In this guide, we’ve given you a rundown on the best tools to use to stress test your PC.
If you’ve just built your computer, overclocked any of your components, or you are having problems with an aging system, stress testing your PC will give you a good idea of whether or not your computer is stable and, if it isn’t, where the problem might be coming from.
In this guide, we’re going to give you our choice for the best software to use to stress test your system’s components, including the best CPU stress tests, the best RAM stress tests, and the best GPU stress tests.
We’ve also included a number of hardware monitoring tools that you can use to monitor how your system is behaving during the stress tests as well.
Table of Contents
When/Why to Stress Test Your PC?
- 🛠️ After building a new PC
- 🚀 After overclocking any of your hardware
- 🌡️ To check thermal performance
- 🔎 Verifying system reliability
- 🩺 Diagnosing instability issues
Stress testing is not risk-free. Always monitor temps and know when to stop.
Hardware Monitoring Tools to Use While Stress Testing
While running stress tests on your system, it’s a good idea to monitor your system’s temperature and load levels. The following tools can be used in unison with the benchmarks listed below in order to give you more information while you benchmark your computer.
1. HWiNFO64
HWiNFO64 is one of the more advanced hardware monitoring tools out there as it allows you to monitor multiple core components in your system.
With HWiNFO64 you can track temperatures and other information on your CPU, GPU, RAM, and motherboard, as well as track fan speeds, component loads, and plenty more.
2. HWMonitor
HWMonitor is a lightweight hardware monitoring tool that tracks temperatures, voltages, fan speeds, and power usage across your system. It’s widely trusted for its accuracy and simplicity, making it ideal for stress testing and everyday monitoring.
The interface is straightforward, showing real-time sensor data without unnecessary clutter. Whether you’re overclocking, troubleshooting, or just checking your system’s health, HWMonitor gives you the vital information you need at a glance.
3. MSI Afterburner
MSI Afterburner is another graphics card hardware monitoring tool. However, it dubs itself as being a graphics card ‘utility tool’ because of all of the other features it comes with.
Along with being able to provide you with much of the same information that other monitoring tools offer you, MSI Afterburner will also let you overclock your GPU, set custom fan profiles, run in-game benchmarks, and even record gameplay video or take in-game screenshots. Like Core Temp and GPU-Z, MSI Afterburner it is free to use.
4. Core Temp
Core Temp is a nice lightweight CPU monitoring tool that will provide you with real-time CPU temperature readings and load percentages on your processor.
If you have an Intel processor, Core Temp will also provide readings for the temperature and load on each individual core on your CPU. However, for AMD temperatures it just shows a single temperature for the entire CPU.
CPU Stress Testing Tools
If you’re looking to stress test your CPU, whether to check how stable your processor is running after overclocking it or to check and see if there is a cooling issue on your CPU, the tools listed below will help you get the information you need.
1. Prime95
Prime95 was developed by GIMPS, a computing project aimed at finding new Mersenne prime numbers (any prime number that can be the result of the equation: 2n − 1).
However, while Prime95 was originally intended to find Mersenne prime numbers, the torture test that is included in the program (which helps ensure correct operation when searching for Mersenne prime numbers) has been adopted by many hardware enthusiasts to help them stress test their processor (and memory)—especially after overclocking their CPU and memory.
2. Aida64
Aida64 is another CPU stress test tool that a lot of users prefer over Prime95. Whereas Prime95’s torture test can push your processor to operate in an unrealistic manner, Aida64 takes a more practical approach by mimicking real-world processes that place a 100% load on your processor to test how it will hold up.
The only problem with Aida64 is that it isn’t free. For a basic license (that can be used on up to 3 computers), Aida64 costs $34.99 which, while not expensive, is probably not an ideal option for the majority of users who will only use the stress test a handful of times. There is a 30-day free trial, though, so if you only need to use it right now then you won’t have to pay for it.
3. OCCT
If you’re looking for a powerful all-in-one stree testing application for your PC, then perhaps no option is better than OCCT. OCCT can not only stress test your CPU, GPU, RAM, VRAM, and power supply, but it also provides a benchmarking utility as well. It also utilizes HWiNFO64 as well, so you can use it to monitor your hardware, too.
The downside is that the free version of OCCT is a bit limited, as you are limited to how many tests you can run in a given time frame and how long of tests you can run. For ~$5 per month, though, you can bypass those limitations.
Of course, you can use a combination of the tools on this list to match what OCCT can do for free. But, if you want the convenience of using only one program and you’re doing serious performance tuning, the small monthly cost might be worth it for you.
