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Questions

Every question, answered once.

122 questions the site answers, each linked to the page that answers it at length.

The test

Is SystemCheck free?
Yes. Both the standard and the deep run, the plain-words verdict, the curve, the decay figures and the before/after comparison are free. A report unlock pays for the cause and the fix plan. Pricing →
Do I need to install anything or make an account?
No. The test runs in the browser tab with Web Workers and WebGL or WebGPU. Nothing is uploaded unless you ask for an emailed copy of the report. Privacy →
How long does it take?
The standard run is exactly three minutes across four stages. The deep run is exactly eight across seven: your screen, two and a half minutes of CPU load to reach thermal saturation, memory, the GPU pass looped three times, CPU and GPU together, path tracing, and a hot re-test. Both are the same length on every machine. Methodology →
Which processor should I pick?
The one in the machine. The browser cannot read its name, so the report is labelled with your choice from a catalogue of about 1,600 Intel, AMD, Apple and Qualcomm parts. On Windows, Ctrl+Shift+Esc → Performance → CPU shows it; on macOS, About This Mac. Run the test →
Does it work on a phone or tablet?
No. The test needs a desktop-class browser with Web Workers and a GPU backend, and a touch-first device is turned away at the gate rather than given a misleading number. Disclaimer →

Symptoms

What should I check first on a refurbished laptop?
In this order: that it holds its performance under sustained load, the battery cycle count, the drive's SMART hours, and then the physical items you can see. The first two are the expensive ones to get wrong and the ones a listing is least likely to describe honestly. Checking a refurbished laptop →
The seller said it was tested. Is that enough?
It depends entirely on what was tested. Most refurbishment testing confirms that a machine boots, that the ports work and that the drive is wiped. Almost none of it holds the processor at full load for three minutes, which is the only way tired cooling shows up. Checking a refurbished laptop →
It slows down but the listing said grade A. What now?
Grades describe cosmetics, not thermals, and an immaculate chassis says nothing about the paste under it. A measured curve is a concrete thing to put in front of a seller, and most reputable refurbishers would rather service it than take a return. Checking a refurbished laptop →
Everyone says it is my internet. How do I tell?
By the timing. Network problems are erratic: they come and go, and they do not care how long you have been on the call. A thermal limit is punctual, arriving at roughly the same point in every long call and never in a short one. If it is always the second half, suspect the machine. Video calls stutter →
Why does it only happen on long calls?
Because heat takes minutes to build. A ten-minute stand-up never gets there. An hour-long review does, and by then the machine has quietly stepped down to a level where real-time encoding no longer fits. Video calls stutter →
Does closing my camera help?
Often, and that is itself diagnostic. If turning the camera off recovers the call, you were short of processing headroom rather than bandwidth, which points back at the machine. Video calls stutter →
Is it safe to stress test a machine that already crashes?
A browser workload is lighter than a dedicated stress tool and stops when the tab does, so it is a gentler place to start than a power-virus utility. Even so, a machine that freezes from heat should be looked at physically before it is loaded repeatedly. It freezes under load →
How do I tell throttling from a real fault?
Throttling is graceful: the machine gets slower and keeps working, and the curve slopes. A fault is abrupt: the machine stops, reboots or shows a driver error, and there is often no slope at all before it. It freezes under load →
It only crashes in games, not here. Does that rule out hardware?
No. Games load the processor, the card, the memory and the power supply together, and a browser test is lighter on all four. A clean result here narrows the field; it does not clear the machine. It freezes under load →
Why is my computer fast at first and then slow?
The processor boosted, then hit a limit. If the limit was a power budget it stepped down once and held; if it was heat it slid gradually; if another program took the cores it became erratic. A sustained-load test shows which, because each has a different shape. PC slows down after a few minutes →
Is it thermal throttling?
Only if the curve slides. A single clean step is a power limit, not heat, and no amount of cooling changes it. The report names the shape and states how confident it is given the noise in the measurement. PC slows down after a few minutes →
What should I try first?
For a slide: clean the fans and check airflow. For a step: check the power plan and the vendor's performance mode. For erratic: open the task list and look for what is using the processor. Then run again; the report compares the two runs. PC slows down after a few minutes →
