This is a minor update. Benchmark scores are not affected.

Improved

• 3DMark now recognizes negative GPU temperatures when calculating the average temperature on systems with exotic cooling.

Fixed

• Improved the system compatibility check for Port Royal and the NVIDIA DLSS feature test.
  
• Fixed an issue with failed or canceled CPU Profile tests being incorrectly treated as valid runs.
  
• The 3DMark splash screen is now displayed correctly when starting the app.

UL benchmarks use a component called SystemInfo to identify the hardware in your system. This patch updates SystemInfo to version 5.49.

• Updated CPUID module to improve compatibility with latest hardware.

UL benchmarks use a component called SystemInfo to identify the hardware in your system. This patch updates SystemInfo to version 5.48.

• Updated GPU detection module to improve compatibility with latest hardware.
  
• Updated CPUID module to improve compatibility with latest hardware and to fix an issue with some specific Microsoft Surface devices that could see a system crash if Windows Hello is enabled for sign in.

We're at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco this week. GDC is one of the biggest industry events of the year and a great place to learn about the latest developments in game design and technology.

We're giving game developers at GDC a preview of the graphics technology in 3DMark Speed Way, our upcoming DirectX 12 Ultimate benchmark for gaming PCs.

Here on Steam, you too can learn more about the real-time rendering techniques in 3DMark Speed Way that will power the next generation of gaming experiences.

Global illumination is a technique in 3D graphics for simulating indirect lighting in a scene. Indirect lighting refers to light that bounces off one surface onto another. Imagine sunlight shining through a window onto a red wall. The direct light hitting the red wall causes indirect red light to bounce onto other surfaces and objects in the room.

Traditionally, the calculations required for global illumination have been too demanding to perform in real-time. Game developers have worked around this limitation by pre-calculating the indirect lighting for static geometry and storing the result in light-field probes or a pre-baked lightmap.

3DMark Speed Way uses DirectX Raytracing to calculate global illumination in real time. It gives the scene a more natural, realistic look by dynamically updating the global illumination in every frame and applying it to every object in the scene, including moving objects.

The comparison below shows how real-time global illumination improves the lighting in the scene. Click on the image to open the comparison in a new tab, then drag the slider to compare the image with and without the technique.



Right-click to open a full size, interactive 1440p comparison in a new tab

Rendering accurate reflections in real-time is challenging. There are many limitations to the existing methods, which are fast but inaccurate.

Real-time ray tracing brings a new level of realism to in-game graphics. With DirectX Raytracing, we can render accurate real-time reflections of dynamic objects and produce reflections of objects that exist outside of the main camera view.

Reflections are not just for mirrors and chrome. They make other surfaces look more realistic too. Using ray tracing, we can produce accurate, perspective-correct reflections on all surfaces in real-time.

3DMark Speed Way uses DirectX Raytracing to calculate accurate reflections in real time. The comparison below shows how ray-traced reflections enhance the scene. Click on the image to open the comparison in a new tab, then drag the slider to compare the image with and without reflections.



Right-click to open a full size, interactive 1440p comparison in a new tab

Physically Based Rendering (PBR) is a standard technique used in all modern game engines. PBR aims to produce realistic images by modeling the behavior of light in the real world.

The core idea of physically based rendering is to use intuitive parameters to model a wide range of real-world materials. These parameters are based on physical attributes such as albedo (color), roughness, metallic, luminance and other characteristics. By varying the values of these parameters, PBR can accurately model how light interacts with metals, plastics, ceramics, rock, wood, cloth and other materials. The physical underpinning of PBR means that these materials look and behave realistically under all lighting conditions.

3DMark Speed Way uses physically based rendering to create a range of realistic materials. Click on the image below to open the comparison in a new tab, then drag the slider to compare the image with and without the materials.



Right-click to open a full size, interactive 1440p comparison in a new tab

In 3D graphics, a mesh is the set of vertices, edges and faces that define the shape of an object. In current graphics pipelines, all geometry data in a mesh must be processed sequentially before further steps can be taken.

Mesh Shaders are a new feature in DirectX 12 Ultimate that streamlines the rendering pipeline to improve flexibility and performance. Mesh shaders replace the old approach with a new model that can process small sections of a mesh, called meshlets, in parallel with a much greater degree of flexibility and control.

3DMark Speed Way uses Mesh Shaders to optimize the Level of Detail (LOD) for each cluster in a mesh and to efficiently cull geometry that is not visible to the camera or occluded by other objects. Click on the image to open the comparison in a new tab, then drag the slider to see a visualization of the meshlets that make up each object in the scene.



