Terms and Conditions

About Prime95

Prime95 is a free application developed by George Woltman for the GIMPS project. It is primarily used for CPU stress testing, system stability testing, memory testing, and cooling performance evaluation. Users can also contribute their computing power to the GIMPS project to help discover and verify Mersenne prime numbers.

Software License and Usage

Prime95 is free to download and use indefinitely on computers that you own or have permission to operate.

You may use Prime95 for:

• GIMPS participation;
• Prime-number calculations;
• CPU and memory stress testing;
• Hardware stability testing;
• Performance benchmarking; and
• Personal, educational, research, or commercial purposes.

You must not use Prime95 in violation of applicable laws or install it on a computer without the owner’s permission.

GIMPS Participation

Participation in GIMPS is free and open to users worldwide. You become a participant when Prime95 or another compatible application connects to PrimeNet to request assignments, report progress, or submit calculation results.

By participating, you agree to:

• Complete assignments responsibly;
• Submit accurate and unmodified results;
• Avoid interfering with another participant’s assignments;
• Follow applicable assignment and reporting rules;
• Maintain accurate account information; and
• Allow submitted results to be used for mathematical research.

Creating an account is optional, but an account is required to manage computers, monitor statistics, and associate completed work with a username.

PrimeNet Accounts

You are responsible for protecting your username and password and for all activity performed through your account.

You must not:

• Access another person’s account without permission;
• Submit false account or computer information;
• Manipulate statistics or research results;
• Use automated methods that disrupt PrimeNet; or
• Attempt to bypass security or assignment controls.

Notify us if you believe your account has been accessed without permission.

Research Results

Results submitted through Prime95 or PrimeNet become part of the GIMPS research database. These results may be stored, verified, analyzed, and included in statistics, reports, charts, or mathematical publications.

Submitting a result does not guarantee that it is correct, accepted, or eligible for recognition. Results may be independently checked using different computers or software.

Stress Testing and Hardware Risks

Prime95 can place a sustained and demanding workload on your processor, memory, cooling system, and power supply. This may cause high temperatures, system instability, crashes, shutdowns, or data loss, particularly on overclocked or poorly cooled computers.

Before running a stress test, you should:

• Ensure that cooling is working properly;
• Monitor system temperatures;
• Save important work;
• Back up important files;
• Use suitable test settings; and
• Stop the test if temperatures or system behavior become unsafe.

You accept responsibility for deciding whether your hardware is suitable for stress testing.

Source Code and Modifications

Prime95 source code may be available for research or development purposes. Any use, modification, or distribution of the source code must follow the applicable software license.

If modified software is used to search for Mersenne primes or submit results to PrimeNet, it must comply with GIMPS rules and produce results that can be independently verified.

Problems caused by modified builds, custom configurations, or third-party distributions are the responsibility of the user.

Third-Party Software and Services

Prime95 may interact with operating-system components, hardware-monitoring tools, proxy servers, forums, download servers, and other external services.

Your use of third-party products is governed by their own terms and privacy policies. Compatibility with every processor, operating system, driver, or external application is not guaranteed.

Intellectual Property

Prime95, GIMPS, PrimeNet, website content, source code, documentation, graphics, and related materials are protected by applicable intellectual-property laws.

You may not remove copyright, license, or attribution notices. Rights granted under an applicable software license remain subject to that license.

Software Updates

Updates may include performance improvements, new calculation methods, compatibility changes, security fixes, and bug corrections.

You are responsible for reviewing update notes and backing up important configuration and work files before upgrading. Updating during certain calculations may restart or interrupt work.

Updates, continued development, and compatibility with older systems are not guaranteed.

User Responsibilities

When using Prime95, you are responsible for:

• Using computers you own or are authorized to operate;
• Monitoring system temperature and stability;
• Maintaining backups of important files;
• Protecting your PrimeNet account;
• Following GIMPS assignment rules;
• Using accurate software and hardware settings;
• Keeping your contact information current; and
• Complying with applicable laws and regulations.

Privacy and Data Protection

Information collected through Prime95, PrimeNet, accounts, and related services is handled according to the Privacy Policy.

This may include account information, computer identifiers, software versions, assignments, calculation results, performance statistics, and diagnostic information.

Please review the Privacy Policy for additional details.

Disclaimer of Warranties

Prime95, PrimeNet, and related information are provided “as is” and without warranties of any kind.

We do not guarantee that:

• Prime95 will operate without errors or interruptions;
• Every calculation result will be correct;
• The software will work with every computer;
• A stress test will identify every hardware problem;
• Submitted work will lead to a discovery;
• PrimeNet will always be available; or
• A participant will receive an award.

To the fullest extent allowed by law, all implied warranties, including fitness for a particular purpose and merchantability, are excluded.

Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, we are not liable for losses or damages resulting from the use or inability to use Prime95, PrimeNet, or related services.

This includes:

• Hardware damage or overheating;
• Data loss or file corruption;
• System crashes or interruptions;
• Lost assignments or calculation progress;
• Incorrect or rejected results;
• Network or server errors;
• Lost profits or business interruption; and
• Indirect or consequential damages.

You use Prime95 at your own risk.

Suspension and Termination

We may suspend or restrict access to PrimeNet accounts, assignments, or related services if a user violates these Terms, submits false results, disrupts services, or engages in unlawful activity.

You may stop using Prime95 at any time by closing and removing the application. Provisions concerning research data, intellectual property, warranties, liability, and dispute resolution may continue after termination.

Governing Law and Disputes

For participants affiliated with the University of Missouri, these Terms are governed by the laws of Missouri and the United States.

For other participants, these Terms are governed by the laws of California and the United States.

Disputes should first be addressed through a good-faith effort to reach a direct resolution. If a resolution cannot be reached, the dispute may be submitted to binding arbitration where permitted by law.

Changes to These Terms

These Terms may be updated to reflect changes in Prime95, GIMPS rules, technology, research requirements, or applicable law.

Updated Terms will be posted on this page. Continued use of Prime95 or PrimeNet after changes become effective means that you accept the revised Terms.

Contact Us

If you have questions about these Terms, Prime95, PrimeNet, or GIMPS participation, please contact us through the available Contact Us page.

Email: [email protected]

By downloading, installing, or using Prime95, or by participating in GIMPS, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to these Terms and Conditions.