Can a browser test measure laptop temperature?
No, and any web page that shows a temperature is guessing. This test measures throughput over time; heat shows up as decay with a sliding shape. For the temperature itself use a monitoring tool with sensor access. Laptop overheating →
My laptop is hot but the test says it held. Is that possible?
Yes. A hot chassis with a curve that holds means the cooler is carrying the load; the heat is being moved, not accumulated. Warm is not the same as throttling. Laptop overheating →
Does a cooling pad fix overheating?
It helps a sliding curve, because a slide means the cooler is the limit and more airflow raises its ceiling. It does nothing for a stepped curve, which is a power limit. Run before and after; the report compares them. Laptop overheating →
How do I test if my CPU is throttling?
Run a sustained all-core load and watch throughput over time rather than a single score. If it falls after the first seconds and stays down, the chip is throttling; the shape of the fall says whether the cause is a power limit or heat. This test does exactly that in a browser tab. CPU throttling test →
What is the difference between power-limit and thermal throttling?
A power limit is a wattage or current ceiling set in firmware: the chip drops to it in one step once its boost window closes. Thermal throttling is the chip stepping down progressively as its temperature rises: a slide. The fixes are different, which is why the report names the kind. CPU throttling test →
Is 10% decay bad?
Under about 5% is normal. Around 10% on a laptop is common and usually a power limit. Above 15% with a sliding shape means cooling is the limit. The report puts the figure next to the shape so the number is read correctly. CPU throttling test →
Why does my FPS drop after 10 minutes?
One of the two chips reached a limit and stepped down. The test runs each under sustained load and shows which lost performance and how: a slide is heat, a step is a power limit, noise is another program. The fix depends on which chip and which shape. FPS drops over time →
Is it my CPU or my GPU?
The report gives both a decay figure. The one that fell is the one to look at; if the CPU held and the GPU decayed, the card's cooling is the place to start, and the other way round. FPS drops over time →
Can I fix FPS drops without new hardware?
Often. A sliding curve responds to cleaning, paste and airflow. A stepped curve responds to a power limit or a performance mode. An erratic curve responds to closing whatever else is running. The before/after comparison shows whether the change worked. FPS drops over time →
Why is my laptop so slow on battery?
Most laptops switch to a lower sustained power limit on battery to protect the cell and extend runtime. The performance loss is the size of that limit. Run the test once plugged in and once on battery; the report compares the two and states the difference. Laptop slow on battery →
Can I make my laptop as fast on battery as plugged in?
Usually not fully. The vendor's power tool can raise the battery limit at the cost of runtime and heat. The comparison shows how much a setting change recovered. Laptop slow on battery →
Does the test drain the battery?
A standard run uses a few percent on most laptops; the report states how much. A deep run uses proportionally more. Laptop slow on battery →
Why is my new PC slower than it should be?
Three causes cover most cases: a motherboard power limit lower than the chip can use, a memory kit running at its fallback speed, or a cooler that is not seated. Each shows differently in the test: a step, low bandwidth, or a slide. New PC underperforming →
How do I know if my RAM is running at the right speed?
The memory stage reports bandwidth from one thread and from all threads. Enable the kit's rated profile in the BIOS and run again; the report compares the two runs and the bandwidth figure moves if the profile took effect. New PC underperforming →
Should I be worried about a single step down?
No. A step is a power limit, which on a new build is usually the board's default. Raising it is a BIOS setting. A slide is the one to act on. New PC underperforming →
How do I know if my PC is throttling?
Run a sustained load and watch throughput over time. If it falls after the first seconds and stays down, the chip is throttling. This test does that in a browser tab and states the answer in words on the first screen of the report. Is my PC throttling? →
Is throttling bad?
Not by itself. A single step to a power limit is the design of almost every laptop. A slide that loses a fifth of the machine's performance is cooling that needs attention. The report distinguishes the two. Is my PC throttling? →
Do I need to install anything?
No. The test runs in the browser with nothing installed and nothing uploaded unless you ask for an emailed copy of the report. Is my PC throttling? →

