**Stress Testing CPUs: A Comparative Analysis of AMD and Intel Processors**

As we delved into the world of CPU stress testing, it became apparent that both AMD and Intel processors have their strengths and weaknesses when it comes to handling thermal and power loads. In this article, we will explore our stress test results and provide a comprehensive analysis of the performance and stability of each processor.

**Temperature Comparison**

One of the most striking differences between AMD and Intel processors is their temperature performance. During our testing, AMD ran much cooler overall with Delta Ts, peaking at just 39 degrees compared to Intel's 56. This significant difference in temperature can have a profound impact on system performance and longevity. While Intel's higher temperatures may not be as detrimental, they do indicate that the processor is working harder to maintain its clock speed.

**Thermal Stress Results**

In our thermal stress tests, Prime95 emerged as the top performer, with AIDA64 FPU coming in close second. However, the middle of the chart showed a more consistent decline, with a spread of about 10 degrees. This suggests that AMD processors may not be able to maintain their clock speed as well under heavy thermal loads. Ryzen Master, an overclocking tool, was left at the bottom of the list, which may indicate that AMD doesn't want users to cook their CPUs.

**Power Draw and Stability**

When it comes to power draw, both AMD and Intel processors performed admirably. However, our Linpack load results showed some interesting trends. OCCT Linpack 2021 revealed a power draw porcupine with 35-watt spikes occurring roughly six times per minute. This suggests that the processor is experiencing intermittent clock drops and huge swings in power draw. Linux, on the other hand, was very stable, with verystable clock speeds and only minor fluctuations in power draw.

**Synthetic Load Testing**

For synthetic load testing, Linpack Extreme and PugetBench were excellent choices. A continuous Cinebench run followed by a few rounds of PugetBench would be an ideal test sequence for users serious about CPU performance. These tools can help identify potential issues with thermal management and power draw.

**Logging and Reviewing Data**

To log and review our data, we use two free tools: HWiNFO and Generic Log Viewer. HWiNFO allows us to log all sensor data, while Generic Log Viewer provides a perfect tool for quickly and easily charting that data and comparing against other runs. These tools are essential for analyzing stress test results and identifying trends.

**Sponsor Spotlight**

Our sponsor, Micro Center, is one of the best places to shop for desktops, laptops, computer components, monitors, TV, networking equipment, and all your technology needs. With great prices and a wide selection, Micro Center has 25 locations across the U.S. New customers can check out the MSI Sword, a powerful laptop featuring an Intel Core i7 11800H processor, Video RTX 3050 Ti graphics, 16 gigs of DDR4 RAM, a 512 gig SSD, and a 17.3-inch 144Hz IPS display. Plus, the MSI Center app helps users easily control and customize their laptop for different use cases.

**Conclusion**

In conclusion, our stress test results have provided valuable insights into the performance and stability of AMD and Intel processors. While both processors have their strengths and weaknesses, it's clear that AMD processors require more careful handling when it comes to thermal management. By using a combination of synthetic load testing tools and logging and reviewing data, users can identify potential issues and optimize their system for maximum performance.

**Additional Resources**

If you're interested in learning more about stress testing CPUs or want to explore other topics in computer hardware, be sure to check out our sponsor, WholeRoom Water Cooling. Their stress test on us was a fun challenge!

