How to Benchmark Your Graphics Card

It’s vital to benchmark your graphics card if you are interested in gaming and other hardcore usages. However, it involves much more than restarting games and measuring their refresh rates. Even though you can restart certain games to check how they run, this will only tell you about the performance after you’ve prepared your PC for complete benchmarking. 

Are you a computer enthusiast and want to learn how to benchmark your graphics card? Your search ends here. In this article, I will teach you to benchmark graphics cards, no matter whether you have a Geforce RTX 4090 or an AMD Radeon RX7900 series. Then, you can compare your system to the top graphics cards available.

Five Steps to Benchmark Your Graphics Card

Here is the guide you can follow to benchmark your video card. Just follow it properly, and you’ll see how powerful your GPU is.

Step 1: Install a benchmarking application

Benchmarking applications are highly regulated, resulting in repeated and correct outcomes. You need to download an application to start the benchmarking process. We suggest installing one gaming and one benchmarking application.

You can use 3DMark Time Spy as a synthetic benchmark. The software is entirely free to use and uses the DirectX 12 API. However, there is the DirectX 11 API-based 3DMark Fire Strike available. The basic versions are free, but the premium versions may charge money.

Some affordable games you can use to benchmark are Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Forza Horizon 4, and Shadow of the Tomb Raider. However, these games offer average frame rates and might require a separate program if missing the built-in benchmark. 

Some user-friendly frame rate tools include FRAPS. It shows maximum, average, and minimum frame rates. You can also use OCAT and CapFrameX. Each of these applications is more complicated than FRAPS but provides deeper information.

Step 2: Configure your system for benchmarking

You must configure your computer before running benchmarks. First, ensure you have the most updated graphics drivers and Windows versions. Then, after installing all updates, reboot your computer and close the open apps. After you’ve finished everything, let your computer rest for 10 –15 minutes. 

You may optimize Windows further by disabling auto-updates and alerts. To disable notifications, press Windows+S<Notifications. Then tick “Get Notifications from Apps.”

You may even turn off your internet connection. It will manage any ongoing internet-connected operations.

Press Windows + S and click on “Power Plan.” You can use the balanced or high-performance model. The balanced model is good and will consume less electricity. Next, select “Manage 3D Settings” from the Nvidia Control Panel if you use the Nvidia graphics card. 

Step 3: Modify settings and perform tests

The majority of the benchmarking process includes getting things ready. First, run the test using 3DMark, and make sure not to turn off your computer while it is doing so. 

Carry out the test several times to ensure that the results are similar. They can be approximate, but if you receive widely different answers, there’s something wrong. You have the option of repeating the test up to five times. Similar results mean that the system is functioning correctly.

Use “V-Sync” to restrict the frame rate to the monitor’s refresh rate. And if there is a frame rate limitation, make sure to disable it. Then, adjust the game’s settings to the system’s default resolution and set a quality preset.

Although changing the settings yields a better result, try to stick to the default settings as they give more accurate results.

Performing the tests at multiple resolutions can give you a proper understanding of your GPU’s performance. This is because high resolution stresses the Graphics card, while the CPU easily controls low resolution.

Perform the benchmarking process if you’re playing either of our suggested games. It is usually found under the graphics settings. However, testing a game without an inbuilt benchmark becomes much more complicated.

Step 4 (optional): Run manual game benchmarking

If you’re manually benchmarking a game, start the frame rate application and add a hotkey (usually F1 or F2) to begin the recording. You should also set a time frame (usually 1 to 5 minutes). Next, choose a place in the game wherein you can repeat the process. Finally, check for any overlays or scenes that appear throughout the test. 

You can use the “Control” application. It does not have an inbuilt benchmark. Carry out the test several times to determine if the results are similar. The selected place is safe if the readings are identical. It might be challenging to replicate the tests but try to avoid moving in random directions or pointing the cameras at the sky.

Step 5: Recording and checking the results

You can use a spreadsheet to record the results. The 1% less frame rate, the 99th percentile, is the lowest 1% frame rate’s mean. It reveals a lot about the performance. The more the difference between the mean frame rate and the 1% less, the more irregular the outcomes. 

However, the average process may not be the most accurate to determine the performance of a game with low and high frame rates consecutively (10 seconds each).

To check your results, compare them to those of other configured computers. The 3DMark application performs this automatically. Write down your results after you’ve checked them so you can revisit them later if required.

Conclusion

So that’s complete to help you benchmark your graphics card. I hope it’d help. I have used the 3d Mark Spy tool because it’s very popular and easy to use. You can also use some other options available. However, always make sure to use reliable tool that provides accurate results.

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