For you

Why does my FPS drop after a few minutes of playing?
Almost always one of two things: the processor or graphics card reached a power or temperature limit and stepped its clock down, or something else is now sharing the cores. A sustained-load test separates the two: a limit shows as a curve with a shape, contention shows as noise. The report names which. Gamers →
Can a browser test measure gaming performance?
It measures the thing that decides gaming performance over time, which is how much of its peak a machine holds when hot. It cannot measure a specific game's frame rate; use the game's own counter for that and this test for why the counter fell. Gamers →
Should I run on battery or plugged in?
Plugged in, unless you play on battery. On battery most laptops apply a lower power limit, and the report flags a run on battery so the two are never compared as equals. Gamers →
Can I run this on every machine that comes through?
Yes. There is nothing to install, nothing to uninstall afterwards, and no account, so it does not add a step to the wipe-and-reimage routine. Open the browser, run it, and the machine you hand over is exactly as you imaged it. Refurbishers and resellers →
Does a good result actually help me sell?
It changes what the listing is arguing about. “Runs great” is a claim; a report a buyer can open on their own phone and read for themselves is evidence. It is most valuable on the machines that are genuinely good, which are the ones currently being priced as though they might not be. Refurbishers and resellers →
What should I do about a machine that fails?
Look at the shape before you write it off. A steady slide is usually thermal paste and dust, which is cheap to fix and turns a marginal unit into a good one. A sawtooth or a cliff is a cooling fault, and those are worth diagnosing before you spend money on parts. Refurbishers and resellers →
Will a buyer trust a test I ran myself?
More than they trust an adjective you wrote yourself. It is a report generated by a third party, in plain words, that they can open without installing anything. It does not make you unimpeachable; it moves the conversation from what you say to what the machine did. Selling a laptop privately →
What if the result is bad?
Then you have found out before your buyer did. A disclosed flaw costs you some of the price; an undisclosed one costs you the sale, the return, and the rating. Selling a laptop privately →
Is it free?
Running the test is free, both lengths. A report unlock is optional and is about getting the cause and the fix plan; the curve and the headline figures you would want for a listing do not need it. Selling a laptop privately →
Why not just use the tools I already have?
Keep them. This one has a specific property they do not: the customer can open the result themselves, on their own phone, and read it in plain words. It is not a better measurement than a sensor log. It is a more explainable one. Repair shops →
Can I run it on a machine I have not imaged yet?
Yes, that is the point of it running in a browser. Nothing is installed and nothing is left behind, so an intake test does not change the state of a machine you may need to hand back untouched. Repair shops →
Does it work on a machine that will not hold a charge?
Run it plugged in. On battery most machines apply a lower power limit and the report flags that, so a battery run and a mains run are never compared as if they were the same test. Repair shops →
How do I use this across hundreds of machines without an agent?
Most teams do it as part of something a person is already doing at the desk: a support visit, an OS upgrade, a hardware refresh survey. It costs the technician three minutes and no install, which is usually the difference between a check that happens and one that does not. Fleets and contact centres →
Our machines are all the same age. Why would they differ?
Because ageing is environmental, not chronological. Dust, ambient temperature, how a desk is positioned, whether a vent has been against a partition for two years. Identical purchase orders produce very different machines by year three, and the spread is the useful signal. Fleets and contact centres →
Is a low score a reason to replace a machine?
Not on its own, and this is the mistake worth avoiding. A machine that slides badly is often a machine that needs an hour of cleaning, which is far cheaper than a replacement. Look at the shape first: a slide is usually serviceable, a hard limit usually is not. Fleets and contact centres →
Is my laptop faulty, or is it just hot here?
Run the same test twice: once at the coolest hour you can manage, once in the heat of the afternoon. A machine that holds up in the morning and slides in the afternoon is not faulty, it is thermally limited by the room. A machine that slides in both is worth opening up. Hot rooms and hot countries →
Does a cooling pad actually help?
Sometimes, and this will tell you whether it did on your machine rather than in general. Run it once without, once with, and compare the settled level. That is a real answer for your laptop instead of an argument in a forum thread. Hot rooms and hot countries →
Should I just use it on battery to keep it cooler?
No. On battery most machines drop their power limit, so you get a cooler machine that is slower for a different reason, and the report flags battery runs precisely so the two are never confused. Hot rooms and hot countries →
Can I run this on a university-managed laptop?
Usually yes, because there is nothing to install. It runs in the browser tab, which is why it works on machines where you are not an administrator and cannot approve software. Students →
Is a second-hand laptop a bad idea?
Not at all, and the test exists partly to make second-hand buying safer. A used machine that holds its performance is often better value than a new budget one that does not. Test before the return window closes. Students →
The result looks bad. Do I need a new laptop?
Check the shape first. A steady slide is very often dust and old thermal paste on a machine that has had three years of student life, and cleaning it costs almost nothing compared with replacing it. Students →
