Benchmark programs

Verifying what are the real performance of a computer is an operation that should be carried out at least once, to be able to understand if the PC just purchased is actually in step with the times or if the one already in use continues to perform as at the beginning. and able to withstand the daily work. The same applies when hardware changes are made. Contrary to what one might think, to carry out this type of test it is not necessary to turn to experts in the sector. In fact, it is enough to take advantage of the  programs for benchmarking and it is done.

What exactly am I talking about? I’ll explain it to you right away. With the term benchmark, we mean a set of software-level tests aimed at providing a measure, expressed in scores, of the performance of the computer with regard to the execution of this or that other operation. It should also be noted that the benchmark also allows you to determine the ability of the PC to perform a specific task it is in charge of in a more or less fast, precise and accurate way.

If everything is clear, what would you say to put the chatter aside and take the real action, going to find out what are the best software you have on your side for the purpose in question? Yup? Great. Position yourself comfortably and read what is reported below. You will find all herringbone in great detail in the following lines.

Index

• Free benchmark programs
  • Geekbench (Windows / macOS / Linux)
  • Cinebench (Windows / macOS)
  • Other free benchmark programs
• Video Card Benchmark Programs
  • Heaven (Windows / macOS / Linux)
  • OCCT (Windows)
  • Other video card benchmark programs

Free benchmark programs

Are you interested in understanding which are the best free benchmarking programs currently available on the market? Then test the ones I have reported below. They are available for both Windows and macOS , as well as Linux .

Geekbench (Windows / macOS / Linux)

The first of the benchmark programs I recommend you consider is  Geekbench . It is a universal benchmarking solution that allows you to test the performance of computers and mobile devices regardless of the operating system they are equipped with. It is in fact available for Windows, macOS and Linux and provides the same, convenient, ability to evaluate the status of the CPU and GPU on all platforms, without too many technicalities or graphics that are difficult to decipher. It is paid (it has prices starting from $ 9.99 per single license), but I still decided to tell you about it as you can try it for free for 30 days.

To download the program on your computer, go to its website and click the Download for Windows button  or the Download for macOS button , depending on the operating system you are using.

When the download is complete, if you are using Windows open the .exe file obtained and, in the window you see appear on the desktop, click on the Yes button  . Then click on the Next  and  I Agree buttons  , click again on the Next button  , then on the  Install button  and complete the setup by clicking on the Finish button  .

If, on the other hand, you are using macOS , open the .dmg package you just obtained and drag the Geekbench icon into the Applications folder on your computer, then right-click on it and select the Open item  twice in a row, to start the application, however, by going to circumvent Apple’s restrictions on unauthorized developers (this should only be done on first launch). Then press the Agree button  , in the window you see appear on the desktop, to accept the conditions of use of the software.

Now that, regardless of the operating system used, you see the Geekbench window on the screen, click on the Later button to start the free trial of the program, then press on the Run CPU Benchmark button  (to perform the tests on the CPU) or on the Run Compute button Benchmark (for testing on the GPU). On Mac, you must first select the CPU and Compute tabs  located on the left, respectively.

Once the test is complete, you will see its result appear in the browser window. If you want, you can also create a free account on the Geekbench site, by clicking on the Sign up button at the top, in order to save all the results of your tests and to be able to consult them later.

Cinebench (Windows / macOS)

Another benchmark program that in my opinion you would do well to consider is Cinebench . Using it, you can check the status of the CPU and graphics card in order to determine the suitability of your computer for video editing and / or digital graphics. It’s completely free, pretty simple to use, and it’s available for both Windows and macOS.

To download the program on your computer, go to its website , click on the Download from Maxon link on the right, then expand the Cinebench menu  , click on the Install Cinebench item  and choose the option from the I nstaller Cinebench Release xx menu Cinebench Rxx Offline Installer for Windows  or Cinebench Rxx Offline Installer for macOS , depending on the operating system used.

When the download is complete, if you are using Windows , extract the ZIP archive obtained in a folder of your choice, then start the .exe file contained within it. In the window that you see then appear on the desktop, click on the Run and  Accept buttons  .

If, on the other hand, you are using macOS , open the .dmg package obtained, open the folder inside it and drag the program icon into the Applications folder on your computer, then right-click on it and select Open twice in a row, in in such a way as to start the software, however, going around the limitations of Apple towards non-certified developers (an operation that must be performed only at the first start).

Now that you see the software window on the screen, press the Accept button and start the tests by pressing the Run buttons  that you find in correspondence with the OpenGL and CPU item at the top left.

Once the procedure is complete, the results of the tests will be shown to you in the Cinebench window and you can also compare your results with those of others, using the Ranking section  on the left.

Other free benchmark programs

None of the benchmark programs that I have already proposed has convinced you in a particular way and would you like to understand what are the alternative solutions you have from yours? I’ll settle you immediately! You can find them listed below.

