How to Test Your Computer’s Performance? Best PC Benchmarking Software and Complete Guide
Have you recently bought a new PC, or have you bought some old parts from Facebook Marketplace and eBay?
Now the question on your mind must be “How do I know if everything is working properly?” (How do I know if everything is working properly?). This is where the role of Benchmark Software Testing comes into play.
With the help of these tools, you can compare the performance of your CPU, GPU, RAM, and SSD and know whether your system is running at its full potential or not. In this detailed article, we will discuss the best Benchmark for PC tools and how to use them.
Why Benchmark Software Testing Is Important for PC Performance
When you buy a new or old system, its external condition is not everything. The real thing is its internal performance.
With PC benchmark testing, you can get the following benefits:
- Performance Monitoring: Find out if your hardware is delivering the advertised speed.
- Stability Check: Is your computer crashing under load?
- Thermal Testing: Is your system overheating?
- Comparison: Compare your system’s score with other similar systems around the world.
Cinebench R23: Best CPU Benchmark Software
The CPU is the brain of your computer. Cinebench R23 is considered the most reliable benchmark worldwide for measuring its power.
How to use Cinebench R23?
This is a free software that tests your CPU through image rendering.
- Multi-core Test: It checks how much work all the cores of your processor can do together.
- Single-core Test: This shows the power of individual cores for gaming and general tasks.
- Stability Test: You can run a 10-30 minute stress test to check if the system is not overheating and shutting down.
- Pro Tip: Use HW Info or Hardware Monitor during the test so that you know the exact temperature.
Best GPU Benchmark Software for Graphics Card Performance
Whether you have an older GTX 1080 or a newer RTX 40 series card, you need to know its power. Superposition Benchmark is perfect for this task.
- 1080p Extreme Preset: We recommend running the test at this setting.
- Power Supply Check: This test checks the strength of your card as well as the power supply.
- Overclocking: If you have changed the settings of your card, run the benchmark again to see the difference.
Furthermore, Heaven Benchmark is great for gamers because it creates a gaming-like environment without installing a game and tests ray tracing and textures.
SSD Benchmark Software: Test Real Read and Write Speed
Many people buy cheap or fake SSDs that later slow down the system. CrystalDiskMark is a small and free PC benchmark tool that tells you the Read/Write speed of your drive in seconds. If the speed is much lower than the speed written on the box, then understand that there is a problem with your drive.
All-in-One PC Benchmark Software: PassMark and UserBenchmark
If you don’t want to download separate software, User Benchmark is a lightweight option. It tests your CPU, GPU, RAM, and disk in one go and gives you a report. However, if you want a professional guide, PassMark Performance Test is better. It gives your system a “Percentile” score. If your score is above 75%, your PC is in great shape. If it is below 25%, you need to upgrade your hardware.
Best CPU Stress Testing Software for Stability and Performance
Sometimes just the score is not enough, you need to see how the system behaves under constant load.
The following computer benchmark software are useful for this:
- Prime95 (The King of Stability Tests) This software uses each core of your CPU to 100%. If your PC can withstand it for an hour, it will never crash.
- AIDA64 This is a paid tool but is preferred by engineers and professionals because it reports on every single sensor in the system.
- FurMark (GPU Stress Test) If you are buying a used graphics card, then FurMark is a must. It heats up the card so much that if there is any problem with it, it will be revealed immediately.
Built-in Windows Tools to Test PC Performance
Did you know that there are some tools in Windows too?
- Task Manager: You can see the CPU and RAM usage in real time by going to the ‘Performance’ tab.
- Resource Monitor: This is a slightly advanced tool that tells you which file or service is slowing down your system.
PC Benchmark Software Comparison: Which Tool Should You Use?
Here are the best choices for your needs:
- CPU power Cinebench R23
- GPU/Gaming Superposition / 3DMar
- RAM error PassMark MemTest86
- SSD speed CrystalDiskMark
- Full system check NovaBench / UserBenchmark
- Extreme stress test Prime95 / FurMark
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can benchmark tests damage my PC?
No, usually not, but CPU stress software like Prime95 or FurMark can make the system very hot. If your cooling system is not good, be careful.
Are all these software free?
Yes, most tools like Cinebench, CrystalDiskMark and Superposition have free versions. Some features of AIDA64 and 3DMark require payment.
How often should I test my PC?
Once when you get a new PC, and then every 6 months or when you notice that the system is slowing down, Benchmark test for pc is a must.
These tools are essential to maintaining the health of your system. Whether you are looking for Free CPU benchmark or full Benchmark testing software free version, the list above is enough for you.
PC Benchmarking and Stress Testing: How to Test Your Computer to the Limit?
Have you ever wondered why someone would run software on their precious computer that could crash or overheat it? It may seem crazy, but for experts, it’s the best way to test stability. Stress testing reveals hidden weak points in your system that aren’t visible during normal use but could lead to data loss in the future.
The King of Heat: Why is Prime95 the Hottest?
If your goal is to see how much heat your CPU can produce, there’s no comparison to Prime95. This software solves complex mathematical problems on a data set so small that it fits directly into the CPU’s ‘On-die Cache‘. The result is that the system uses its full power without any bottleneck and can increase the temperature by up to 10 degrees.
Important note: A 15-minute Prime95 test if you are using an air cooler and 30 to 40 minutes if you have a water cooler (AIO) will give you an accurate idea of the thermal performance.
Is your computer stable? Linpack and stress testing
Heat alone is not everything. The real challenge is stability. Tools based on the Linpack library such as OCCT and IntelBurnTest are excellent for this.
The special thing about these tools is that they create sudden fluctuations in power consumption (Power Draw). These spikes test not only the CPU but also your motherboard’s VRMs and power supply. If your system can withstand these fluctuations, it will never cheat during gaming and video editing.
Intel vs AMD: Differences in Benchmarking
Research has shown that the two platforms respond differently to stress tests:
- Intel (12th Gen and newer): These processors are the best in performance but run very hot. Temperatures can reach up to 56 degrees (above ambient) when running tests on them.
- AMD Ryzen: They run relatively cool (about a 39 degree difference). Interestingly, tools like Ryzen Master don’t let the CPU get too hot to protect the hardware.
Real-World Testing for Professional Workloads
In addition to synthetic tools, you should also consider software that simulates heavy everyday tasks:
- Blender Render: It checks the system’s power for professional rendering.
- Cinebench R23: Running it continuously (Loop) is the best way to find out if your system is throttling during long work.
- PugetBench: If you are a video editor, there is no better test than this to show the performance of Adobe Premiere or After Effects.
Free monitoring tools you should have
Benchmarking is incomplete without data. Experts recommend using the following free tools:
- HWiNFO: It records data from every sensor on your system (temperature, voltage, clock speed).
- Generic Log Viewer: With its help, you can view the HWiNFO data in the form of graphs and compare different tests.
Summary and advice (Conclusion)
If you are a gamer, a 10 to 15 minute stress test is enough. But if you’re building a workstation machine that’s going to be rendering video for years, a 24- to 48-hour stress test will give you peace of mind that your system will never crash.