Software environment:
1. operating system: Windows XP SP3 with no updates. If required some extra components are installed on a need for testing basis. Example Catalyst control center requires net framework 2.0. DirectX 9.0c latest SDK from June 2010.
2. monitoring software: everest 5.50 - old version that work just fine on any board I used it on starting from Abit AX5 up to Abit IX48 GT3 and any Windows version: 95 - XP; MSI afterburner 4.30 that works on any CPU including those without SSE such as Athlon 1400C; fraps 3.4.7 for backwards compatibility as it is the latest version that works on processors without SSE2; fraps 3.5.99 for pci-express platforms.
Please note that both afterburner and fraps are running at all times with fraps logging the frame-rate; after each test run I check the log for outliers - 0 FPS.
There is no automation - no Bench'emAll! - all tests are done manually, and afterwards afterburner and fraps log are checked against each other for inconsistencies.
3. all tests are repeated on secondary systems - that is, for example, a second Abit AV8 with another raptor, XP and software installed all over again. There must be no result between the "primary" and "secondary" system with a difference greater than 5% otherwise I scrap all results and start all over again like I did when I started with socket A back in 2018 bad screwed up the results with KW7/KT880.
4. and I forgot to mention that all systems are disconnected from the intranet during testing. Because my retro corner is only 4sqm I have to be creative and I use a TP-Link 851ND wireless adapter with an Atheros chip on all Windows XP/2000 machines.