Download Cinebench R23 for Windows and Mac

Download Cinebench R23 from the Cinebench tab on Maxon's downloads page at maxon.net/en/downloads, where Maxon still lists separate Windows and macOS links for R23.

This guide covers the official download, installing it on each platform, running the single-core and multi-core tests, and how R23 compares with the current Cinebench 2026.

Where to Download Cinebench R23 Safely

Maxon is the only safe source, because Maxon makes Cinebench and hosts the files on its own servers.

The old R23 download address now redirects to the Cinebench 2026 page, so use the main downloads page instead.

1. Open maxon.net/en/downloads in your browser.
2. Select the Cinebench tab in the product list.
3. Scroll past the Cinebench 2026 and Cinebench 2024 entries to the Cinebench R23 entry.
4. Select Windows to get the R23 ZIP archive, or macOS to get the R23 DMG disk image.
5. Save the file, then follow the install steps for your platform below.

Both R23 links point to installer.maxon.net, a Maxon server. A copy offered anywhere else is not the one Maxon publishes.

What Cinebench R23 Is and What It Measures

Cinebench R23 is Maxon's CPU benchmark built on the standard renderer from Cinema 4D. It renders a 3D scene and turns the time into a score.

It tests the processor only. Maxon says GPU benchmarking had been missing from Cinebench for a decade until Cinebench 2024 brought it back.

	Cinebench R23	Cinebench 2024	Cinebench 2026
Render engine	Cinema 4D standard renderer	Redshift	Latest Redshift
What it tests	CPU only (single-core and multi-core)	CPU and GPU	CPU, GPU and an SMT core test
Scene workload	Baseline	Six times the compute of R23, three times the memory	Multithreaded scene six times R23, per Maxon's tech notes
Released	Before Cinebench 2024	September 5, 2023	December 29, 2025
Scores comparable with	Other R23 scores only	Other 2024 scores only	Other 2026 scores only
Where Maxon offers it	Cinebench tab on maxon.net/en/downloads	Same tab	Same tab and the Cinebench downloads page

Maxon states that Cinebench 2024 scores cannot be compared with R23, and 2026 scores cannot be compared with 2024.

If you render 3D scenes in other tools, such as Blender, a CPU score only predicts part of real render time.

Should you use Cinebench R23, 2024 or 2026?

Your situation	Use this version	Why
You want to compare with an older review that quotes R23 scores	Cinebench R23	Scores only line up within one version
You want to test the graphics card as well	Cinebench 2026	R23 has no GPU test
You own a Windows on Arm or Snapdragon PC	Cinebench 2026 (Windows arm64)	Maxon offers an arm64 build for 2024 and 2026, and a single Windows link for R23
You want a stability or cooling stress test	Cinebench 2026 with a longer minimum runtime	The Advanced benchmark option sets custom minimum runtimes
You are comparing with current 2026 results online	Cinebench 2026	Maxon readjusted the score range, so older numbers do not match

Cinebench R23 System Requirements for Windows and Mac

Maxon no longer publishes a requirements page for R23. Its technical information page now covers Cinebench 2026 only.

The table shows what Maxon still states for R23 next to the current 2026 requirements, so you can tell which version your machine suits.

Requirement	Cinebench R23	Cinebench 2026 (Maxon's published minimum)
Windows	One Windows download (ZIP)	Windows 10 version 20H2 or later, or Windows 11, on x86/64; Windows 11 on arm64
macOS	One macOS download (DMG)	macOS 14.7 (Sonoma) or later
Windows CPU	Not published by Maxon any more	64-bit Intel or AMD CPU with AVX2, Snapdragon, or ARM v8.1 64-bit
Mac CPU	Not published by Maxon any more	Intel 64-bit with SSE4.2, or Apple M1 through M5 series
Memory	About a third of Cinebench 2024's footprint, per Maxon	16 GB; the CPU test runs on 8 GB with slower paging
Graphics card	Not used, CPU test only	8 GB VRAM for the GPU test (NVIDIA CUDA 5.0+, supported AMD HIP cards, or Apple silicon with 16 GB)

Cinebench 2026 will not run on unsupported processors, and it shows a warning when there is not enough RAM to load the scene.

How to Install Cinebench R23 on Windows

The Windows version of R23 arrives as a ZIP archive, not a setup program. You extract it and run the app from the folder.

1. Open your Downloads folder in File Explorer.
2. Right-click the Cinebench R23 ZIP file and select Extract All.
3. Choose a destination folder, such as a folder in Documents, and select Extract.
4. Open the extracted Cinebench folder.
5. Double-click the Cinebench application to start it.

Run Cinebench from the extracted folder, not from inside the ZIP preview, so the app can reach all of its files.

How to Install Cinebench R23 on macOS

The macOS version of R23 is a DMG disk image. macOS mounts it like a drive when you open it.

1. Open your Downloads folder in Finder.
2. Double-click the Cinebench R23 DMG file to mount it.
3. Drag the Cinebench app from the mounted disk image into your Applications folder.
4. Eject the disk image from the Finder sidebar.
5. Open Applications and double-click Cinebench to start it.
6. If macOS asks you to confirm opening an app downloaded from the internet, confirm only when the file came from maxon.net.

If macOS refuses to open the app at all, delete it and download it again from Maxon rather than overriding the warning.

How to Run Single-Core and Multi-Core Benchmarks

R23 has two CPU tests. The multi-core test loads every thread, and the single-core test uses one thread.

Run the multi-core test for rendering and heavy workloads, and the single-core test for everyday responsiveness.

