Compare/Native render benchmark
13 dimensions · 4 where Cinebench is stronger
SystemCheck vs Cinebench
SystemCheck: a no-install read on what a PC holds under sustained load, and why it fell. Cinebench: a precise, widely compared CPU number, and the workload itself if you render. Its extended run loads a CPU for longer than even our deep run.
SystemCheck
Browser stress test · free, no install
Cinebench
Native render benchmark
Dimension by dimension
What each tool is
SystemCheck is a browser-based stress test. It runs four stages (a 60-second sustained multi-core CPU load, a memory bandwidth and latency stage, a GPU raster load and a path-tracing load) in three minutes, with no install and no account for the core test. It reports throughput alongside decay and consistency over sustained load, rather than a single peak number, and it classifies the shape of the CPU curve to name why performance fell. It cannot read temperatures, power draw, fan speed or VRAM size, because the web platform exposes no API for any of them, and its results are directional rather than lab-grade.
Cinebench is a free benchmark from Maxon that measures CPU performance by rendering a scene using the production render engine behind Cinema 4D. It reports single-core and multi-core scores, runs on Windows and macOS, and is one of the most widely cited CPU benchmarks in hardware reviews. Recent versions added a GPU test built on Maxon's Redshift renderer.
Its central strength is that the workload is a real production renderer rather than a synthetic proxy. A Cinebench score is a direct statement about how fast the machine does actual rendering work, which makes it unusually meaningful for anyone whose work is rendering.
Cinebench is also commonly used for sustained-load testing, because it can be configured to run for a fixed extended duration rather than a single pass. Run that way it exercises a CPU for far longer than SystemCheck's 60-second stage, which makes it a better probe for slow thermal saturation on a large cooler.
Where Cinebench is stronger
These are the dimensions where Cinebench beats SystemCheck outright. Some are structural: a browser cannot reach hardware sensors at all.
- Cinebench is entirely free with no paid tier, where SystemCheck charges a one-time fee for its detailed report.
- Its workload is a real production render engine rather than a synthetic proxy, so the score means something concrete to anyone who renders for a living.
- It runs natively with no browser translation layer, so its numbers are more precise and more repeatable than a WebGL2 or Web Worker measurement.
- It can be configured to run for an extended fixed duration, which stresses a cooling system far longer than SystemCheck's 60-second CPU stage.
- It is a long-established reference in CPU reviews, so a score can be compared directly against published figures.
Where SystemCheck is stronger
- It names why. A looped Cinebench run shows the score falling; SystemCheck classifies the shape of that fall and states whether it looks like a power budget, cooling, or contention.
- Nothing to download, extract or run locally.
- Covers CPU and two distinct GPU workloads in a single three-minute session.
- Decay and consistency are reported outputs rather than something you infer by watching the score.
- Works on Linux, where Cinebench is not offered.
Which should you use?
Use Cinebench if…
Cinebench: a precise, widely compared CPU number, and the workload itself if you render. Its extended run loads a CPU for longer than even our deep run.
Use SystemCheck if…
Use SystemCheck when you want a quick combined CPU and GPU read without installing anything, when you are on Linux, or when the specific thing you want to see is how quickly performance falls away once load becomes sustained, expressed as a decay figure rather than a score you have to watch drift. It is also the one to reach for when the question is why a machine got slower: the report names the shape of the loss and puts the retest next to the run it is trying to beat.
Questions
- Is SystemCheck's CPU test the same as Cinebench's?
- No. Cinebench renders a scene with a production render engine. SystemCheck runs parallel synthetic workloads in Web Workers, chosen because they behave consistently across browsers. Cinebench's workload is more representative of real rendering; SystemCheck's is more portable.
- Which is better for testing a cooler?
- Cinebench, if you can install it. Configured for an extended run it loads the CPU for far longer than SystemCheck's 60-second stage, and large air or liquid coolers can take many minutes to reach steady state. SystemCheck will show you early decay, but it will not show you a slow thermal saturation curve.
- Can SystemCheck show me CPU temperatures during the run?
- No. No browser can. There is no web API for temperature, power or fan speed. Cinebench does not report them either; for that you need a separate hardware monitoring utility.
- Does SystemCheck test the GPU as well?
- Yes. SystemCheck runs a GPU raster stage and a path-tracing stage in addition to the CPU stage. Cinebench is primarily a CPU benchmark, though recent versions include a GPU test built on Maxon's Redshift renderer.