Can I run this on a locked-down work laptop?
Usually, because there is nothing to install and nothing to approve. It runs in a browser tab. Company policy is still company policy, but a web page does not need administrator rights. Remote and hybrid workers →
How do I make IT take this seriously?
Send the report link rather than a description. “Slow in the afternoons” is a feeling; a curve showing the machine holding barely half of its opening throughput after three minutes is a measurement, and service desks are built to act on measurements. Remote and hybrid workers →
Is it my laptop or the video call software?
Run the test with everything closed. If the machine slides on its own, the machine is the limit and the software is only the first thing to notice. If it is flat, look at the software and the network. Remote and hybrid workers →
Is my laptop throttling?
Run the test with the laptop plugged in and quiet. If throughput falls more than about 15% from its first five seconds to its last and the curve slides rather than steps, the cooling is limiting it. A clean single step is a power limit, which is normal. Laptop owners →
Why is my laptop slower on battery?
Most laptops switch to a lower sustained power limit on battery to protect the cell. The report flags a run on battery; run once plugged in and once not, and the before/after comparison shows the size of the gap on your machine. Laptop owners →
Does a laptop cooling pad help?
It helps when the curve is a slide, because a slide means the cooler is the limit. It does nothing for a step, because a step is a wattage limit set in firmware. The shape tells you whether to spend the money. Laptop owners →
Why does my export slow down partway through?
The machine reached a sustained limit, thermal or power, and settled at a lower level than it started at. The test's curve shows when that happened and which kind of limit it was. If the curve is noisy rather than shaped, something else is competing for the cores during the export. Video and photo editors →
Is memory bandwidth important for editing?
Yes, for anything that streams large frames or raw files. The memory stage reports bandwidth from one thread and from all threads, and the latency to memory and to cache, so a slow or single-channel memory configuration shows up. Video and photo editors →
Can this test my GPU encoder?
No. The GPU stages load the raster pipeline and a path tracer, which tells you whether the card holds its performance under sustained load. Encoder throughput needs the editing application's own benchmark. Video and photo editors →
Why is my build slower than the benchmark suggests?
Build times reflect sustained all-core throughput and memory latency, not the single-core boost most benchmarks headline. The test reports both, and the curve shows whether the machine holds its all-core level for the length of a build or steps down after the boost window. Developers →
Can I use this to compare two machines?
Yes, on the measured figures: sustained throughput, decay, memory bandwidth and latency, frame time. Run each machine twice so the report can state the spread; a difference inside the spread is noise. Developers →
Does Docker or a VM affect the result?
Anything using the cores during the run lowers throughput and raises noise, and the report flags starved workers when it can see it. Quit what you can before a baseline, then run again with the usual load to measure the cost of it. Developers →
Does it need admin rights or an install?
No. It runs in the browser tab with Web Workers and WebGL or WebGPU. A strict content security policy can block workers, in which case the report says it fell back to a single-core measurement rather than reporting a wrong number. IT and support teams →
Can users share the result with us?
The report prints to PDF, and where the deployment has email configured the user can send themselves a link. The link opens the same report, with the measurements and the diagnosis. IT and support teams →
Will a security agent affect the result?
If it uses the cores during the run, yes: throughput falls and noise rises, and the report flags starved workers when the effect is large. Comparing against a known-clean machine of the same model isolates the agent's cost. IT and support teams →
How do I test a used laptop before buying?
Open systemcheck.live/benchmark-test in the seller's browser, plug the laptop in, close other windows, and run the standard test. Read the first screen: is the cooling good, and what is the machine good for. A slide or a large decay figure means the cooling needs work. Buying a used PC →
Can I run it without installing anything on their machine?
Yes. It runs entirely in the browser tab, stores nothing on the machine unless you ask for a saved run, and leaves nothing behind when the tab closes. Buying a used PC →
What decay figure is acceptable on a used machine?
Under about 5% is normal for a healthy machine. Between 5 and 15% is a laptop doing what laptops do, or a desktop with a modest cooler. Above 15% with a sliding curve, the cooling is the limit and the machine will need attention. Buying a used PC →
How do I check a new PC build is cooling properly?
Run the deep test. A healthy build holds within a few percent of its peak for three minutes. A curve that slides is a cooler or airflow problem; a curve that steps once is a power limit, which may be the board's default rather than a fault. New PC builds →
How can I tell if my RAM is running at the right speed?
The memory stage reports bandwidth from one thread and from all threads. A kit running at its fallback speed shows markedly lower bandwidth than the same kit at its rated profile; compare against the figure after enabling the profile in the BIOS. New PC builds →
Should I save the first run?
Yes. The browser keeps the last five reports, and any later run on the same processor is compared against the previous one, curve over curve. The first run on a new build is the baseline every change is measured against. New PC builds →

