Measure Mac CPU and GPU performance with local benchmarks

Choose a workload, not an invented score

CPU Single uses one worker; CPU Multi defaults to the logical CPU count and allows diagnostic worker counts. Integer arithmetic, FP32, FP64, SHA-256 and array filtering each report their own measured units. The macOS scheduler can move a worker between cores, so a single-worker result is not a certified performance-core measurement.

Metal GPU tests cover FP32 computation, matrix multiplication, read, write, copy and parallel array operations. Full mode also checks threadgroup scaling. These are rates of particular kernels, not theoretical chip peaks or guaranteed DRAM bandwidth. Inputs are deterministic and computed outputs are checked.

Quick, Full and independent CPU + GPU stress

Quick uses shorter measurement intervals; Full uses longer repeats. Each workload has three repeats by default, with three to five available in the interface. Preparation, pipeline compilation and output validation are excluded from reported throughput. GPU timing uses completed command timestamps when available and labels the alternative CPU submission/wait clock separately.

Stress runs for one to thirty minutes with CPU, GPU or both. CPU and GPU execute independent streams in Combined mode, with separate rates and no mixed score. Stop remains available across sections and work continues while the window is hidden. Save your work and pause competing heavy tasks before acknowledging a run.

Read thermal stability without assuming throttling

Performance Retention is the final median divided by the initial median, expressed as a percentage. It uses the first and last twenty percent of valid stress intervals and needs at least five intervals. A value above one hundred percent is possible; a decline is reported as degradation with its cause unconfirmed.

Temperature, fan speed, power source and macOS thermal state are recorded when available. Missing sensors remain unavailable. macOS serious or critical thermal pressure blocks or stops a test. The benchmark never changes your cooling profile, power settings, clock frequencies or system protections. Select cooling separately where hardware supports it.

Compare and export measured results

History stores up to one hundred local sessions, including clearly marked cancelled or failed runs. Choose two completed runs to compare. Matching methodology, architecture, hardware, macOS, GPU and workload settings are needed for a meaningful comparison; power, Low Power Mode, starting temperature and profile changes also matter.

Export JSON for full measurements or CSV for a readable data table, or copy a summary. No benchmark calculation requires network access or root. Aggregate Score remains Experimental until reference throughput is calibrated: the app shows physical metrics instead of fabricated points. A score from another tool is not directly interchangeable.

Compatibility and verification limits

Clarirove targets macOS 14 or later and ships a universal ARM64/x86_64 build. GPU tests require a compatible Metal device and use runtime capability and memory checks. Available temperature sensors and cooling controls vary by model.

Methodology 1.1 has been exercised on a MacBook Pro with M1 Pro. x86_64 compilation and Rosetta execution do not certify a physical Intel or AMD GPU. Thirty-minute endurance and every hardware transition have not been validated. Metal cannot forcibly cancel a submitted command: normal Stop waits for bounded work to finish; a driver hang may need operating-system recovery.

Quick start

1. Open Benchmarks in Clarirove 1.36.0 or later and check the hardware and power conditions.
2. Select a suite or stress target, save work, acknowledge the load and run the test.
3. Review units, variation and available sensor history; export or compare completed sessions under equivalent conditions.

Read the Clarirove user guide for installation, permissions and detailed limitations.

Questions about Mac CPU & GPU Benchmarks and Stress Tests

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