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FurMark is an unusually intense Windows GPU stress test. It is useful for checking whether a graphics card can sustain heavy thermal and power load, but it is not a complete test of gaming stability. Start at stock settings, monitor the card continuously, run a short supervised check before a 15–30-minute baseline test, and stop immediately for artifacts, uncontrolled temperature rise, fan failure, a black screen, or a system shutdown.
NVIDIA warns that FurMark can drive graphics-card power consumption far beyond many real-world games and applications, so treat it as a worst-case diagnostic tool rather than a routine benchmark. NVIDIA’s FurMark guidance also warns against disabling GPU protection mechanisms.
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What FurMark tests—and what it cannot prove
FurMark renders a demanding 3D workload that places sustained pressure on the GPU. That makes it useful for exposing problems that may not appear during light desktop use, including:
- Rapid temperature increases or abnormal temperature behavior.
- Poor case airflow, dust buildup, or failing GPU fans.
- Thermal or power throttling.
- Unstable GPU overclocks and undervolts.
- Driver resets and display failures.
- Rendering artifacts such as flashing pixels, checkerboards, corrupted textures, and geometric spikes.
- Power-delivery problems involving the PSU, PCIe cables, connectors, or GPU.
- Instability that appears only under sustained maximum GPU load.
However, a FurMark pass does not prove that a graphics card is stable in every game or application. It does not comprehensively test the CPU, system memory, SSD, every VRAM access pattern, video encoding, ray tracing, virtual reality, or every graphics API. A card can pass FurMark and still crash in a particular game.
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| Question | Is FurMark useful? | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Can the GPU sustain a heavy load? | Yes | The workload is unusually artificial and demanding. |
| Does the cooling system respond correctly? | Yes | Results depend on room temperature, case airflow, and fan settings. |
| Is an overclock stable everywhere? | No | Another game or workload may fail first. |
| Is the PSU adequate? | Partly | A shutdown needs broader power-path diagnosis. |
| Will games run correctly? | Partly | Follow up with the games and applications that matter to you. |
| Is VRAM completely error-free? | Not necessarily | Sensor availability and workload coverage vary by GPU. |
Before running FurMark: safety checklist
Do not begin by applying a maximum overclock or leaving the test unattended. Confirm the following first:
- The GPU is firmly installed in its PCIe slot.
- Every required PCIe power connector is fully seated.
- The PSU is appropriate for the GPU, in good condition, and connected with the correct cables.
- The GPU fans can spin freely and respond when the card heats up.
- Case intake and exhaust fans work normally.
- Dust filters and heatsinks are not severely blocked.
- The PC is on a stable surface with unobstructed ventilation.
- The display cable is properly connected.
- The system is not already overheating at idle.
- Important work is saved before launching the test.
The FurMark guide specifically cautions against testing with an inadequate or low-quality PSU, poor airflow, non-functional GPU fans, or an aggressive unvalidated overclock.
Return the GPU to a known baseline
- Restore core-clock, memory-clock, voltage, and power-limit settings to stock.
- Disable experimental tuning profiles.
- Record any overclock or undervolt you intend to test later.
- Close games, renderers, mining software, unnecessary GPU-heavy browser tabs, and overlays that could affect the result.
A stock baseline matters because a failure at stock settings should not automatically be blamed on a tuning profile. Also record the GPU model, driver version, FurMark version, Windows version, ambient temperature, case-fan configuration, and GPU settings.
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Use the FurMark download page. Check the application name, displayed version, publisher information, and download domain before installing. The page surfaced for this guide lists FurMark 1.38.0 and Windows 7, 8, 10, and 11 64-bit compatibility, but version status can change; rely on the version shown on the official download page when you download it rather than assuming 1.38.0 is always the newest release.
The displayed installer size is also subject to change. Use the value shown on the download page at the time of download instead of treating any fixed size as permanent.
Download security
- Avoid mirrors and repackaged installers where possible.
- Scan the installer with your security software.
- If the publisher supplies a cryptographic hash, compare it with the downloaded file.
- Do not disable antivirus protection simply because an unfamiliar site calls a warning a false positive.
- Decline unrelated bundled software if an installer offers it.
A security warning is not proof that a file is safe or unsafe. Verify the source and file integrity before proceeding.
Step 2: Install and launch FurMark
- Run the installer.
- Review the publisher and installation prompts.
- Decline unrelated optional software, if offered.
- Finish the installation.
- Launch FurMark from the Start menu or desktop shortcut.
- Approve a Windows security prompt only after verifying the installer source.
Interface labels can differ between releases. If FurMark will not launch, reboot Windows, install pending driver or Windows updates, check whether security software quarantined a component, and try again without third-party overlays. Running the application as administrator can be a troubleshooting step, but it should not be your first response to an unverified installer. Never download replacement DLL files from random websites.
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Step 3: Set up monitoring
FurMark can show basic GPU information, but an external monitor gives you a clearer record of what happened. The FurMark guide recommends using a hardware monitor such as GPU-Z.
Monitor as many of these values as your GPU exposes:
- GPU core temperature.
- Hotspot or junction temperature.
- VRAM temperature.
