Here at Enthusiast Review, we’re dedicated to making sure you have all the information you need about GPUs. On some days, we focus on big questions, like “what is the best graphics card?”…and on others, like today, we focus on GPU stress tests.
Today we’re going to explain all about checklists, including what they are, why you need them, which ones to use and how to run one yourself.
What is a GPU stress test?
A GPU stress test is an application that puts your graphics card under heavy load and full utilization of its processing power. It pushes the car to its absolute limits by using all of the electrical power available to it, all while pushing the cooling and temperatures as far as they can go.
In most cases, games aren’t going to be stressful enough for your GPU. They may push it to its limits, but they won’t do so in a way that risks crashing your computer or overheating it.
Video card stress tests are used to ensure that video cards can handle intensive usage without overheating or crashing. The only way to pass the test is for there to be no issues during normal or intensive usage.
For people who are trying to find a stable overclock, these tests are particularly useful. You’ll sometimes hear them called graphics card stability tests because they’re used so often when you are trying to figure out why your computer isn’t working right after you upgrade components.
How can I stress test the rest of my PC?
However, the GPU isn’t the only component that’s stress tested. Other common candidates for stress testing include the CPU and Best RAM. Or even testing your true storage speeds.
If you want to test your CPU, we recommend using CrystalDiskMark, Aida64, or Furmark. RAM can be tested with Memtest86, which is ideal for diagnosing RAM problems. To make sure your storage is working correctly and at full speed, check out CrystalDiskMark.
But we’re going to be focusing on stress-testing the GPU and teaching you everything you need to know about doing so.
How to monitor my GPU during a stress test?
There are plenty of software options available for monitoring your hardware during any usage. We recommend you use Rivatuner, which is free to download and install, or if you have Nvidia or AMD software, they both come with performance overlays that you can use.
You typically only need to worry about two readings: GPU temperature and GPU usage. During a GPU stress test, you should expect temperatures to go as high as 90°C (194°F), with GPU usage spiking to 100%.
If your graphics card’s core temperature goes over 90 degrees Celsius, be cautious. You may be overheating your graphics card past its limits, and doing this for an extended amount of time may damage your graphics card. Something you wouldn’t want to have to happen in a GPU test.
When your temps are too high, consider boosting your fan speeds or turning down your GPU clock. If a GPU is particularly old, it might need active underclocking to prevent overheating and instability.
Tools to stress test your GPU
In this article, we’re going to give you three of the best GPU stress tests. Whether you need to test an Nvidia card or an AMD card, you can use one or all of these—if you choose just one, however, we recommend FurMark.
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