3DMark Basic Edition

3DMark, developed by UL (formerly known as Futuremark), is a comprehensive benchmarking software tool specifically designed for assessing and comparing the performance of gaming PCs. It allows users to measure the capabilities of their hardware components, such as graphics cards, processors, and memory, using a wide range of tests and scenarios.



With its accurate and reliable performance analysis, it has become the go-to tool for gamers, hardware enthusiasts, system builders, and overclockers alike.

• Introducing the newest iteration of the globally renowned benchmark.
• A comprehensive solution to assess your PC, notebook, tablet, and smartphone.
• It seamlessly suggests the optimal benchmark tailored to your specific system.
• Effortlessly compare your scores with a wide range of Windows, Android, and iOS devices.

It is committed to keeping 3DMark up to date with the latest hardware advancements and graphics APIs. Its regular updates ensure that users have access to cutting-edge benchmarks, stress tests, and feature tests. Since 2013, it has introduced more than a dozen new additions to its suite, reflecting its dedication to delivering the most comprehensive benchmarking experience.

Its journey is ongoing, and it is driven to push the boundaries even further to provide users with the most accurate and relevant benchmarking tools available.



Key Features

Benchmarking Tests: It offers a variety of tests, including Time Spy, Fire Strike, Sky Diver, and more, which simulate real-world gaming scenarios to measure the performance of different hardware components.

Customization: Users can customize test parameters, resolutions, and settings to match their specific hardware configurations, allowing for accurate and tailored benchmarking results.

Stress Testing: In addition to benchmarking, it includes stress tests that push hardware components to their limits, helping users identify stability and cooling issues.

Detailed Results and Comparisons: It provides comprehensive and easy-to-understand results, allowing users to compare their scores with others and gauge the performance of their systems.

VRMark Compatibility: The software also offers VRMark, a benchmarking tool specifically designed for testing virtual reality (VR) gaming performance, ensuring optimal experiences in VR environments.

What`s New

3DMark Steel Nomad will be free for all 3DMark users.

Last month, it introduced users to 3DMark Steel Nomad, its cross-platform successor to Time Spy and Time Spy Extreme as the recommended non-raytracing benchmark.

3DMark Professional Edition customers with a valid annual license will also receive Steel Nomad as a complimentary update. Games and PC hardware have changed significantly since Time Spy launched, and recent high-end hardware is starting to reach the limit of what Time Spy is able to provide relevant scores for.

Enhanced Benchmarking Experience

Discover the ideal test for your PC effortlessly
Finding the perfect benchmark for your system is a breeze with the program. The software automatically scans your hardware and provides recommendations for the most suitable benchmark.

Tailor your testing experience
It continues to expand its repertoire with new tests every year. When you purchase 3DMark from Steam, you have the flexibility to install only the tests that are relevant to your needs.

Compare and contrast your scores
Observe how your score stacks up against results from other systems utilizing the same CPU and GPU combination. This comparative analysis provides valuable insights into your system's performance.

Estimate game performance
The app facilitates a connection between your benchmark score and real-world game performance by providing estimates of the frame rates you can anticipate in a selection of popular games.

Monitor your hardware
Immerse yourself in the intricacies of your system's performance with detailed charts that display fluctuations in CPU and GPU temperatures, clock speeds, and frame rates throughout the benchmarking process.

Customize to your preferences
Unleash the full potential of your PC by adjusting the resolution and other quality settings to create benchmarks that are either more or less demanding, allowing you to explore the limits of your hardware.

Feature tests (Specialized tests for specific features)

DirectX Raytracing Feature Test
The DirectX Raytracing feature test showcases the demanding nature of real-time ray tracing. Modern graphics cards feature dedicated hardware optimized for ray tracing. This test measures the performance of this specialized hardware. Instead of using traditional rendering techniques, the entire scene is ray-traced and rendered in a single pass. The result of the test relies solely on the ray-tracing capabilities and performance.

Mesh Shader Feature Test
Mesh Shaders, a new addition in DirectX 12 Ultimate, offer developers greater control and flexibility over the geometry pipeline. The 3DMark Mesh Shader feature test demonstrates how game engines can enhance performance by utilizing the mesh shader pipeline to efficiently remove geometry that is not visible to the camera. An interactive mode enables users to experiment with various settings and visualization tools.

PCI Express Feature Test
PCI Express (PCIe) is a standard interface that enables high-bandwidth communication between devices in a PC. The newer PCIe 4.0 interfaces provide double the bandwidth of PCIe 3.0. This increased bandwidth allows games to transfer more data, reduce loading times, and support more complex scenes. The PCI Express feature test measures the available bandwidth for your GPU.

