Re: Linux vs Windows temperature anomaly

[Horst von Brand <vonbrand@inf.utfsm.cl>]

Jonathan Lundell <linux@lundell-bros.com> said:
> We've been seeing a curious phenomenon on some PIII/ServerWorks 
> CNB30-LE systems.
> 
> The systems fail at relatively low temperatures. While the failures 
> are not specifically memory related (ECC errors are never a factor), 
> we have a memory test that's pretty good at triggering them. Data is 
> apparently getting corrupted on the front-side bus.
> 
> Here's the curious thing: when we run the same memory test on a 
> Windows 2000 system (same hardware; we just swap the disk), we can 
> run the ambient temperature up to 60C with no problem at all; the 
> test will run for days. (It occurred to us to try Win2K because the 
> hardware vendor was using it to test systems at temperature without 
> seeing problems.)
> 
> Swap in the Linux disk, and at that temperature it'll barely run at 
> all. The memory test fails quickly at 40C ambient.

Linux gives the hardware a _much_ harder workout than Windows.

My first PC was a P/100, overclocked to /120. WinNT worked fine, Linux
wouldn't even finish booting.
-- 
Dr. Horst H. von Brand                   User #22616 counter.li.org
Departamento de Informatica                     Fono: +56 32 654431
Universidad Tecnica Federico Santa Maria              +56 32 654239
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