OCCT 

OCCT is intended to assess your system’s stability by conducting a series of tests. A program like this is essential when you need to optimize your computer’s hardware resources. It has a rather intuitive interface; however, certain technical knowledge is required to correctly interpret the data provided. I definitely did not like the interface color so I wish it could be possible to switch themes.

The program works by putting the system to stress to check how it behaves in such situations. Right from its main screen, you can monitor the results of the four main tests. First, CPU: OCCT and CPU: Linpack tests let you test your CPU. Then, there is GPU: 3D to assess the stability of the graphics card. Finally, you can also run Power Supply, which is intended to measure your power supply’s response to intensive hardware use.

There is also a monitoring panel, which shows real-time values of various parameters, including CPU usage by cores, temperature, and current voltage. These are conveniently shown as graphs. Moreover, you can also visualize overclocked CPU and bus frequencies.

For any of the tests, you can set the duration to be infinite or automatic, but you can always stop them at any moment if you fear the hardware can get damaged. Likewise, you can set a given duration as well as idle periods, with the intention of comparing active and passive states. Additionally, there are other parameters but these depend on the type of hardware being tested.

In general, OCCT is a useful tool to predict hardware behavior. The program can also protect the machine from overheating or damaging because it lets you set alarms with the desired values for temperature, fan speed, and voltage. The product has two editions: one of them is donationware and can be used absolutely for free. The other is called OCCT Pro and needs to be purchased.