Sure, benchmarking your graphics card might sound like rocket science, but it surely’s not as tough as you may assume. Roll up your sleeves, as a result of this information will present you simply how simple, gratifying, and necessary it’s to benchmark your GPU. And not simply once you’re overclocking! Benchmarking additionally helps you ensure that your present graphics card is operating correctly after months and years of use, and makes it simpler to know whether or not or not you must improve. We’ll cowl benchmarking for each stability and efficiency.

For much more data, remember to take a look at our roundup of the best graphics cards, in addition to our supplementary information to the best GPU benchmarking software.

Why you must benchmark your GPU

First, although, right here’s why try to be benchmarking your graphics card even in case you aren’t attempting to make it to the highest of the aggressive overclocking charts:

• To get a baseline efficiency metric in order that you already know in case your GPU is performing because it ought to by evaluating to different normal outcomes.
• To be capable to examine your present PC’s efficiency towards your future {hardware} upgrades. How a lot efficiency will you achieve by shopping for a brand new graphics card? Now you’ll know!
• To examine for stability and different vitals like thermals, clock speeds, and so forth.

First, take a look at for stability and temperatures

Now that you already know why you must benchmark, it’s time to get into the how. Let’s begin with stability and vitals. It’s uncommon, however generally a graphics card could be faulty from the manufacturing facility. That can imply a useless card, however in lots of instances you’ll get what are referred to as “artifacts”—principally imperfections on the picture, flickering, and even pulsating colours. 

The first program we’re going to make use of is Unigine Heaven 4.0. It’s free for private use and runs a loop of a graphical atmosphere that basically makes use of your GPU. The first order of enterprise right here is to verify your graphics card can run with out shutting down or displaying any bizarre graphical glitches, so you must permit it to run Heaven for not less than half-hour, to permit the GPU to stand up to temperature.

If all appears good, you’ll additionally wish to control the vitals, Those might be displayed within the high proper nook, alongside along with your GPU data.

The first very important is temperature, which might point out varied potential points along with your {hardware} and case airflow. If your GPU shortly reaches its most temperature restrict, it may point out a uncommon (however doable) difficulty with its thermal paste, or (extra probably) restricted airflow in your case if there isn’t sufficient clearance for the followers to get cool air.

instance of latest points have been within the GDDR6X reminiscence temperatures of Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 3090 Founders Edition. You’d by no means know with out stress-testing the GPU that the reminiscence can get very near the VRAM temperature restrict, probably throttling your efficiency. (Some individuals have efficiently up to date their thermal pads and seen a big enchancment)

How have you learnt the traditional working temperature in your graphics card’s GPU core? It varies by mannequin (Google your GPU title for concrete particulars) however primary reference-style coolers can usually run as excessive as 84 Celsius, whereas some bigger graphics playing cards with hefty warmth sinks and a number of followers—like Sapphire’s fantastic Nitro+ series—could be decrease within the 60s and 70s. You’ll know in case you’re within the hazard zone in case your temperatures are within the greater 80s, and your followers are spinning aggressively; this usually will point out poor case airflow. Add some followers or open some case panels and temperatures ought to enhance. That’s a direct profit of information gained whereas benchmarking and testing your GPU.

You may also control the core clock and reminiscence clock of your GPU, to verify it’s performing close to the supposed specs. An simpler manner is to simply run the benchmark choice in Unigine Heaven, after which you possibly can examine your rating with others on-line and get a great baseline to be sure you’re within the ballpark.

How to benchmark your GPU to gauge baseline efficiency

After you’ve examined for stability and thermals, you possibly can take your benchmarking diploma as much as a doctorate by testing efficiency. Here we’ll use the popular 3DMark benchmarking suite, which incorporates some free modes. Time Spy (which assessments DirectX 12 graphics efficiency) and Port Royal (ray tracing efficiency) are among the most generally used benchmarks round. 3DMark even has a web-based corridor of fame the place you possibly can examine your scores towards others!

What numbers do you have to control? It’s easy. There’s one whole rating, after which separate particular person scores for the CPU and GPU in case you’re operating Time Spy. Port Royal simply has GPU scores and a complete rating. If you make a tweak to a part in your PC, the person scores provide you with a greater thought of the have an effect on it has on the whole rating. (This particularly helpful in case you’re seeking to overclock. Take a have a look at our article on Nvidia’s Automatic overclocking tool in GeForce Experience.)

3DMark mark may also present you the approximate body price efficiency you’d get on a selected sport and determination, which could be very helpful data to gauge your efficiency and examine it towards what new upgrades might accomplish for you. If you’re doing a little overclocking, operating 3DMark may also reveal instabilities in your system, comparable to crashes, so you possibly can modify your numbers and check out once more.  

How to benchmark your GPU in video games

Another very enjoyable approach to benchmark your GPU is to make use of the automated benchmarks constructed into many video games. (Check out our GeForce RTX 4070 review to see some widespread ones, or the list of games with built-in benchmarks on the at all times unbelievable PC Gaming Wiki.)

Shadow of the Tomb Raider is a favourite of mine as a result of you possibly can simply see the frames per second efficiency that you simply’re getting in every scene, providing you with a great indication of how the sport will run total. As a bonus, in case you upgrade your graphics card or other PC hardware, you possibly can re-run the benchmark and also you’ll know precisely what features you’ve netted.

More superior players can use software program comparable to Fraps or OCAT to manually benchmark efficiency of video games that don’t have a built-in benchmark, however this can require extra time, testing, and determining a repeatable testing state of affairs to keep away from potential scene-to-scene variance.

There you may have it! You’ve graduated to GPU benchmarking professional. Now you know the way to examine that your graphics card is steady and totally functioning, tips on how to validate efficiency numbers to verify your GPU is as much as spec, and tips on how to gauge the baseline efficiency of your {hardware} for future improve comparisons. And who is aware of? You might take pleasure in benchmarking a lot, you’ll turn it into a hobby!

Editor’s observe: This article initially revealed in 2021, however has been up to date with extra related references over time.