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en- Why would anyone run an appthat is specifically designedto crash their computer?(bomb exploding)That's a good question.And I have some pretty good answers.Stress testing applicationscan make your computer overheator even outright crash, but in doing so,they can also reveal weakpoints in your systemthat could have led to bigger problems,like instability or even data loss.But of all the options out therefor CPU stress or burn applications,which one is actually goingto hit your CPU the hardest?The answer, spoiler alert, is Prime95at least in terms of heat.But the whole story is a lotmore complicated than that.And we just couldn't tell itwithout our sponsor, CableMod.CableMod allows you topersonalize the look of your PCwith custom colored sleeved cables.Try out their configuratorto build your cablesexactly how you want themwith their realistic cable preview.We're gonna have the link down below.Like test driving a vehicle,stress testing is an important partof savvy PC shopping and maintenance,but, let's say you havenever done it before.You head on over to Google,smash in some keywords and,oh, that's a lot of options.You got your Blender, CinebenchR20 and Cinebench R23,OCCT, Prime95, CPUexpert, HeavyLoad, Linux,Intel XTU, Ryzen Master, IntelBurnTest,AIDA64, Linpack Xtreme. (gasps)And that's all just for the CPU.The unfortunate reality is thatthere is no silver bullet best test,and depending on your hardware, softwareand what you're trying to accomplish,you could end up withcompletely different answers.So yeah, we spoiled the conclusion.Prime95 runs the hottest, but even then,which of the 5 tests, 10, ifyou include the AVX2 checkbox,should you run?To find out, we built up two identical PCswith just two differences,motherboard and CPU.Here's the thing, wesuspected that team blueand team red might behave differentlyunder extreme conditionsand we're really glad we tested bothbecause they absolutely did.On both platforms though,we also locked our CPU clock speeds,core voltages and fan speeds,leaving just our CPU temperaturesas our stress indicator.Time to show them the graphs.- Give them the graph, editor.- Intel first, two testsdidn't work at all.Ryzen Master, we saw that one coming.And Intel Extreme Tuning Utility.We didn't see that one coming.It ended up ever ring outthe same way in Windows 11that we saw in our recentDragon Canyon NUC video.Among the tests that did work,Prime95 small FFT stood absolutely alone,beating out the next highestscore by 10 freaking degrees.There just no other way to put this.We did not believe our results.So thinking that maybe Intel'sturbo boost power managementwas banging up the othertests or something.We reran the entiresuite with our voltagesand our clock speeds back to stock.And to say I'm shockedwould be putting it mildly.It was like witnessing a brutalbeat down in slow motion.Again, we have some theories here,but first, let's get tothe rest of the results.Our 10 middle performershad just a 6 degree overall spread.Then we had our underperformers.IntelBurnTest, CPU-Zand OCCT's CPU largedataset extreme benchmark.At this point, you can probably seewhy we declared Prime95 best in heatbut looking at thermals alonewould be a huge mistake.Check out the heat profileand power consumption profileof Prime95 small FFT.Huge spikes, then theyjust hold indefinitely.It achieves this by repeatedly performingdemanding mathematical calculations,but on a data set that's so small,it fits right in the CPU's on die cache.No bottlenecks, maximum burke.But obviously, no real worldapplication behaves like that.Even notoriously demandingprofessional workloadslike CPU Rendering and Blenderor video encoding will generatevery different profiles.So if I was validating a thermal designfor a demanding client,and I wanted to see anabsolute worst case scenario,Prime95 needs to be part of my toolkit.But if I care more about stabilityin real world applications,I need to look elsewhere.Enter Linpack, the most used stabilitystress testing tool of all time.It was originally createdfor use on supercomputersin the 1970s.And in a nutshell, it's a software librarythat performs linear algebra,this equation specifically, on repeatand it still behaves the same way today,except it's been rehashed multiple timesto keep up with modern computers,which is pretty important consideringthat it was written in Fortran,a code language that is so old,it was originally input via punch cards.Fun fact, by the way,because Linpack is alibrary not an application,it's easy for developers to integrate itinto their own test suites.And six of the tests we usedare actually Linpack based,but even then, not all tests are equalbecause there aremultiple Linpack versions.And any of those can becombined with other methodsto