How to test the computer or individual components?

Apart from the hobby, benchmarks can be the best tool for (timely) detection of errors in the computer or just to check if everything is in the best order. The process is very simple. You install a few programs, choose the right settings and wait for the program to do its thing. We also use them when we test computers or individual components. However, it is necessary to understand the final results, i.e. how the program got there, under what conditions, etc.

Testing with dedicated tools can be unrealistic or a poor representation of how the computer will behave in everyday tasks. Therefore, we usually separate testing into analysis with the (synthetic) programs below and into practical testing with programs and games launched by the average user. The results of the two approaches can be very different.

If you want to use the test results in the future for a "before-after" comparison, it's a good idea to test under conditions that you can easily recreate. It is recommended that you use a freshly installed Windows system that has less chance of unnecessary processes running in the background. If you are testing a laptop, it is recommended that you test with battery power and AC power separately. Typically, laptops also have various profiles for quiet operation and maximum performance, where the components behave differently - for example, the chip can be limited to a lower power, the performance curve of the fans is almost always completely different, and so on.

However, creating ideal conditions is not a reflection of how we actually use the computer. Our computers are full of programs, many processes are running in the background that we don't even know exist or that we have installed them over the years of regular use. For a more realistic display, test your computer under the conditions you use it on a daily basis.

Testing tools can also be helpful if you like to tweak your CPU, graphics card, and RAM. If you've changed the CPU's voltage and frequency, you'll want to make sure it stays stable under more demanding operation. The same with the graphics card and when turning on XMP in the BIOS to make the RAM work faster.

We need a data monitoring tool

Not all testing programs have built-in tools to monitor important component data, such as temperature. The Task Manager is a very basic tool that allows us to monitor the stress our components are under. But there are much better tools, you prefer to use task manager to kill programs/processes.

We will need more detailed information about frequencies, power consumption, temperature, voltage and more, which HWiNFO, MSI Afterburner and similar programs can display.

Some games have built-in handy tests with which we can easily check how well our computer will perform. For others, we will have to use programs that will show us the most important data during gameplay (fps, consumption, temperature, 1 % low...). OCAT is an open source program that has always proven to be reliable so far.

Processor testing. What to use?

The processor affects everything: how fast the system will work in general, the performance of games, general programs, how multitasking will be... Therefore, next to the graphics card, it is the most tested and compared component.

If you've spent half a grand on a processor, you're probably wondering if it's performing as expected. It's a good thing that we have quite a few programs available for testing the processor.

Cinebench 2024 - Single-core and multi-core performance

With processors, we're interested in what single-core and multi-core performance is like, and what that means for gaming performance. One of the most popular programs for this type of testing is Cinebench 2024.

Cinebench 2024 uses Redshift, the Cinema 4D rendering engine, to measure single-core and multi-core performance. It allows us to decide for ourselves whether we want to do a quick test or a longer test to test consistency or how stable the performance is. There's also a handy benchmark of peer and competitor processors, so you can instantly see if our processor is performing up to expectations. They also recently added support for new Arm processors, such as the Snapdragon X Elite.

PCMark - simulating everyday life

Another old-timer that has held its own over the years as one of the better CPU testing programs out there. PCMark is actually a collection of different tests that simulate everyday use, such as running office programs, browsing the web, streaming videos, and the like. It also shows CPU consumption, temperature and more.

Although there is a free version, the collection of tests is limited. Free tests are enough for undemanding testing and a quick comparison, but for something more serious you need to pay an extra 28 euros.

Prime95 - "Why Do You Torture Me"

Would you like to know where the upper limit of your processor is? If you would like to torture the processor, honestly stretch its circuits, then start the Prime95 program, before which all processors tremble. Not because they are not powerful enough, but because Prime95 runs unrealistic processes. There is only one goal - "Swissing" the processor. It is most often used to check if changes are stable when winding the processor.

We don't recommend it for use in mini PCs or basic laptops that have cooling systems too poor to handle such unexpected heating.

Blender is a better friend. It won't throttle the CPU, but it will still test multi-core performance well. PugetBench is suitable for performance testing in programs such as Photoshop and DaVinci Resolve.

Performance testing in games

For a good indication of how the processor and graphics card perform in games, we recommend that you test different genres. It is good to test them in newer, graphically demanding AAA games, such as Alan Wake 2 or Cyberpunk 2077, and some older ones, such as The Witcher 3 or Shadow of the Tomb Raider, which already have a convenient testing system built in. We recommend that you test at least one other arcade game (for example Forza) and a shooter/FPS (Valorant, Apex Legends, Call of Duty...).

Install MSI Afterburner, turn on an overlay with all the necessary information, and play the game as you would otherwise.

How to test a graphics card?

Gaming performance and video editing and rendering performance are two very different tasks. A graphics card can be great for gaming, but it doesn't deliver the same results when it comes to rendering.

3DMark is perhaps the most famous graphics card testing program, we also use it to test phones. Like PCMark, it's a suite of tests, including Time Spy and Firestrike modules, which are the most commonly used. The basic version is free, but for anything more you have to pay a good 30 euros.

FurMark is the same as Prime95, but for extreme graphics card testing. It's unnecessary in most cases, but it can be handy for quickly testing the graphics card to see if it's stable, if it's overheating quickly, etc. Not recommended for testing laptops and mini computers.

Cinebench 2024 recently gained the ability to test graphics cards, and you can also use Blender and V-Ray to test raytracing capabilities.

SSD, RAM and other components

To test drives, use CrystalDiskMark, which will show you read and write speeds. RAM will be more difficult to test. AIDA64 can show you its speeds and latency times, but there are no similar tools we know of for testing CPUs and graphics cards. To test the power supply, you will need a special dedicated tool, which is not found in every workshop.

If you're interested in how well or poorly your computer is performing, you now have all the tools you need.