The recovery test loads every core for 15 seconds, idles for 45 seconds, then loads again for 15 seconds.
- The figure is the first 5 seconds of the second burst against the last 5 seconds of the first load, as a percentage.
- Well above 100% means the break let the machine boost again. Near 100% means it came back at its warm level. The result is read against the run's own noise.
- A browser reads no temperature, so this measures recovered performance, not degrees. How long a chip takes to cool in degrees depends on the cooler and the room.
The short answer
There is no single cool-down time for a CPU. A processor's temperature falls within seconds of the load stopping, but the heatsink, the heat pipes and the laptop's body hold heat for longer, and that stored heat decides how much boost is available next. The recovery test measures the part that matters for work: how much performance the machine has back after a fixed break.
How the test runs
It reuses the CPU stage's own workload, so its figures are in the same units as the main run. Nothing heavy runs during the idle break; the page draws only a countdown, and a hidden tab stops the countdown so the break is real.
- Reference: 15 seconds of full load. Its last 5 seconds are the warm level.
- Idle: 45 seconds of nothing. Our choice, and shorter than a real break, so a machine that needs longer reads as not recovered.
- Burst: 15 seconds of the same load. Its first 5 seconds against the warm level is the recovery figure.
- Settle time: the second at which the burst first reaches 95% of its own final level, reported only when that level holds steady.
Reading the result
A machine that recovers well gets its boost back after a short pause, which is what makes stop-and-start work such as compiling or exporting short clips feel quick. A machine that does not recover within the break is still carrying heat or is held at one level by its power setting; the shape is consistent with either, and a sensor tool confirms which. A gap smaller than the run's own noise is reported as within noise rather than as a difference.
Terms used here
Questions
- How long should I wait between stress test runs?
- Long enough for the machine to return to the state you want to measure. For a fair comparison, start each run from the same state: either from idle after the same break, or straight after the same load.
- Does the recovery test change my score?
- No. It runs on its own page, is not a stage of the Standard or Deep run, and contributes nothing to the score.