Stress-test your PC hardware
Why stress-test?
Simple: To ensure the reliability and stability of your system. Even if a computer boots up and performs well under normal usage, fickle hardware can cause woes when you step up to heftier tasks, such as gaming or video editing.
Stress-testing software places your components under an intense workload to simulate a worse-case scenario; if a component crashes, hangs, or otherwise fails a dedicated stress test, there's a good chance that it won't be reliable under a heavy everyday load.
It's best to uncover unstable components sooner rather than later, while they're still under warranty.
1 Push your CPU with Prime95