just need to select the appropriate test mode and press the GO button. Be careful: during a stress test with a set maximum temperature, when it is reached, the test will not be stopped, and the accelerator will simply overheat. Perhaps the lack of automatic termination of the test is the biggest drawback of the application. As many experts recommend, during stress testing it is better not to leave the computer, and when the temperature reaches a critical value, the test should be stopped immediately, and on its own.
Validation Results
At the end of the test, the user will be presented with a full report on the results, in which both the parameters established and applied during the test are indicated. Since during the test you can observe the change in parameters in real time, in this case the report in terms of information content is purely nominal.
Conclusion
It remains to add that the use of this utility looks quite simple. However, do not forget about some of the nuances that were mentioned above. In particular, this applies to user-set peak temperature loads, as well as the choice of stress test mode. The rest of the difficulties, in theory, should not be. As for overclocking video cards, the program can be used solely as a means to determine whether the accelerator can withstand such loads, nothing more. Therefore, overclockers will need to use other utilities for overclocking or to produce it in a purely physical way, which in some ways resembles overclocking the central processor in the old fashioned way with a change in jumper settings.