create a complete hodge-podge of stressfor your poor CPU.This is what a Linpack load looks likeon our thermal graphs.A spikey wave gets producedas each equation is solved,then there's a brief pausebetween calculations.And now that we knowthis, it's really easyto spot this shape in manyof the tests that we ran.Now, if we switch fromtemperature to power consumption,we see, well, the same thing.These swings in power are reallytough on not just your CPUbut also your motherboardVRMs and your power supply,which is a perfect combinationfor evaluating stability.Which we're definitely gonna check outon AMD's new 3D V-Cache CPUs.So get subscribed so you don't miss it.Also, buy a shirt ora water bottle. Ha ha.lttstore.com.On that note, let's takea look at our AMD results.Here, we didn't see anythingthat seemed anomalous.So we left our voltagesand clock speeds lockedper our original test methodology.To start with, AMD ran muchcooler overall with Delta Ts.So that's the temperature differencebetween ambient and our CPU,peaking at just 39 degreescompared to Intel's 56.Man, 12th gen performsbut, Lord, is it ever hot?Now, Prime95 still cameon top for thermal stressbut only barely, just halfa degree behind was AIDA64.Then, the middle of our chartdoesn't have the sameflat middle zone as Intel.Instead, there's afairly consistent declinewith a spread of about 10 degrees.Note by the way, thatRyzen Master did run,but it's right near the bottomof these thermal stress loads.We don't know for sure why that would be,but my tin foil hat says that maybe AMDdoesn't want you to cook your CPU.I don't know though.Even ignoring Ryzen Master,we can draw some interestingconclusions here.If you wanna hit it hard,it's Prime95 for maximum heat outputwith AIDA 64 FPU as a close runner-up.(man laughs)As for stability, while we already learnedthat this is not what we're looking for.We want a rapidly oscillating power load.So let's have a look atone of our Linpack loads,OCCT Linpack 2021.And oof, look at that powerdraw porcupine right there.35 watts spikes, roughlysix times per minute.How about Linux?Again, very nice, verystable clock speeds,which we expect since we locked it,but we still saw someintermittent clock dropsand huge swings in powerdrop from 82 watts,all the way to 170 watts.This is probably the bestexample we could have hoped forto show you why you need to testwith multiple pieces of software.Every one of these is a valid partof your stress test tool kit.Yet, each is different.Sitting down and inspectingthese results though,lead to some pretty tidy conclusionsfor you to take with you.If you wanna get in and out quickly,Prime95 is gonna give youthermal results on airin about 15 minutes andon an AIO water coolerin about 30 to 40 minutes.As for stability, aLinpack load like Linux,OCCT Linpack or a LinpackExtreme are the best bangfor your time bucks.Unfortunately for those ones,I can't give you a firm guidelinefor how long you need to run them though,because it comes downto personal preference.For a gaming test bench,I might be comfortable with 10 minutes,but for a video editing workstationthat I want years of service from,24 to 48 hours isn't out of the question.Also, none of these synthetic loadsexcuse ignoring real world ones.If you've got the time andif you're serious about it,a Blender Render or acontinuous Cinebench run,followed by a few rounds of PugetBenchwould absolutely be a good idea.Now, it may not be common knowledge,but the tools that we use tolog and review our data todayare both free for personal use,HWiNFO and Generic Log Viewer.And you can check them out at the linksin the video description.HWiNFO allows you tolog all your sensor datawhile Generic Log Viewergives you a perfect toolfor quickly and easily charting that dataand comparing against other runs.What I hope is common knowledgethough, is our sponsor.Micro Center.Micro Center is one ofthe best places to shopfor desktops, laptops,computer components, monitor,TV, networking equipment, andall your technology needs.They've got great pricesand great selectionand 25 locations across the U.S.You can check out the MSISword, 17.3 inch gaming laptopat Micro Center, featuringan Intel Core I7 11800Hand Video RTX 3050 Ti graphics,16 gigs of DDR4 RAM, a 512 gig SSD,and of course, a 17.3inch 144Hz IPS display.Plus, the MSI Center apphelps you easily controland customize your laptopfor different use cases,like battery saving orextreme performance.New Micro Center customerscan check the linkin the video description for a coupon codefor a free 240 gig SSD,no purchase necessary.Offer valid in-store only.Thanks for watching.If you're interestedin this sort of thing,why not check out WholeRoom Water Cooling.That was a stress test on us.Ha ha. That's very funny.I like your joke that you wrote.(upbeat music)\n"