Intermittent error: Floating Point Addition

[mcrew]

I am testing a new Dell Vostro 1220 (Intel Core 2 Duo Processor P8700). The BIT produced a CPU error.

Test 1:
CPU 155 411 Billion FAIL 3 Incorrect 128bit (SIMD-SSE) floating point addition.

Test 2: CPU 159 561 Billion PASS 0 No errors

Test 3: CPU 162 947 Billion PASS 0 No errors

Should I be concerned about the first test error ?

Thanks.

[Ian (PassMark)]

Yes, it means that your CPU failed its maths test.

We have had some reports lately where certain XP device drivers are playing around with the SIMD modes, which causes application level errors for some of the SIMD CPU instructions.

If you are running XP, I would try the CPU test only. If this fails then you probably have a CPU fault, maybe heat related. If this passess, then you should try and work out which combination of tests provoke this problem (e.g. CPU + Sound or CPU+Network - these are the 2 combinations we have had reported). It the problem only happens with a combination of tests running at the same time, there it is more likely that it is the device driver at fault.

Regards,
Ian

[mcrew]

Combined Tests

I do not get an error with a CPU-only test, even at 88+ duty cycles.

I do not get an error with a CPU + Network test.

I do get an error with a CPU + Sound where the CPU duty cycle is above 80.

Does this confirm that the error is only with a device driver related to the sound card?

Therefore, there is no need to replace this PC because the same issue would occur with the replacement PC running the same driver?

Thanks.

Dell Vostro 1220, Intel Core 2 Duo Processor P8700
Windows XP SP3, 3g RAM

[David (PassMark)]

Therefore, there is no need to replace this PC because the same issue would occur with the replacement PC running the same driver?

Correct. We have seen this before. It is most likely a bug in the sound card's device driver software.

[mcrew]

Thanks for your assistance.

[David (PassMark)]

For future reference, do you happen to know what sound card / chipset is in this machine, or who is responsible for the device driver.

[mcrew]

Device is Conexant HD Audio
Chipset is unknown