- GPU utilization.
- Core and memory clocks.
- Voltage.
- Board power.
- Fan speed.
- Thermal-limit and power-limit indicators.
HWiNFO is useful when you want broad system-wide sensor logging. GPU-Z is a simpler GPU-focused option. Vendor control panels can confirm driver and tuning settings, while MSI Afterburner can provide an on-screen display, although it is not required for a stock diagnostic test.
Not every GPU exposes hotspot, junction, VRAM-temperature, power, or throttle-reason data. Sensor availability depends on the card, firmware, driver, and monitoring software.
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For an initial diagnostic run, use:
- 1920×1080 resolution.
- Windowed mode, if available.
- Default quality settings.
- No manual anti-aliasing initially.
- Stock GPU settings.
- No power-limit increase.
- No voltage modification.
- Artifact or visual-error detection enabled, if your installed version provides it.
The FurMark guide suggests starting with a standard preset such as 1080p and using windowed mode when checking an overclock because it is easier to exit if the system becomes unresponsive. A lower resolution is useful for a controlled baseline; it is not intended to imitate your final gaming workload.
Step 5: Perform a 2–5-minute acclimation run
- Start the selected FurMark stress test.
- Watch temperature and fan-speed response continuously.
- Let the test run for roughly two to five minutes.
- Check whether the temperature rises smoothly and begins to level off.
- Stop if the fans do not respond, the temperature rises uncontrollably, or the display shows corruption.
This is a safety check, not a stability certification. Stop immediately for visible artifacts, smoke, an unusual electrical smell, severe visual corruption, fan failure, or any sign that the hardware is operating abnormally.
Step 6: Run the main FurMark stress test
For a basic diagnostic, run FurMark for approximately 15–30 minutes while monitoring the system for the entire test. The FurMark guide describes 15–30 minutes as a quick stability check and up to two hours as a longer burn-in-style run. Those are procedural suggestions, not universal safety requirements. Only consider a longer run after a short supervised run behaves normally, and never leave it unattended.
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Record:
- FurMark version and API.
- Resolution and windowed/fullscreen mode.
- Anti-aliasing and quality settings.
- Maximum core, hotspot/junction, and VRAM temperatures where available.
- Fan speed.
- Maximum board power.
- Clock behavior.
- Any artifacts, driver reset, freeze, reboot, or shutdown.
Temperature interpretation
Do not use “below 85°C” as a universal pass/fail rule. GPU thermal limits vary substantially by model. Core temperature, hotspot/junction temperature, and memory temperature are separate readings, and a normal core temperature does not guarantee that every other sensor is within its limit.
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Compare your results with the GPU manufacturer’s specifications, the card vendor’s published thermal limits, and documented hotspot or junction limits where available. A rough 85–90°C guideline appears in FurMark guidance, but it should not replace model-specific limits.
Step 7: Stop the test safely
Use FurMark’s normal Stop, Esc, or close-window control, depending on the version. Stop immediately if you see:
- Flashing pixels, checkerboards, colored blocks, corrupted textures, or geometric spikes.
- A driver timeout or display recovery.
- A black screen that does not promptly recover.
- A system freeze, reboot, or power-off.
- GPU fans failing to operate.
- Temperature approaching the card’s documented limit.
- Temperature continuing to rise without leveling off.
- An unusually hot connector or cable.
- Smoke, burning smell, or abnormal electrical noise.
- Any uncertainty about whether the system is safe.
Never disable thermal, current, or power protections to complete a run. NVIDIA warns that disabling these mechanisms can cause permanent damage and may affect warranty coverage. Read NVIDIA’s safety warning.
How to interpret the result
A clean pass
A defensible result sounds like this:
“The GPU completed a 30-minute FurMark run at 1920×1080 in windowed mode using [API and settings], with stock clocks and no visible artifacts, driver resets, crashes, or abnormal temperature behavior. Maximum core temperature was [value], hotspot was [value if available], and maximum board power was [value].”
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Do not translate that into “the GPU is guaranteed stable” or “the card is healthy in every workload.” It means the card completed one defined workload under one set of conditions.
Thermal throttling
Possible signs include a temperature approaching the card’s thermal limit, declining core clocks after the temperature plateaus, falling frame rate, high fan speed, or a thermal-limit flag in monitoring software.
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Throttling is not automatically a hardware failure. It may reflect normal protection behavior, high ambient temperature, poor airflow, dust, a quiet fan curve, degraded thermal material, or an incorrectly seated cooler. Distinguish throttling from crashing: a card that deliberately lowers clocks to protect itself has behaved differently from one that produces artifacts or loses power.
Artifacts
Artifacts can result from an unstable memory or core overclock, an excessive undervolt, overheating, driver problems, hardware deterioration, or a fault triggered specifically by FurMark’s workload.
- Stop the test.
- Restore stock settings and reboot.
- Repeat only a short test.
- If artifacts remain at stock, try another driver or workload.
- Check cooling and PCIe power connections.
- Test the card in another system if practical.
- Contact the retailer or manufacturer if the fault persists.
Do not continue a visibly artifacting run for hours.
