cinebench.exe

What is cinebench.exe?

cinebench.exe is the executable for MAXON's Cinebench benchmarking suite. It launches CPU and GPU tests to quantify performance, spawning worker threads for render tasks and producing a standardized score for hardware comparison.

Cinebench employs the MAXON Cinema 4D engine to render a scene using multi-threaded CPU rendering and optional GPU acceleration, delivering scores based on render time and throughput for comparison purposes.

Types of Cinebench Processes

• Launcher Process: Initial launcher that starts the benchmark suite (1 instance)
• CPU Renderer Process: Performs CPU-based render tasks (multi-threaded)
• GPU Renderer Process: Uses GPU acceleration if available for OpenGL render tasks
• Auxiliary Process: Handles progress UI and result aggregation
• Logger/Telemetry: Records benchmark results for reporting
• System Probe: Gathers hardware information prior to test

Is cinebench.exe Safe?

Yes, cinebench.exe is safe when it's the legitimate file from MAXON downloaded from official sources (maxon.net or included with Cinebench installer).

Is cinebench.exe a Virus or Malware?

The real cinebench.exe is NOT a virus. Malware may masquerade with similar names, so verify the file path and digital signatures.

How to Tell if cinebench.exe is Legitimate or Malware

1. File Location: Must be in C:\Program Files\MAXON\Cinebench\cinebench.exe or C:\Program Files (x86)\MAXON\Cinebench\cinebench.exe. Other locations are suspicious.
2. Digital Signature: Right-click cinebench.exe in Explorer → Properties → Digital Signatures. Should show a signature from "MAXON Computer GmbH".
3. Resource Usage: During a bench, CPU cores will be highly utilized; unusual activity outside a bench may indicate tampering.
4. Behavior: Cinebench should run only when you start a benchmark and terminate afterward. Persistent background activity is abnormal.

Why Is cinebench.exe Running on My PC?

cinebench.exe runs when you start a Cinebench benchmark or when benchmark components are invoked by the launcher. It may also run briefly to gather system data prior to testing.

Reasons it's running:

• Active Benchmark Run: You initiated a Cinebench bench; CPU and/or GPU render tasks begin immediately.
• Pre-test Hardware Probe: The launcher may collect system specs (CPU, GPU, RAM) before running renders.
• Background Render Workers: During the test, multiple worker threads execute renders to measure throughput.
• Open Benchmark UI: The Cinebench window or progress indicator keeps cinebench.exe active until completion.
• Post-test Data Aggregation: After completion, results are written to logs and the process exits.

Can I Disable or Remove cinebench.exe?

Yes, you can disable Cinebench while not benchmarking. It’s a standalone benchmark tool; you can uninstall it or avoid launching benchmarks if you don’t need it.

How to Stop cinebench.exe

• End Benchmark: Click Stop in the Cinebench UI or close the application window during a test
• Terminate Process: Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc), locate cinebench.exe, right-click End Task
• Avoid Auto-launch: Ensure no startup shortcut launches Cinebench automatically from your system
• Uninstall: Uninstall Cinebench from Settings > Apps or Control Panel
• Update or Reinstall: If issues persist, reinstall Cinebench from official MAXON sources

How to Uninstall Cinebench

• ✔ Windows Settings -> Apps -> Apps & Features -> Cinebench -> Uninstall
• ✔ Control Panel -> Programs -> Uninstall a program -> Cinebench -> Uninstall
• ✔ Consider alternatives to benchmark your system if you do not need Cinebench

Common Problems: High CPU or GPU Usage during Benchmark

If cinebench.exe consumes excessive resources during a run or while idle, use these checks tailored for Cinebench.

Common Causes & Solutions

• Single long render scene: The Cinebench CPU test runs a large render; accept normal resource usage or reduce test scope by altering presets.
• Too many background tasks: Close nonessential apps; Cinebench runs are CPU-bound and multi-threaded. Free resources before benchmarking.
• Outdated Cinebench version: Update to latest Cinebench release from MAXON to obtain performance and stability improvements.
• Thermal throttling: Ensure cooling is adequate; high temps reduce clock speeds and distort scores.
• Driver or OpenGL issues: Update GPU drivers and ensure OpenGL support for GPU rendering tests.
• Background UI rendering: If the launcher runs in background, disable background rendering to focus CPU benchmark.

Related Processes