Sampler Feedback Feature Test
Sampler Feedback, a feature in DirectX 12 Ultimate, assists developers in optimizing texture and shading operations. The 3DMark Sampler Feedback feature test showcases how developers can leverage sampler feedback to improve game performance by optimizing texture space shading. Users can explore different settings and visualization tools in an interactive mode.

VRS Feature Test
Variable-Rate Shading (VRS), a feature of DirectX 12 Ultimate, enhances performance by reducing detail in less noticeable parts of a frame. The VRS feature test enables users to compare performance and image quality differences when using Tier 1 and Tier 2 VRS. An interactive mode allows for on-the-fly adjustments of VRS settings and frame exports for comparison purposes.

AMD FSR Feature Test
AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) is an AMD graphics technology that leverages optimized temporal analytical techniques to enhance gaming performance while preserving visual fidelity. The AMD FSR feature test demonstrates the impact of FSR 2 on performance and image quality. The frame inspector tool facilitates close-up comparisons between FSR and traditional rendering with TAA.

NVIDIA DLSS Feature Test
Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS), an NVIDIA RTX technology, utilizes the power of deep learning and AI to enhance game performance while maintaining visual quality. The NVIDIA DLSS feature test allows users to compare performance and image quality using DLSS 3, DLSS 2, and DLSS 1. Users can select from three image quality modes for DLSS 2 and later. DLSS 3 utilizes DLSS Frame Generation.

Intel XeSS Feature Test
XeSS (Xe Super Sampling) is an Intel graphics technology that employs AI-enhanced upscaling to improve performance while preserving high image fidelity. The Intel XeSS feature test showcases the impact of XeSS on performance and quality. The frame inspector tool facilitates image quality comparisons with an interactive side-by-side display of XeSS and native-resolution rendering.

User Interface

It boasts a user-friendly and intuitive interface. The software's layout is clean and well-organized, making it easy for users to navigate through the various tests, settings, and results. The UI provides clear instructions and visual indicators, enhancing the overall user experience.



Installation and Setup

Installing 3DMark is a straightforward process. Users can download the software from the official website, FileHorse or authorized resellers. After the installation, an activation key might be required, which can be obtained from the purchase or by creating an account. Once activated, users can start exploring the software and running benchmark tests.

How to Use

• Launch the app and choose the desired benchmark test.
• Customize the settings according to your hardware configuration, if needed.
• Run the benchmark, and it will simulate the chosen test scenario.
• After completion, review the detailed results and compare them with other systems.
• Utilize the stress testing feature to assess system stability and identify potential issues.

FAQ

Can I use 3DMark for laptops and desktops?
Yes, it supports both laptops and desktops. It adapts to the available hardware and offers relevant tests accordingly.

Does 3DMark support overclocked hardware?
Yes, it can be used to benchmark and stress test overclocked hardware. It helps users evaluate the stability and performance gains achieved through overclocking.

Can I compare my scores with other users' systems?
Absolutely! It allows users to compare their benchmark scores with a vast database of results from other users, providing valuable insights into the relative performance of their systems.

Is 3DMark compatible with VR systems?
Yes, it offers VRMark, a dedicated benchmarking tool for virtual reality systems. It helps ensure optimal performance and compatibility for VR gaming experiences.

Can I export the benchmark results?
It enables users to export their benchmark results in various formats, including XML, CSV, and HTML, allowing for further analysis or sharing with others.

Alternatives

PCMark 10: Focuses on overall system performance evaluation, including productivity tasks, rendering, and content creation benchmarks.

Cinebench: A widely-used benchmarking tool for assessing CPU and graphics card performance, particularly in the context of 3D rendering.

Novabench: A comprehensive benchmarking software that provides a quick and easy way to evaluate various hardware components.

FurMark: Primarily designed to stress test graphics cards, FurMark helps identify stability issues and measures GPU temperatures.

Pricing

It offers different editions, including a free version with limited features. The advanced versions, such as 3DMark Basic Edition, 3DMark Advanced Edition, and 3DMark Professional Edition, provide access to additional features, tests, and support. The pricing varies based on the edition chosen and the licensing options for personal or commercial use.

3DMark Basic Edition - FREE/DEMO

Benchmarks:

• Time Spy - DirectX 12 benchmark tests for gaming PCs
• Night Raid - DirectX 12 test for PCs with integrated graphics
• Fire Strike - DirectX 11 benchmark tests for gaming PCs

3DMark Advanced Edition - $8.74

• Speed Way
• Time Spy
• Time Spy Extreme
• Port Royal
• Night Raid
• Wild Life
• Wild Life Extreme
• Fire Strike
• Fire Strike Extreme
• Fire Strike Ultra
• GPU Stress Tests
• CPU Profile
• DirectX Raytracing feature test
• Mesh Shader feature test
• PCI Express feature test
• Sampler Feedback feature test
• VRS feature test
• NVIDIA DLSS feature test
• Intel XeSS feature test
• AMD FSR feature test
• Custom benchmark settings
• Game performance estimates
• Install tests independently
• Skip demo option
• Save results offline

3DMark Professional Edition - From $1695

All features from Advanced Edition, plus:

• Custom benchmark settings
• Game performance estimates
• Install tests independently
• Skip demo option
• Save results offline
• Private, offline results option
• Command line automation
• Image Quality Tool
• Export result data as XML
• Licensed for commercial use
• Compatible with Testdriver®
• Priority support by email and phone

Advanced Edition bundle - $14.85

3DMark + PCMark 10 + VRMark - The complete benchmarking bundle.