Driver timeout or black screen
Possible causes include unstable tuning, driver failure, overheating, insufficient power delivery, PCIe connection problems, a defective GPU, or an aggressive display configuration.
- Wait briefly to see whether Windows recovers the display.
- If the system responds, stop FurMark and return tuning settings to stock.
- Reboot.
- Review Windows Reliability Monitor and Event Viewer.
- Run a shorter stock test.
- Try a different driver if the issue began after an update.
- Verify the PSU, power connectors, and GPU seating.
- Use a game or another benchmark to determine whether the failure is FurMark-specific.
Full shutdown or reboot
A complete shutdown is more serious than an application crash. It can indicate PSU protection, a power-delivery fault, GPU hardware failure, excessive temperature, motherboard or cabling problems, or instability elsewhere in the system. It does not prove that the PSU is defective.
Return settings to stock, reseat the GPU power connectors, inspect cables, and check the PSU model, age, rated output, and connector arrangement. Check temperatures, and if supported, test with a lower power limit or a less extreme graphics workload. Where possible, test the GPU with a known-good PSU. If the machine repeatedly loses power, stop reproducing the fault.
Low clock speed
A low clock does not automatically mean poor GPU performance. FurMark can push a card into thermal or power limits, causing modern GPU boost behavior to reduce clocks. Interpret clocks alongside temperature, board power, voltage, utilization, fan speed, and thermal- or power-limit indicators.
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Do not compare scores made with different FurMark versions, APIs, resolutions, anti-aliasing settings, drivers, power profiles, BIOS modes, or operating systems.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Stress-test mode versus benchmark mode
Stress-test mode
Use stress-test mode when you want to observe temperature, fan response, sustained load, power behavior, and throttling. The result is primarily a thermal and stability observation, not a universal performance rating.
Benchmark mode
Use benchmark mode when you want a repeatable score. Record the FurMark version, API, resolution, display mode, anti-aliasing, driver, GPU clocks, power settings, ambient temperature, score, average FPS, and run duration. A score is meaningful only when compared with another run using the same configuration.
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Stock baseline
- Stock GPU settings.
- 1080p, preferably windowed.
- Default quality settings.
- 2–5-minute acclimation run.
- 15–30-minute supervised main run.
- External monitoring and written notes.
Gaming-resolution check
After a successful baseline, repeat the test at your normal gaming resolution. Keep the other settings unchanged and compare temperature, clocks, and power—not just FPS.
Overclock or undervolt validation
- Change one variable, or one small related group of variables, at a time.
- Run a short test.
- Stop at the first artifact or instability.
- Record the exact setting and outcome.
- Follow FurMark with a game or application you actually use.
- Do not call the profile stable based on FurMark alone.
Suspected hardware fault
- Use stock settings.
- Capture sensor data and screenshots.
- Run only long enough to reproduce the problem safely.
- Test another workload.
- Avoid repeated shutdown-inducing runs.
- Preserve logs for retailer or manufacturer support.
Troubleshooting decision tree
- Artifacts at stock: check cooling, drivers, power, and then the hardware itself.
- Temperature rises and levels off: compare every available sensor with the card’s model-specific limits.
- Clocks fall but the system remains stable: investigate thermal or power limiting.
- Display driver resets: revert tuning, check temperatures and connections, and test another driver.
- The whole PC powers off: investigate the PSU and cabling first, and do not repeatedly reproduce the shutdown.
- FurMark passes but games crash: test the affected games, another graphics workload, system memory, CPU stability, and drivers.
FurMark alternatives and complementary tests
FurMark should be one part of a diagnostic toolkit:
- 3DMark: useful for standardized graphics benchmarks and a wider range of more conventional workloads.
- OCCT: useful for separate GPU, VRAM, CPU, memory, and power-oriented testing.
- Unigine Superposition: useful when you want a more scene-like graphics workload or FurMark passes but a game still fails.
- Real games and applications: essential for validating the workloads you actually care about.
You do not need to buy software to perform a basic supervised FurMark check. Paid benchmark suites become more useful when you need repeatable comparative scores, multiple workload types, or broader system diagnosis.
How to report a FurMark result
Use this template when sharing results with a buyer, technician, retailer, or manufacturer:
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GPU driver:
FurMark version:
API:
Resolution:
Fullscreen/windowed:
Anti-aliasing:
GPU settings:
Ambient temperature:
Run duration:
Maximum GPU temperature:
Maximum hotspot/junction temperature:
Maximum VRAM temperature:
Maximum board power:
Fan speed:
Artifacts:
Driver reset:
Crash/reboot/shutdown:
Result:Important limitations
FurMark is intentionally more extreme than many real-world applications. It is valuable precisely because it can expose thermal and power problems, but that also makes it a poor standalone prediction of gaming performance. A two-hour run does not prove universal stability, a temperature number is not meaningful without the GPU model, and a shutdown does not identify one failed component by itself.
Likewise, an artifact detector is a useful aid rather than a complete hardware-validation method, and command-line flags should not be treated as guaranteed unless they are confirmed for the exact installed FurMark version. FurMark does not behave identically on every GPU: sensor availability, driver behavior, power management, and thermal limits differ by model and vendor.
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