1. Close every other app, including browsers and chat clients.
2. Plug a laptop into mains power so it does not throttle on battery.
3. Start Cinebench R23 and wait for the main window to finish loading.
4. Select the start button next to the multi-core CPU test and leave the machine untouched until the score appears.
5. Wait a few minutes for the system to cool down.
6. Select the start button next to the single-core CPU test and wait for its score.
7. Write down both scores, labelled as R23 results.

Cinebench runs each test for a minimum runtime by default, so a test can take several minutes. That is expected, not a freeze.

Run Cinebench 2026 tests from the command line

Maxon documents command-line options for Cinebench 2026. The app runs the chosen test, prints the score in the console and quits without saving a file.

Maxon does not document these options for R23, so use them with the 2026 build.

start /b /wait "parentconsole" Cinebench.exe g_CinebenchAllTests=true

Runs all test procedures in sequence and keeps the output in the Windows console. Swap the option for g_CinebenchCpu1Test=true (single thread), g_CinebenchCpuSMTTest=true (single core on an SMT core), or g_CinebenchCpuXTest=true (multiple threads). Add g_CinebenchMinimumTestDuration=100 to set a 100-second minimum test duration.

You should see: The console prints the score for each test that ran, then Cinebench closes.

Tips for Accurate Cinebench R23 Results

Maxon notes that background tasks and heat both change scores. A cool, freshly started system usually scores higher than one that has run benchmarks for hours.

1. Restart the computer and let it settle for a few minutes before testing.
2. Close all running programs and pause large downloads, sync clients and disk indexing jobs.
3. Keep the room temperature and the power mode the same for every run.
4. Run each test at least three times and use the median score.
5. Record the Cinebench version with every score, because R23, 2024 and 2026 scores use different ranges.

Leave your antivirus running. Maxon points out that some operating system background work cannot be removed, so small variation between runs is normal.

How to check your R23 score is valid

1. Confirm the app you ran is R23, not 2024 or 2026; the two newer versions show a GPU test and R23 does not.
2. Compare the multi-core score only against other R23 multi-core scores.
3. Check that three runs sit close together; a large spread points to background load or heat.
4. Compare the single-core score only against other R23 single-core scores.

Fix Cinebench R23 download and score problems

The Cinebench R23 download page only offers Cinebench 2026

Maxon redirects the old R23 download address to the current Cinebench downloads page.

1. Go to maxon.net/en/downloads instead.
2. Select the Cinebench tab.
3. Scroll to the Cinebench R23 entry and select Windows or macOS.

Your score is far lower or higher than results online

Many published results come from Cinebench 2024 or 2026, which use different scenes and score ranges.

1. Check which Cinebench version the published result used.
2. Compare only results from the same version you ran.
3. Rerun the test on a cool system with other apps closed.

Scores change noticeably between runs

Background tasks and processor clock changes from heat and power limits affect every run.

1. Plug a laptop into mains power.
2. Close other apps and wait for the system to cool between runs.
3. Run three passes and use the median.

macOS will not open the R23 app

macOS blocks apps it cannot verify, or the download was damaged.

1. Delete the Cinebench app and the DMG.
2. Download the DMG again from the Cinebench tab on maxon.net/en/downloads.
3. Copy the app to Applications again and open it from there.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Cinebench R23?

Cinebench R23 is Maxon's CPU benchmark that renders a 3D scene with the standard renderer from Cinema 4D. It produces separate single-core and multi-core scores. It has no GPU test; Maxon added GPU testing back in Cinebench 2024.

Is Cinebench R23 free?

Yes. Maxon lists the R23 Windows and macOS files on its public downloads page as direct links, with no purchase step. Maxon also describes the current Cinebench 2026 as free of charge.

Where do I download Cinebench R23?

Download it from maxon.net/en/downloads. Select the Cinebench tab and use the Windows or macOS link under the Cinebench R23 entry. Links shared on forums or download portals are not the files Maxon publishes.

How do I use Cinebench R23?

Extract the ZIP on Windows or mount the DMG on a Mac, then start Cinebench. Close other apps, start the multi-core CPU test, wait for the score, then run the single-core test. Run each test three times for a reliable figure.

How do I run Cinebench R23?

On Windows, run the Cinebench app from the extracted folder. On a Mac, copy the app to Applications and open it there. Nothing else needs installing, and the tests start from the main window.

Can I still download Cinebench R23 now that Cinebench 2026 is available?

Yes. Maxon's downloads page still lists Cinebench R23 for Windows and macOS on the Cinebench tab, below Cinebench 2026 and Cinebench 2024. The old dedicated R23 page redirects to Cinebench 2026.

Does Cinebench R23 test the GPU?

No. Cinebench R23 tests the CPU only. Maxon says Cinebench 2024 reinstated GPU benchmarking after a decade without it, so use Cinebench 2024 or 2026 to test a graphics card.

Can I compare Cinebench R23 scores with Cinebench 2024 or 2026?

No. Maxon states that Cinebench 2024 scores cannot be compared with R23, and 2026 scores cannot be compared with 2024. Each version uses a different workload and score range.

Should I run the single-core or multi-core Cinebench test?

Run both. The multi-core score reflects rendering and other heavily threaded work. The single-core score reflects tasks that use one thread, such as many everyday apps.

Is there a Cinebench R23 version for Linux?

Maxon lists R23 only for Windows and macOS. Cinebench 2026 adds Windows arm64 but still offers no Linux build on Maxon's downloads page.

Bottom Line

Download Cinebench R23 from the Cinebench tab on maxon.net/en/downloads only when you need scores that line up with older R23 results; otherwise use Cinebench 2026. R23 tests the CPU alone and its scores cannot be compared with newer versions, while Cinebench 2026 is Maxon's current release with GPU and SMT tests.