Guides

Can SystemCheck tell me my CPU temperature?
No. Browsers expose no temperature API, so no browser-based tool can read your thermal sensors. SystemCheck infers thermal behaviour from throughput decay over a sustained load. For actual degrees Celsius, use HWiNFO64, HWMonitor, or your vendor's utility. How to diagnose and fix thermal throttling →
Is thermal throttling damaging my CPU?
No. Throttling is the protection mechanism that prevents damage. Modern chips are designed to run at their temperature limit indefinitely. Sustained high temperatures accelerate the ageing of the thermal interface material and nearby components, but the chip itself is not being harmed by hitting the limit its firmware enforces. How to diagnose and fix thermal throttling →
What decay percentage is normal?
Under 5% is normal on a well-cooled desktop. 5-15% is expected on laptops and small-form-factor builds. Above 15% indicates cooling is the limiting factor, and above 30% usually means a specific fault such as blocked airflow or degraded thermal paste. How to diagnose and fix thermal throttling →
My decay is high but the machine feels fast. Should I care?
Only if your workloads are long. Decay is invisible in short bursts: browsing, launching applications, compiling a small project. It becomes the dominant factor in video export, long compiles, extended gaming sessions, and anything else that keeps the chip loaded for minutes at a time. How to diagnose and fix thermal throttling →
How many times should I run a benchmark?
Three, with a couple of minutes of idle between runs so the machine starts from a comparable thermal state. If the three results fall inside a 3% band, the middle one represents your machine. If they are spread wider than that, the environment is unstable and the results should not be used for comparison. How to read a benchmark result without fooling yourself →
Why is my score lower than someone with the same CPU?
Cooling, power limits, background load, browser, and GPU backend all move results, and identical part numbers do not imply identical sustained behaviour. A laptop and a desktop with the same CPU model can differ by 40% or more in sustained throughput because their power budgets are different. How to read a benchmark result without fooling yourself →
Should I use peak or sustained throughput to compare machines?
Sustained, unless your actual workloads are all short bursts. Peak measures the best few seconds under ideal thermal conditions; sustained measures the equilibrium the machine settles into, which is where any workload longer than about ten seconds spends its time. How to read a benchmark result without fooling yourself →
Is having a bottleneck bad?
No. Every system is limited by something; a bottleneck simply names which component sets the ceiling. It only becomes a problem when the imbalance is large enough that one component is substantially idle while the other is saturated, or when the limiting component is not the one you paid to prioritise. How to tell whether your CPU or GPU is the bottleneck →
Can a browser benchmark detect my GPU utilisation?
No. There is no web API for GPU utilisation, VRAM capacity, or power draw. SystemCheck derives its bottleneck indication by measuring CPU and GPU throughput separately under calibrated loads and comparing them, not by reading utilisation counters. For real-time utilisation, use MSI Afterburner or your vendor's overlay. How to tell whether your CPU or GPU is the bottleneck →
Why does my bottleneck change between games?
Because it is a property of the workload, not of the machine. A strategy game simulating thousands of units is CPU-heavy; the same PC running a graphically dense shooter at 4K is GPU-heavy. Resolution alone shifts the balance point, which is why the resolution test works. How to tell whether your CPU or GPU is the bottleneck →
Is undervolting risky?
It carries no risk of hardware damage, because you are reducing voltage rather than increasing it. The risk is instability: too aggressive an offset causes crashes or errors under load. Move in small steps, validate each one under a sustained load, and back off one step from the first instability you see. How to improve sustained performance, not just peak scores →
Why would lowering a power limit make my machine faster?
Because frequency versus power is non-linear at the top of the curve, and the last few hundred megahertz can cost a third of total package power. A chip pushed there heats fast, throttles, and settles below where a capped chip would have held steadily. You lose a little peak and gain sustained throughput. How to improve sustained performance, not just peak scores →
How much sustained performance can I gain without buying anything?