4. Cinebench
Cinebench is a benchmarking tool that measures your CPU’s rendering performance using a real-world 3D workload based on Cinema 4D. It’s a good way to test both single-core and multi-core performance under heavy load.
The software is simple to use and offers options to run quick tests or loop benchmarks for extended stress testing. Whether you’re overclocking or simply comparing CPUs, Cinebench provides reliable results.
RAM Stress Testing Tools
For those of you that are looking to stress test your system’s memory, either to diagnose any issues that may be going on with your RAM or to check for stability after overclocking, the tools listed below will work for you.
1. TestMem5
TestMem5 is a customizable tool for stress testing your system’s RAM. It’s widely trusted by overclockers and enthusiasts for its ability to quickly detect memory errors that other tools might miss.
With community-created configuration profiles, you can tailor the test to be even more aggressive for high-performance memory tuning. Its simple interface and fast testing cycles make it an essential utility for ensuring RAM stability.
2. Karhu RAM Test
Karhu RAM Test is a premium memory stability tool designed for deep, accurate stress testing of your system’s RAM. It’s especially popular among overclockers for its ability to uncover memory errors quickly and reliably during tuning.
The tool is easy to use, with a clean interface and minimal setup required to start testing. Although it’s a paid program, its speed, accuracy, and reliability make it a worthwhile investment for serious system builders.
3. MemTest86
MemTest86 is a standalone memory testing tool that boots from a USB drive and operates outside of your operating system. It performs deep, low-level testing to uncover memory errors that could cause crashes, data corruption, or instability.
MemTest86 is trusted for diagnosing defective RAM and validating memory configurations after a system build. Its thorough testing process can take several hours but provides some of the most reliable results available.
GPU Stress Testing Tools
For GPU stress testing, the benchmarks listed below will give you a variety of options that will push your GPU to the max.
1. 3DMark
3DMark is another commonly used GPU stress testing tool that can be used on a variety of devices (PCs, laptops, phones, tablets, etc.). 3DMark also monitors the clock speed, framerate, load, and temperatures during each benchmark as well.
There is a basic edition of 3DMark that is free to use, but the full version will run you ~$30 on Steam.
2. OCCT 3D Adaptive Heaven / Superposition
Uningine’s Heaven & Valley benchmark tests are some of the more popular options to stress test your graphics card, either after overclocking it and testing for stability, or just as a synthetic benchmark to see how your graphics card performs.
Unigine’s newer Superposition benchmark is worth considering as well, especially if you’re looking for a GPU benchmark that has VR features included in it.
3. OCCT 3D Adaptive
OCCT’s 3D Adaptive test is a highly customizable tool for stress testing graphics cards under different APIs like DirectX and OpenCL. It pushes your GPU to high utilization while monitoring temperatures, power draw, and errors in real time.
Built-in error detection makes it valuable for spotting instability or hardware faults during heavy loads. OCCT’s flexibility and built-in monitoring tools make it one of the most comprehensive GPU testing utilities available.
4. FurMark
FurMark is a common GPU stress test option that is worth noting. However, FurMark doesn’t get a lot of love among hardware enthusiasts as it has been known to put an unrealistic amount of stress on your graphics card.
FurMark can be used for short periods of times, but probably isn’t the best overall option for stress testing your graphics card.
Full-System or Mixed Stress Tests
If you want to stress test your entire system, the tools below are built for the job. Full-system stress tests are great for validating new builds or troubleshooting random system instability.
1. Y-cruncher
Y-cruncher is an extremely demanding computational tool that calculates Pi to billions of digits, placing intense simultaneous load on your CPU and RAM. It’s widely used by overclockers to validate hardware stability during heavy mixed workloads.
Unlike synthetic stress tests, Y-cruncher mimics real-world computational strain that can reveal subtle errors or weaknesses. Its ability to scale across multiple cores and threads makes it perfect for testing both high-end and mainstream systems.
2. HeavyLoad
HeavyLoad is a simple, user-friendly program that can stress test your entire system, including CPU, RAM, hard drives, and network resources. It’s ideal for simulating high-load conditions to ensure stability in everyday usage scenarios.
Unlike torture-test tools, HeavyLoad allows you to selectively stress specific components, making it safer for general diagnostics. Its lightweight footprint and customizable options make it a great choice for casual users and IT technicians alike.
Final Thoughts
While all of the stress test tools mentioned above can work for you, the reality is that your best bet for stress testing your system is to use multiple stress tests tools. If you’re looking for the most information possible, running multiple stress tests will give you the best idea of how the components in your system will hold up in extreme real-world scenarios.
