I'm currently putting together a new computer and I'm curious about the relevance of stress tests these days. In the past, I've been advised to run something like Prime95 for around 24 hours to monitor temperatures and ensure that everything, especially the RAM, performs correctly. However, I won't be overclocking my CPU or GPU, but I do plan to utilize an EXPO profile for the RAM. I've heard that there might be better programs available now, as I haven't seen Prime95 mentioned much lately. I've come across names like 3DMark, Cinebench, and Heaven in other discussions. What do you all think? Are stress tests still a good practice, and which programs would you recommend?
4 Answers
Honestly, I wouldn't stress too much about it unless you're building for someone else. Nowadays, the quality control on parts is pretty solid. I usually run some quick benchmarks like Timespy just to see if my CPU and GPU scores match up with averages for similar setups, and then I call it good. If I'm worried about RAM, I might run a single pass of Memtest86 since RAM issues can be tricky, but otherwise, just build it and enjoy!
I say run Prime95 and Furmark for just 10-15 minutes. That’s plenty of time to check temps. If they’re all in a good range afterward, I think you’re set!
That sounds good—just enough time to catch any major issues. Thanks!
Just a heads-up: the longer thermal paste is subjected to high temps, the shorter its lifespan could be.
I'm using Honeywell PTM7950 for this build, mainly so I don't have to worry about it again.
24 hours is excessive! You really only need 10-15 minutes to get a feel for what's going on.
For my 24-hour runs, I had overclocking applied before, but I see your point. That’s a bit much for a standard assembly.
Why Memtest86 specifically for RAM? What makes it the go-to choice?