Right-click to open a full size, interactive 1440p comparison in a new tab

3DMark Speed Way will be available on Steam later this year. Check back soon for more details.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/223850/3DMark/

UL benchmarks use a component called SystemInfo to identify the hardware in your system. This patch updates SystemInfo to version 5.47.
This update adds a workaround for an issue affecting a limited number of ASUS G14 (2022) laptops with a specific display panel, which causes the maximum screen brightness of the panel to be limited to 250 nits after running 3D applications that make a specific Windows API call. ASUS has already rectified this issue on newer laptop batches and is rolling out a fix within the next 2 weeks for affected G14 (2022) laptops already in the market.

If you have a device affected by this issue, you should contact ASUS support to help you reset your display panel firmware. https://www.asus.com/support/

We've teamed up with The Irregular Corporation to create the ultimate Steam bundle for PC enthusiasts! The Build & Benchmark bundle includes the runaway hit game, PC Building Simulator, and the full version of 3DMark, the gamer's benchmark. This special bundle also comes with a 20% discount compared with purchasing each title separately.

https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/24695/Build__Benchmark_Bundle/

3DMark is for gamers, overclockers, and system builders who want to get more out of their hardware. With its wide range of benchmark tests, 3DMark has everything you need to test your PC's performance.

3DMark tests GPU and CPU performance by rendering extremely demanding game-like scenes in real time. The faster the benchmark runs, the better your 3DMark score.



3DMark shows you how your score compares with results from other systems with the same hardware. And if you're wondering what your 3DMark score means for real-world game performance, 3DMark shows you the frame rates you can expect in a selection of popular games too.

We update 3DMark regularly so that you can benchmark the latest PC gaming hardware. When you buy 3DMark today, you benefit from over nine years of continuous development, updates, and enhancements.

In the smash-hit game PC Building Simulator, you build and grow your very own computer repair enterprise as you learn to diagnose, fix, and build PCs. With real-world licensed components and comprehensive hardware and software simulation, you can plan and bring your ultimate PC to life.

Career mode puts you in charge of your very own PC building and repair business. Customers will provide you with a range of jobs from simple upgrades and repairs to full system builds, which you must complete while balancing your books to ensure you are still making a profit!



PC Building Simulator lets you experiment with a wide selection of accurately modeled, fully licensed parts from real-world manufacturers. Express your flair by coordinating LED lighting and cabling colors to make your builds stand out. Choose from a range of cooling solutions including fully customizable water-cooling loops. If money were no object, what would you build?

Once your rig is ready to go, turn it on and see how it benchmarks with a fully accurate simulation of 3DMark! Not happy with the results? Jump into the bios and try your hand at overclocking.


When you buy the Build & Benchmark bundle on Steam, you save 20% compared with the total price of buying 3DMark and PC Building Simulator separately.

The Build & Benchmark Bundle is a "complete the set" bundle. This means you only pay for titles you don't already own. For example, if you already own 3DMark, you will only have to pay for PC Building Simulator and you will still get the 20% bundle discount.

https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/24695/Build__Benchmark_Bundle/

3DMark has been the first choice for benchmarking for more than 20 years. Millions of gamers around the world use 3DMark Time Spy and Fire Strike benchmarks to test and compare PC performance.

Today, we're proud to announce that we are partnering with Lenovo to bring a new 3DMark benchmark to gamers later this year.

3DMark Speed Way is a new GPU benchmark that showcases the graphics technology that will power the next generation of gaming experiences.



3DMark Speed Way uses ray tracing and real-time global illumination to render realistic lighting and reflections. It uses new DirectX 12 Ultimate features to optimize performance and visual quality.



Thanks to our partnership with Lenovo, 3DMark Speed Way features exclusive Legion brand sponsorship and product placements with detailed models of Legion products in the benchmark scene.

3DMark Speed Way will be available on Steam later this year. Check back soon for more details!

This is a minor update. Benchmark scores are not affected.
Improved

• The Shoot for the Moon achievement now requires a "Great" or better result on lunar new year. For 2022 this is February 1st.

UL benchmarks use a component called SystemInfo to identify the hardware in your system. This patch updates SystemInfo to version 5.46.

• Updated GPU detection module to improve compatibility with latest hardware.
  
• Updated CPUID module to improve compatibility with latest hardware and to fix incorrect memory clock speed indication on Intel Tiger Lake-based systems.
  
• Fixed an issue that could cause results from systems with AMD GPUs to be incorrectly flagged as invalid due to modified tessellation settings.

This is a minor update. Benchmark scores are not affected.
Improved

• The Home screen now recommends the best 3DMark benchmark tests for your graphics card, processor and storage device.
  
• The Benchmarks screen now shows the filter panel by default making it easier to find and select tests for your hardware.