• Novabench( Windows / macOS / Linux ) – totally free software available for all major computer operating systems that analyzes CPU, GPU, memory and disk speed. It is totally free and very simple to use: just press a button and wait for the result of the analysis.
• PassMark PerformanceTest( Windows ) – is one of the best benchmark programs available on the market, which contains in a single solution all the tools necessary to test the performance of the processor (performing mathematical operations, compressions, encrypting files, etc.), card graphics (2D and 3D graphics test), hard disk (read and write) and RAM (through various memory access operations). It is only for Windows and is paid (it costs 29 $), but it is available in a free trial version that allows you to test all its functions for a period of 30 days.
• HD Tune( Windows ) – this is a software that allows you to check the status and performance of hard drives, quickly and easily. Basically it is free, but to take advantage of all the available functions, including the benchmark on files, writing tests, saving log files, etc., you need to buy the user license (which costs € 24.95) .
• Blackmagic Disk Speed ​​Test( macOS ) – specific application for Apple computers that allows you to do only one thing, but to do it great: test the performance of the hard disk, both in reading and writing. It is totally free of charge.

Video Card Benchmark Programs

Now let’s move on to the video card benchmark programs , or those specifically designed to check the performance of the GPU. You will find listed below what I believe to be the most reliable in the category. They are available for Windows , macOS and Linux .

Heaven (Windows / macOS / Linux)

Heaven is arguably one of the best video card benchmarking programs out there. It works on Windows, macOS and Linux, allows you to stress the GPU, to check the stability of the hardware under load conditions by showing on the screen a fantastic village generated in real time with various techniques and to compare the results obtained with those of other video cards . Basically it is free, but eventually it is also available in some paid versions (with costs starting from $ 14.95) that include additional functions.

To download the program on your computer, connect to the Heaven website  and click on the Free Download button on the left.

When the download is complete, if you are using Windows , open the .exe file obtained and, in the window you see appear on the desktop, click on the Yes button . Then select the item I accept the agreement , click on the Next button four times in a row and press the Install and Finish buttons . After that, launch the program by double clicking on the shortcut that was added on the desktop.

If, on the other hand, you are using macOS , open the .dmg package obtained and drag the program icon inside it into the Mac Applications folder . Then right-click on it and select the Open item twice in a row, in order to go around the limitations imposed by Apple on non-certified developers (an operation that must be performed only in conjunction with the first execution).

Now that, regardless of the operating system, you see the program window on the screen, press the Agree button , select the preset you prefer from the appropriate menu located on the right or leave the Custom item selected and personally intervene on the menus below to adjust the settings of the stress test as you think is most appropriate.

Then, start the video card test by clicking on the Run button located at the bottom, wait for the relative animation to be shown on the screen and for the analysis to be completed, then you will be offered the response and you can find out what the performance of the your video card.

OCCT (Windows)

OCCT is another video card benchmarking tool that I want to tell you about. It allows you to test your computer’s GPU by carrying out customizable stress tests. It is very easy to use and is ideal for gamers, as it shows statistics related to the computer’s video card indicating data such as temperature, voltage, frequency, FPS, etc. Test results made with OCCT are saved in the form of graphs relating to FPS, frequency, and other properties of the GPU. It’s for Windows only and it’s free.

To download the program, connect to its website  and click on the OCCT Personal button .

When the download is complete, open the .exe file obtained and, in the window you see appear on the desktop, click on the Yes button  . Now that the software window is displayed on the screen, select the Test item in the left sidebar, then click on the 3D tab , adjust the options relating to error detection, shader complexity and graphics card usage limit and press on Play button at the bottom to start the test.

At the end of the process, you will be able to view the results of the analysis and the graphs provided that will be saved in the C: \ Users \ username \ Documents \ OCCT \ folder as images in PNG format.

Other video card benchmark programs

If you are looking for other benchmark programs through which you can check the actual performance of the video card in use on your computer, you can consider turning to alternative solutions part of the category that I have included in the list below.

• Valley( Windows / macOS / Linux ) – popular cross-platform tool to test the performance of the graphics card that proposes the vision of a forest surrounded by mountains. Basically it is free, but to take advantage of all the functions offered, it is necessary to lower to one of the paid versions (with prices starting from $ 19.95).
• BurnInTest( Windows / Linux ) – is a commercial software (costs 95 $), but also available in a trial version running for 30 days, which allows you to perform a stress test of the computer hardware components, including the graphics card, and to evaluate them the actual performance. It works on all the latest Windows operating systems, but also on Linux.
• 3DMark( Windows ) – is among the most popular programs for testing video card performance on Windows. It allows you to perform various stress tests, some of which also include the CPU. Basically it is free, but eventually it is available in a paid variant (which costs $ 29.99) that offers full access to all types of tests, from demos to DLSS 2.0 and Ray Tracing.
• FurMark( Windows ) – This is a GPU benchmarking software for OpenGL compatible cards. It can also be used to monitor the temperature. It is totally free of charge.