A new module is available for 3DMark and, for once, it applies to all current platforms.
The new Steel Nomad scene for 3DMark, unveiled in December last year, is now available. For over 25 years, 3DMark has been THE benchmark for measuring a machine's graphics performance. Initially dedicated exclusively to powerful video game machines, the software has gradually opened up to slightly less powerful platforms, without ever renouncing its video game DNA. The Steel Nomad scene confirms this.
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Steel Nomad adds another string to 3DMark's already comprehensive bow. It joins Night Raid, Wild Life, Fire Strike, Time Spy, Solar Bay, Port Royal and Speed Way. We reported on Solar Bay when it was released in August 2023, the previous major update for 3DMark. The aim then was to offer a relatively open graphics performance measurement tool, even if the SoCs of our most portable machines (laptops, smartphones) were more in the firing line. On the contrary, the even earlier update - Speed Way - was there to provide a particularly heavyweight scene, initially designed for DirectX 12 Ultimate and incorporating multiple ray tracing reflections.
In a way, Steel Nomad is halfway there. DirectX 12 is still required for the Windows PC version, but the scene is also designed for Windows-on-ARM, Android and iOS systems. That's why the Vulkan and Metal libraries are supported alongside DirectX 12. What's more, two versions of Steel Nomad were released at the same time: Steel Nomad and Steel Nomad Light, the latter designed for less muscular platforms. Last but certainly not least, both versions of the new Steel Nomad scene are available free of charge to all 3DMark customers. Get ready to benchmark! Get set! Test it out!
