FutureMark 3DMark now includes stress testing options

What good is an expensive gaming computer if it crashes abruptly while gaming? Other than driver issues and general incompatibilities, the hardware itself may be at fault due to bad components or poor cooling systems. The popular 3DMark benchmark will now include integrated stress testing features to stress the hardware and to identify for any instabilities.

Stress testing components is highly recommended after upgrading or replacing key hardware such as the CPU, GPU, or RAM. This is especially true when overclocking hardware as the system may still crash or become damaged under stress even if it boots up smoothly.

The updated 3DMark software includes a total of four levels of stress testing based on the existing Sky Diver, Fire Strike, Fire Strike Extreme, and Fire Strike Ultra benchmarks. Each stress test will run in a loop without interruption. Owners of the Advanced Edition can set the exact number of loops while the Professional Edition can set loops for as many as 2 to 5000 users.

A "Frame Rate Stability Score" will be given at the end of the test where a higher score signifies more stable frame rates. A system will successfully complete the test if it returns a final stability score of at least 97 percent according to FutureMark standards. 

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