If you're looking for the best CPU stress test, we've got you covered right here.
For those of you who have built their own rig or want to overclock any of your components, it pays to stress test your CPU to make sure it can handle everything you throw at it.
Stress testing does have some risks, as we're sure you're aware of, so keep in mind that pushing your components beyond their factory limitations can put them at risk of damage.
That's why we've done some of the research for you to help point you in the right direction.
Best CPU Stress Test Tools
IntelBurn
IntelBurn is a common stress testing tool used to test your CPU.
It uses an extremely stressful program by Intel named Linpack designed to push your CPU to the absolute limit.
You can download the IntelBurn test here.
Prime95
A free tool that can be used for stress-testing your CPU and RAM. It's been a popular tool for PC builders and overclockers.
It works by feeding the CPU with constant workload and uses all the cores of any multi-core system to make sure it's a very high load stress test situation.
You can download Prime95 here.
Cinebench
Cinebench is available for Mac OS & Windows and is a good stress test tool for both your CPU and GPU.
It works by bombarding your computer with a photo-realistic 3D scene test, plus various algorithms to ensure its putting as much stress on the CPU as possible.
You can download Cinebench here.
Aida64
If some of the other stress tests sounded somewhat far-fetched, then Aida64 could be a good option for more 'realistic' scenarios.
This stress test tool recreates real-world processes that put maximum load on your CPU so you can see how it handles it.
It's not free, but you do get a 30-day free trial though.
You can download Aida64 here.
System Monitoring
Stress testing is all well and good, but you'll also need a tool to monitor exactly what's going on.
Some of these picks, like Aida64, actually have the ability to measure component temperatures bundled into the software, but others may not.
To reduce the risk of burning out your components, we'd highly recommend using a monitoring tool, like HWMonitor or CoreTemp.
Frequently Asked Question About CPU Stress Testing
If you're on the fence about stress testing your CPU, you're not alone. There are some risks involved that you'll want to do your best to mitigate and there's more than a few questions that need answers before you go ahead.
Is CPU a good stress test?
It is a good stress test in some ways, but apart from more 'real-world' testing options out there, it can push your CPU above and beyond what it'll likely encounter.
Because stress testing raises the temperature of your CPU considerably, some more than others, in fact, they're good when you're checking your current thermal solutions, such as thermal paste or cooling.
If you're testing hardware of pre-built PCs it can be worth it too, if you want to review the product for instance.
Keep in mind that many of these pre-builds will have gone through a burn-in period, where they do their own testing to ensure the components will work when under a heavy load.
Is Prime95 good for CPU testing?
Prime95 is a popular option for stress testing CPUs, however, it was actually created to find prime Mersenne prime numbers.
As with any stress test, opinion is hugely divided, but the Prime95 still appears to be a popular choice to stress test their CPUs and RAM.
How hot should your CPU get during a stress test?
CPU stress tests produce higher temperatures as we've mentioned, so to avoid damage you'll want to monitor closely.
The general consensus is that around 70 C is okay, with the max being around the 85 C mark.
How safe you play it is entirely up to you, however!