Storage Benchmark DLC - $2.99

Extend 3DMark with a dedicated benchmark for testing the gaming performance of your SSD.

Languages

English, German, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese and Spanish.

Minimum System Requirements

• OS: Windows 10 (64-bit)
• Processor: 1.8 GHz dual-core CPU
• RAM: 4 GB
• Graphics: DirectX 11 compatible
• Storage: 2.9 GB free space to install Time Spy only

Recommended System Requirements

• OS: Windows 11 or Windows 10 64-bit (Version 21H2)
• Processor: 1.8 GHz dual-core CPU with SSSE3
• RA: 4 GB of system memory
• Graphics: DirectX 12 with 6 GB graphics memory
• Storage: 9.8 GB free space to install all tests

Compatibility notes

Ready for Windows 11:All the currently supported benchmarks and feature tests in 3DMark are compatible with Windows 11.

Speed Way: Requires Windows 11 or Windows 10 21H2 update, a graphics card with a minimum of 6GB VRAM, and support for DirectX 12 Ultimate.

Time Spy and Night Raid benchmarks: Requires Windows 10, a graphics card with DirectX 12 support, and a processor that supports SSSE3.

Wild Life benchmarks: Requires a GPU with Vulkan 1.1 support.

Port Royal: Requires the Windows 10 October 2018 Update (1809) and a graphics card with Microsoft DirectX Raytracing support.

DirectX Raytracing feature test: Requires Windows 10 Version 2004 or later and a DirectX 12 compatible graphics card with driver support for DirectX Raytracing Tier 1.1.

Mesh Shader and Sampler Feedback feature tests: Require Windows 10 Version 2004 or later and a graphics card with drivers that support Microsoft DirectX 12 Ultimate.

PCI Express feature test: Requires a DirectX 12 compatible discrete graphics card.

VRS feature test: Requires Windows 10 Version 1903 or later and a DirectX 12 GPU with Variable-Rate Shading support.

NVIDIA DLSS feature test: Requires an NVIDIA graphics card with DLSS support. DLSS 3 requires a GeForce RTX 40 Series GPU. DLSS Frame Generation requires a GeForce RTX 40 Series GPU and Reflex SDK integration.

3DMark Storage Benchmark: Requires 30 GB of free storage space and a recommended 3.0 GHz quad-core processor or better for testing ultra-fast storage.

Intel XeSS feature test: Requires a GPU with Intel XeSS and Microsoft DirectX Raytracing Tier 1.1 support. XeSS compatible GPUs include Intel Arc GPUs, as well as AMD Radeon and NVIDIA GeForce GPUs with Shader Model 6.4 support. Additionally, you need Windows 11 or Windows 10 64-bit, version 20H2 or newer.

AMD FSR feature test: Requires a GPU with AMD FSR support or a later version. AMD FSR technology is open source and can run on a wide range of graphics processing units (GPUs) from all vendors.

PROS

• Wide range of benchmark tests catering to different hardware configurations and gaming scenarios.
• Accurate and reliable performance analysis, aiding in system optimization and hardware upgrades.
• Clean and intuitive user interface, making it easy to navigate and interpret results.
• VRMark compatibility ensures optimal VR gaming experiences.
• Detailed comparisons and the ability to export results for further analysis and sharing.

CONS

• Advanced features and tests are available only in the paid versions, limiting access for users on a tight budget.
• The software primarily focuses on Windows-based systems, potentially limiting its appeal for users on other platforms.

Conclusion

3DMark is an exceptional benchmarking software that empowers PC gamers, system builders, and hardware enthusiasts to evaluate and optimize the performance of their systems. With its extensive range of tests, customization options, and stress testing capabilities, it provides accurate and reliable results that aid in identifying hardware limitations, stability issues, and potential performance improvements.

While the software's advanced features are available at a cost, the wealth of information and the ability to compare scores with other users make it a valuable tool for any PC gaming enthusiast. Whether you are a casual gamer or a seasoned overclocker, 3DMark is a must-have software for assessing and enhancing your gaming PC's capabilities.

Note: Limited functionality in the unregistered version.