Before you start close background apps, ensure a stable power plan, and verify you’re on a recent Cinebench version to reduce false crashes or hangs during heavy loads. If the issue persists, move directly to the matching error section below for focused troubleshooting steps to that specific failure mode.
Application Error (Cinebench R23)
This generic launcher/runtime failure typically appears as an “Application Error” dialog on start or shortly after initiating a run on R23 systems. It’s commonly linked to conflicting overlays, corrupted app files, or driver/runtime mismatches on Windows.
Solution Steps
- Fully exit overlays (GeForce Experience, RTSS, Afterburner, RGB tools), then launch Cinebench again to rule out hooks causing the Cinebench crash.
- Run Cinebench as administrator to avoid permission issues during file and thread initialization on Windows.
- Perform a clean reinstall of Cinebench and delete the previous cache/config folder to remove corrupted remnants tied to the clean reinstall.
- Update chipset, GPU, and Windows builds to reduce runtime faults from outdated components.
- Check Windows Event Viewer (Application log) for specific faulting modules to guide deeper fixes.
Crash at startup
Many systems report Cinebench immediately closing or freezing on launch, often without an on‑screen error message. Causes range from driver hooks to incompatible background services or damaged install files.
Solution Steps
- Disable third‑party overlays and in‑game recorders, then start Cinebench to eliminate injection conflicts.
- Launch Cinebench with Run as Admin and test in Windows Safe Mode to isolate services causing the app won’t start.
- Reinstall GPU drivers using a clean option to clear bad OpenGL/Direct3D stacks.
- Create a fresh Windows user profile and test there to rule out profile‑level corruption.
- Re‑download Cinebench to replace missing or damaged files after an interrupted install.
ACCESS_VIOLATION (c0000005)
This exception indicates memory access outside valid ranges, frequently appearing under heavy multi‑thread load or with unstable system tuning. It often correlates with aggressive overclocks, unstable RAM timings, or low voltage transients under peak threads.
Solution Steps
- Return CPU/RAM/GPU settings to stock and retest to rule out marginal overclocks causing thread instability.
- Increase CPU voltage slightly within safe limits or relax memory timings if the multi‑thread crash repeats.
- Update motherboard BIOS/UEFI and chipset drivers to improve thread scheduling and microcode stability.
- Monitor thermals and power limits to prevent throttling spikes that trigger access violations.
- Confirm Windows and GPU drivers are current to avoid aged runtime conflicts.
GPU test crash (KERNELBASE.dll / 0xe0000001)
Cinebench users report the GPU run aborting with KERNELBASE.dll faults or non‑zero exception codes during scene initialization. These failures are typically driver‑level or API capability mismatches rather than hardware defects.
Solution Steps
- Update to the latest WHQL GPU driver and retest the GPU test crash in Cinebench.
- Reset GPU overclocks or undervolts to stock to avoid transient faults under render initialization.
- Ensure Windows is fully updated to align system DLLs with driver expectations.
- Clear shader caches and reboot to eliminate corrupted GPU cache artifacts.
You can find more programs for testing your PC in the Benchmarking & Monitoring section.
OpenGL not supported
Systems running older GPUs, virtual machines, or misconfigured drivers can surface “OpenGL not supported” when attempting Cinebench’s legacy graphics paths. This is a platform/driver capability error rather than a Cinebench installer problem.
Solution Steps
- Install a current GPU driver that exposes the required OpenGL version for Cinebench.
- If inside a VM, enable proper GPU passthrough/acceleration. Software adapters won’t satisfy requirements.
- Test with a different GPU or native Windows install to confirm the environment limitation.
- Avoid remote/virtual display drivers when launching the benchmark.
- Ensure no compatibility mode forces legacy render paths.
Missing OpenGL test in R20
Some users expect an OpenGL scene in R20 but find it absent due to build differences and driver/OS factors. In practice this reflects version and platform specifics rather than a user error.
Solution Steps
- Verify the exact R20 build and OS support notes before assuming removal or failure of the OpenGL test.
- Update GPU drivers and Windows to re‑expose eligible OpenGL features if they were blocked.
- Reinstall Cinebench R20 to restore any missing components after a partial install.
- Test on another system to confirm if the absence is environment‑specific.
Not enough RAM to load scene
On lower‑memory systems R23 can fail to start a run if the scene cannot be fully allocated, leading to immediate aborts or stalls. Heavy background applications exacerbate this by consuming available memory and pagefile headroom.
Solution Steps
- Close browsers and memory‑hungry apps before launching Cinebench to free headroom.
- Increase the Windows pagefile size to accommodate peak allocations during the run.
- Use the High Performance power plan to stabilize sustained allocation and paging throughput.
- Reboot to clear fragmented memory and retry the CPU benchmark.
- Consider testing on a higher‑RAM machine if usage still peaks.
0xc000007b Error – The application was unable to start correctly
This Windows launcher error indicates mixed 32/64‑bit dependencies or corrupted runtime components when starting Cinebench. It often appears alongside fresh OS installs or after incomplete driver/runtime updates.
Solution Steps
- Reinstall Microsoft Visual C++ runtimes and reboot to restore core app dependencies.
- Run Cinebench as administrator to bypass restricted DLL loading paths.
- Perform a clean GPU driver install to replace damaged graphics runtimes that block the app launch.
- Repair system files with built‑in Windows tools and restart before retrying.
- Redownload Cinebench to ensure a complete, uncorrupted package.
Conclusion
With the targeted steps above, most Cinebench failures – ranging from startup crashes to OpenGL not supported and GPU‑specific faults – can be resolved quickly without guesswork. If problems persist after stock settings, clean drivers, and current Windows updates, examine Event Viewer faulting modules and compare behavior across versions to pinpoint the remaining bottleneck. Consistent stability in other renders under the same configuration also helps confirm a fix for the original Cinebench R23 error.