It depends entirely on how the machine was set up, but airflow, fan curves, power plans, and background contention together account for the majority of real-world sustained shortfalls. Machines that have been in service for a few years without maintenance are where the largest free gains live. How to improve sustained performance, not just peak scores →
Can a browser benchmark read my CPU temperature?
No. There is no thermal sensor API on the web platform, in any browser, with any permission. SystemCheck infers thermal behaviour from throughput decay under sustained load and says so explicitly. Any browser tool that displays a temperature in degrees is estimating or fabricating it. How accurate is a browser benchmark, really? →
Why do I get different scores in Chrome and Firefox?
Different JavaScript engines make different JIT decisions, and the browsers may select different GPU backends and driver paths. Double-digit percentage differences on the same hardware are normal. Cross-browser comparison is not a hardware comparison. Hold the browser constant when comparing machines. How accurate is a browser benchmark, really? →
Is a browser benchmark accurate enough to be useful?
For relative measurement on one machine, yes. Sustained throughput, decay, and consistency are measured directly and repeat reliably under controlled conditions. For absolute hardware capability or cross-machine ranking, treat the result as directional and use a native benchmark when precision matters. How accurate is a browser benchmark, really? →
Why not just build a native app instead?
Native tools already exist and are better at absolute measurement, and SystemCheck points to them where they are the right answer. What a browser adds is that it requires no download, no elevated privileges, and no trust decision about running an unfamiliar binary, which for many people is the difference between measuring and guessing. How accurate is a browser benchmark, really? →
Are peak benchmark scores useless?
No, they accurately describe short, bursty workloads, which is a large share of interactive computing. They become misleading when used to predict long workloads, because the machine leaves the boost window and never returns to it during the job. Why peak benchmarks mislead →
How long does a benchmark need to run to be meaningful?
Long enough for the system to reach thermal and power equilibrium, which on most machines takes between thirty seconds and two minutes of genuinely saturating load. A measurement that ends before equilibrium is measuring the boost policy, not the sustained capability. Why peak benchmarks mislead →
Will browsers ever expose temperature sensors?
It is unlikely. Sensor access is a fingerprinting surface and a side-channel risk, and the platform's consistent direction has been to reduce rather than expand hardware-identifying APIs. Assume it will not happen and plan measurement around behaviour instead. What browser benchmarks can and cannot measure →
Can a web page tell how much VRAM my GPU has?
No. WebGPU exposes adapter limits, which are specification-defined ceilings a device must meet, not the physical memory installed on the card. A page cannot distinguish an 8GB card from a 24GB one on that basis. What browser benchmarks can and cannot measure →
If a browser cannot read temperature, how does SystemCheck report thermal behaviour?
By measuring throughput continuously under sustained load and reporting how far it decays from its early peak. Decay is a behavioural consequence of thermal and power limiting. It tells you the machine slowed and by how much; it does not tell you what temperature it reached. What browser benchmarks can and cannot measure →
Does SystemCheck measure my temperature to calculate decay?
No. Decay is computed entirely from throughput over time. Browsers expose no thermal sensor API, so no web page can read temperature. Decay is a behavioural proxy for thermal and power limiting, and SystemCheck reports it as exactly that. Thermal decay, explained →
What decay percentage should I aim for?
Aim for high sustained throughput rather than for a low decay percentage. Under 5% is typical on a well-cooled desktop and 5-15% is normal on laptops, but a low ratio achieved by starting slower is not an improvement. Compare absolute sustained throughput before and after any change. Thermal decay, explained →
My decay is high only on battery. Why?
That is a power limit rather than a thermal one. Many laptops enforce a substantially lower sustained power budget on battery, and the signature is a fast drop to a hard plateau within seconds rather than a gradual slope. Cooling changes will not affect it; plugging in will. Thermal decay, explained →

