CPU Only: powerMAX With AVX Or SSE & Heavy Load
CPUID powerMAX
This combined CPU and GPU stress test wasn’t our first choice when it came to evaluating graphics cards. However, it does do a better job loading down host processors. Being able to switch easily between AVX and SSE code paths is also a definite plus. Download powerMAX here.
powerMAX With AVX
powerMAX tops out a bit below Prime95 with AVX, but it nearly matches the popular stress test's results. The loads powerMAX generates are well above average, making it a suitable tool for evaluating thermal solutions.
Conversely, you won't want to use it for stability-testing overclocked PCs operating close to their limits unless the goal is identifying temperature issues.
CPU Package(PECI) | Core Average | SensorSocket | Memory | CPU (Watts) | System (Watts) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Measurement | 79°C | 79°C | 98°C | 28°C | 160W | 232W |
Compared to Maximum | 90.8% | 91.9% | 93.3% | 77.8% | 93.0% | 92.1% |
Assessment | High package temperatureVery high socket temperatureSomewhat low memory temperatureVery high CPU and system power consumption | |||||
Use for | Cooling test for high-performance coolers |
powerMAX With SSE
On our test platform, utilizing the SSE code path resulted in temperatures that averaged ~10°C lower than before. System RAM was the exception; it actually heated up more than when we sent AVX instructions down the CPU's execution pipeline.
CPU Package(PECI) | Core Average | SensorSocket | Memory | CPU (Watts) | System (Watts) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Measurement | 69°C | 68°C | 98°C | 30°C | 132W | 191W |
Compared to Maximum | 79.3% | 79.1% | 93.3% | 83.3% | 76.7% | 75.8% |
Assessment | Medium package temperatureModerate memory temperatureMedium CPU and system power consumption | |||||
Use for | Stability test for overclocked systems |
Heavy Load
Heavy Load works if you're trying to generate a realistic CPU load and by realistic we mean the types of loads you'd encounter in a game applying average demands to your components. Running Heavy Load won’t tell you anything about your CPU cooler's limits. But it is a decent indicator of how a CPU might fare during everyday operation. It’s also safe to use on older or mobile hardware without worrying about breaking anything. In that sense, it's not really a conventional stress test. Download Heavy Load here.
What the CPU test actually does remains a developer secret. It doesn't seem to explicitly use modern instruction set extensions, though.
CPU Package(PECI) | Core Average | SensorSocket | Memory | CPU (Watts) | System (Watts) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Measurement | 58°C | 61°C | 60°C | 30°C | 105W | 156W |
Compared to Maximum | 66.7% | 70.9% | 57.1% | 83.3% | 61.0% | 61.9% |
Assessment | Low core and package temperatureModerate memory temperatureSomewhat low CPU and system power consumption | |||||
Use for | Stability test for low-end and older hardwareStability test for low-end mobile devicesSimulation of average everyday loads |
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I routinely check temperatures, loads and other info from my system. I also stress test with different CPU and GPU benchmark/stress test software. Thanks for the info. Page bookmarked.
Since most users test their rigs without a sense of scale for power and temperature, they can't compare apples to apples, especially when combined with major variables such as differences in ambient temperature, hardware configurations and software utilities. This article provides a perspective and some excellent comparisons.
The Intel Temperature Guide differs in its approach toward the topic of processor Core temperatures and cooling with respect to Intel's TDP specifications, and distinguishes between steady workloads for thermal testing versus fluctuating workloads for stability testing. Nevertheless, our results are very similar.
However, since Intel validates their thermal specifications at a steady 100% TDP, it's most appropriate to select utilities that don't overload or underload the CPU. The only utilities I've ever found that come as close as possible to 100% TDP are Prime95 v26.6 Small FFT's as a steady workload for thermal testing, and Asus RealBench as a fluctuating workload for stability testing.
Although the topic of Prime95 (with and without AVX) was covered, I would like to have seen RealBench included in your test suite,since it's widely accepted as an excellent utility for testing overall system stability, and uses a realistic AVX workload.
Otherwise, great work! I was very pleased to read this article!
CT :sol:
That's an awesome resource, CT!
Thermal compound. Why not? People have used condiments between their CPUs and their coolers.
Step 2 - Start the oven
Step 3 - Enjoy!
The benchmark:
The complete review was so funny, but it was never translated :(