It's always good to to occasionally test your PC to see how it's performing and to make sure things are working properly. The following list of benchmarks and tests lists a great collection of software that you can use to put your system through its paces.
Note: Unless specified, every software listed is currently free to download.
CPU
Testing
OCCT
OCCT is a popular option for testing all sorts of different hardware, and it's great for running a basic stability test. You can download OCCT here: https://www.ocbase.com/download/edition:Personal. That test should last about an hour and usually checks for CPU errors, so if it finds one it'll tell you.
You can set OCCT for whatever you like, but the most effective test is to set OCCT as follows:
CPU TEST ONLY
Mode: EXTREME
Load Type: Variable
Instruction Set: Auto
Prime95
If you want a more, CPU-specific, straight-up stress test, Prime95 is a solid option. This runs continuously, checking the calculations are within certain parameters while they are in progress and comparing your computer's final results to results that are known to be correct. Prime95 is a great test for stability.
The Prime95 team recommends running the test for at least six hours--you can get away with a minimum of two hours. You can download that for free here: https://www.mersenne.org/download/.
Once you download and extract Prime95, you'll get this message. Select "Just Stress Testing".
It'll show you an options prompt once you select "Just Stress Testing". Leave everything as is and run the test.
Maxon Cinebench
Maxon Cinebench is an industry-standard benchmarking software that is a great tool to put your CPU through its paces.
The current version can be found here: https://www.maxon.net/en/downloads/cinebench-2024-downloads
RAM
OCCT can run a test related to RAM, but the best way to verify that the memory is working well is through Memtest86.
You can learn more about MemTest86 here: MemTest86 Set Up
GPU
3DMark
3DMark is well known in GPU testing for benchmarks and testing. 3D Mark is available for $34.99 through Steam or the Epic Games Store.
Furmark
Furmark is another popular stress test for the GPU that's very intensive and supports Open GL and Vulkan. You can download that here: https://www.geeks3d.com/furmark/
Heaven
Heaven is an older, but rather popular benchmark from Unigine Benchmarks, whose benchmark tools provide great stress tests for stability.
Heaven is the oldest benchmark tool Unigine currently actively supports, but it's incredibly detailed. Download that here: https://benchmark.unigine.com/heaven
Superposition
Superposition, on the other hand, is a newer benchmark and is a great tool to monitor cards that support real-time Ray-Tracing (which most GPUs can do these days).
Download that here: https://benchmark.unigine.com/superposition
Games with Built-In Benchmarks
There are also a ton of games available on PC that have benchmarks built in. PC Gaming Wiki has a constantly updated list of games with built-in benchmarks: https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/List_of_games_with_built-in_benchmarks
The recently released Black Myth: Wukong has a free-to-download benchmarking tool designed to evaluate your hardware performance and system compatibility for the game itself. It also will work to benchmark the system. You can find that here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3132990/Black_Myth_Wukong_Benchmark_Tool/
STORAGE DRIVES
CrystalDiskMark
Crystal Disk Mark is a great application that can be used to test the performance of your storage drives. You can download that here: https://crystalmark.info/en/software/crystaldiskmark/
System Monitoring
iCUE
The software that can control the lighting and cooling of your system can also be used to monitor your hardware temperatures.
You can find the current version of iCUE here: https://www3.corsair.com/software/CUE_V5/public/modules/windows/installer/Install%20iCUE.exe?_gl=1*1mjjbxv*_gcl_au*ODgyODM2MjYyLjE3MjQ2ODkzOTQ.
In iCUE, you can select the dashboard, and select your components to display their stats in an easy place to look.
HWInfo
(Note: this might look different on your system)
For a more detailed deep dive into your computer's hardware, from CPU Temperatures to your GPU Clock speeds), HWInfo is a great tool that will give you pretty much any sensor you need to monitor. (Typically, we recommend you run HWinfo in Sensor Only mode)
You can download that here: https://www.hwinfo.com/
CoreTemp
You can also use Core Temp to monitor specifically the temperature of the processor and other information. You can find that here: https://www.alcpu.com/CoreTemp/
Crystal Disk Info
Checking drive health is always a good thing to do when dealing with drive issues. Crystal Disk Info is a great tool to check drive health, giving you a percentage in terms of overall health.
Crystal Disk Info uses the Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology (S.M.A.R.T) monitoring system built into the drives to check for the health of the drive, which will allow you to see exactly what's going wrong with the drive. You can download that here: https://crystalmark.info/en/software/crystaldiskinfo/
Silicon Power has a great guide to learn more about S.M.A.R.T attributes for NVMe SSDs and what they mean: https://www.silicon-power.com/web/file/get?mrc_SPic1=1614158508_57bb2c04738eef205e6ba33e366c81a4