I think you'd want to talk to some computer hardware/modding/overclocking forum if you think that benchmarks like 3d Mark 2003 are a virus. Sure it can bring computers down a lot if the user's cooling system isn't good enough, but in most cases these stress tests allow you to bring the computer into "safe" territory. So I guess it could be a double edged sword

If we're talking about destroying hardware...

1) How about having some virus powering off and powering on the computer as fast as possible? Judging from BOFH, a PSU can only stand that about 20 times before deciding to blow up.

2) And there is a virus or something that is capable of doing physical damage to a hard disk. It happens to be a batch script also, and with some weird thing it causes the write heads to drag. I think it is called Harddisk Killer or something? But the website has to work "hack" in the URL...

3) And lastly, most people may realize that CD-ROM drives are rated to 48x at the most. Why? Because above that most CD's will self-destruct under the forces created at those super-high RPMs. So if a virus made the CD-ROM drive spin at about 35,000RPM, most CD's would destroy themselves, and the shrapenal might destroy other stuff, or even break through the front panel to injure the user...