Skip to main content

Futuremark's Time Spy benchmark arrives to test DirectX 12 performance

On Thursday, Futuremark launched 3DMark Time Spy, a new DirectX 12 benchmark test initially teased last month that’s built from the ground up to really see what Microsoft’s Windows 10 exclusive graphics API brings to the gaming table. The test was created with major input from the Benchmark Development Program consisting of companies such as Nvidia, AMD, Microsoft, Intel, and more.

“With its pure DirectX 12 engine, which supports new API features like asynchronous compute, explicit multi-adapter, and multi-threading, 3DMark Time Spy is the ideal benchmark for testing the DirectX 12 performance of the latest graphics cards,” Futuremark said.

The new Time Spy test includes a demo, two graphics tests, and a CPU test. It renders at a 2,560 x 1,440 resolution, meaning it’s going to require a somewhat hefty machine with a recent graphics card to run it at a decent frame rate. Time Spy is billed as the successor to Fire Strike, processing 30,000,000 verticies per frame in the first graphics test, and 40,000,000 verticies per frame in the second test. The Fire Strike test only processes 3,900,000 and 2,600,000 verticies per frame, respectively.

In addition to the number of verticies Time Spy processes per frame, the first graphics test also processes an average of 13,500,000 triangles, 800,000 tessellation patches, and 70,000,000 compute shader invocations. In the second graphics test, Time Spy processes 14,000,000 triangles, 2,400,000 tessellation patches, and 70,000,000 compute shader invocations per frame on average.

Despite the need for hefty hardware components to render it smoothly, Time Spy can reportedly run on video cards as old as the Radeon HD 5000 series, the GeForce GTX 400 series, and Intel’s own HD Graphics 4000 and 2500 GPU series.

Time Spy can benchmark multiple GPUs too, by way of the linked-node mode in DirectX 12’s explicit multi-adapter component.

Futuremark is serving up Time Spy as a free upgrade for the Windows versions of 3DMark Basic Edition / Steam Demo, 3DMark Advanced Edition, and 3DMark Professional Edition. For customers who purchased Advanced Edition before July 14, $10 will unlock additional, optional features and settings in the Time Spy benchmark tests.

Right now, Futuremark is offering a discount on 3DMark Advanced Edition and Time Spy to celebrate the release of the new test. The benchmarking program will be on sale for $10 until July 23, and after that it will cost $30. Customers who already own 3DMark can get the Time Spy upgrade for $5 until July 23.

Editors' Recommendations

Kevin Parrish
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kevin started taking PCs apart in the 90s when Quake was on the way and his PC lacked the required components. Since then…
Windows 10 October 2018 Update brings DirectX ray tracing to gaming PCs
DirectX ray tracing in Battlefield V.

Use of ray tracing in the upcoming video game, Battlefield V. Image used with permission by copyright holder

Today, October 2, marks a milestone for gamers everywhere thanks to Microsoft’s release of the Windows 10 October 2018 Update. Along with a collection of other new features, the update brings the first public support for Microsoft’s DirectX ray tracing technology. Now, computers can take advantage of graphics hardware that supports ray tracing, such as Nvidia’s lineup of GeForce RTX cards, to render stunning in-game lighting scenarios in real time.

Read more
Lenovo Legion Pro 5 gaming laptop with an RTX 4070 is $400 off
Cyberpunk 2077 on the Lenovo Legion Pro 5.

If you're planning to buy a new gaming laptop, we highly recommend looking for offers involving the Lenovo Legion Pro 5. There's one right now from Lenovo itself -- a $400 discount that pulls the machine's price down from $1,900 to $1,500. It's still not cheap, but we assure you that every penny spent on this gaming laptop will be worth it. You're going to have to hurry with your purchase if you don't want to miss out on getting the device at 21% off though, as its price may return to normal at any moment.

Why you should buy the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 gaming laptop
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 is our top choice in our roundup of the best gaming laptops because of the fantastic value that it provides as a reasonably priced and well-built machine. It's powered by the AMD Ryzen 7 7745HX processor and the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card, plus 32GB of RAM that's enough to run multiple applications like streaming software and web browsers while playing the best PC games at their highest settings, according to our guide on how much RAM do you need. With these specifications, the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 is also prepared to play the best upcoming PC games without any need for further upgrades.

Read more
Best 17-inch laptop deals: Big savings on big screen laptops
Alienware m17 R5 laptop sitting next to a headset.

17-inch laptops sit right at the top of the line for big screens on laptops. Far from being oddballs, however, they are made by the best laptop brands and many are included amongst our lists of the best laptops. Still though, this is not just a list of the best laptop deals, but bigger. Instead, we've found 17-inch laptop deals that show that you can go bigger (and possibly better) without going broke. Here are our favorite 17-inch laptop deals of the season.
ASUS 17.3-Inch Chromebook — $199, was $299

This is probably the cheapest 17-inch laptop (that you'll actually enjoy using) of the moment. It's also one of our lowest price favorites when it comes to Best Buy laptop deals. It's got 4GB of memory and 64GB of eMMC flash storage so it'll be perfect for browsing the net, watching YouTube on (it has a 1080p resolution), and getting a bit of work done without distractions. Bonuses include super-fast Wi-Fi 6 capabilities, an HD webcam with mic, and even a headphone/microphone combo jack.

Read more