Stability testing

A stability test is essentially a stress test for a software program, central processing unit, or computer component such as a video card. The idea is to stress the component to the maximum to determine how well it performs under pressure, and to establish performance parameters. There are a number of uses for stability testing, ranging from routine testing conducted during product development to tests conducted by overclockers to explore the limitations of their systems before they start making modifications.

In a stability test, a component is pushed to the point of crashing to learn where its limitations are. Stability testing can also be used to determine how long a component can operate under high stress, and at what point errors other than a total crash start to occur. A number of computer programs are designed to be used in stability testing, with people loading the software onto their computer and allowing it to run the testing, and people can also conduct tests manually.

Stability testing is a very important part of product development. It is used to determine the limitations of a product before it is released, and to identify areas which may need improvement or modification before product release. The stability test is also part of the quality assurance testing used to show stockholders the capabilities of the product, and to assure them that the product is being meticulously tested before it goes to market.