Against other tools

Is SystemCheck a replacement for UserBenchmark?
No. They answer different questions. UserBenchmark inventories a Windows system and places each part against a large database. SystemCheck measures how a system behaves across roughly three minutes of sustained CPU and GPU load, in a browser, on any desktop OS. If you want a component inventory, UserBenchmark is the right tool. SystemCheck vs UserBenchmark →
Why does SystemCheck not test storage?
Because a browser cannot measure it meaningfully. There is no web API for raw disk throughput, and anything we reported would be an artefact of the browser's storage layer rather than the drive. We would rather omit a number than publish a misleading one. Memory is different: workers streaming large arrays and a pointer chase through a shuffled one do measure bandwidth and round-trip latency, so the memory stage reports those, unscored. SystemCheck vs UserBenchmark →
Does SystemCheck need a download?
No. SystemCheck runs entirely in the browser tab and requires no account to run the core four-stage test. UserBenchmark requires downloading and running a Windows executable. SystemCheck vs UserBenchmark →
Can SystemCheck tell me my exact CPU or GPU model?
Not reliably. Browsers deliberately mask detailed hardware identifiers to limit fingerprinting, so what SystemCheck sees is an approximate renderer string. A native tool like UserBenchmark is much better at this. SystemCheck vs UserBenchmark →
Is SystemCheck as accurate as 3DMark?
No, and it does not claim to be. 3DMark runs natively against the graphics driver; SystemCheck runs through a browser's WebGL2 implementation, which adds a translation layer and makes results sensitive to browser version and background activity. SystemCheck results are directional. For a defensible figure, use 3DMark. SystemCheck vs 3DMark →
Can SystemCheck show my GPU temperature like 3DMark does?
No. The web platform exposes no API for temperature, power draw, fan speed or VRAM size, so no browser-based tool can report them. If you need to see the thermal curve, you need a native tool. SystemCheck vs 3DMark →
Why use SystemCheck at all if 3DMark exists?
Access. 3DMark requires a Windows machine, a multi-gigabyte install and, for most of its tests, a purchase. SystemCheck needs a browser tab and about three minutes, which makes it usable on machines and operating systems where 3DMark is not an option. SystemCheck vs 3DMark →
Does 3DMark also measure sustained performance?
Yes. It includes a stress test mode that loops a scene and reports a frame-rate stability percentage, and it charts hardware telemetry alongside it. Sustained measurement is not something SystemCheck does and 3DMark does not. SystemCheck's difference is that it does it without an install. SystemCheck vs 3DMark →
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. SystemCheck vs Cinebench →
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. SystemCheck vs Cinebench →
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. SystemCheck vs Cinebench →
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. SystemCheck vs Cinebench →
Does SystemCheck work on a phone?
No. SystemCheck requires a desktop or laptop browser with WebGL2 and does not support mobile in v1. Geekbench has Android and iOS applications and is the right tool for a phone or tablet. SystemCheck vs Geekbench →
Why does SystemCheck report decay when Geekbench does not?
They are answering different questions. Geekbench's workloads are short by design, which makes them a clean measure of peak capability. SystemCheck holds a multi-core load for 60 seconds specifically to see how much of that peak survives, which is a different and narrower thing to measure. SystemCheck vs Geekbench →
Are SystemCheck and Geekbench scores comparable?
No. They use different workloads on different scales, and SystemCheck runs through a browser while Geekbench runs natively. Neither score converts into the other. SystemCheck vs Geekbench →
Which one should I trust for a purchase decision?
Geekbench, generally. Its database is large enough to place almost any device, and its native measurement is more precise. SystemCheck is more useful after the purchase, for checking that the machine in front of you behaves the way its class should under load. SystemCheck vs Geekbench →
Does SystemCheck test storage and memory like PassMark does?
No. A browser has no API for raw disk throughput or memory bandwidth, so any figure SystemCheck published would reflect the JavaScript engine rather than the hardware. If storage or memory is what you need measured, use PerformanceTest. SystemCheck vs PassMark PerformanceTest →
Is SystemCheck free?
The four-stage benchmark is free to run and needs no account. The detailed report is a one-time paid unlock. PassMark PerformanceTest is a paid licence with a time-limited trial. SystemCheck vs PassMark PerformanceTest →
Which has the better comparison data?
PassMark, without question. Its baseline database has been accumulating for many years and its component charts are widely referenced. SystemCheck is new and its result history is correspondingly small. SystemCheck vs PassMark PerformanceTest →
Does PassMark measure sustained load?
PerformanceTest's tests are throughput measurements rather than soak tests. PassMark's separate BurnInTest product is the one aimed at sustained stability testing. SystemCheck reports decay across a sustained load as part of its standard result. SystemCheck vs PassMark PerformanceTest →

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