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Is 3DMark worth it?

Is 3DMark worth it as a benchmarking application for CPU use?

Updated: Feb 27, 2023 1:21 pm
Is 3DMark worth it?

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3DMark is an all-in-one benchmarking software currently available on Steam for $36. Today, we examine the software and its offerings closely to answer the question: is 3DMark worth it?

Now Read: Best CPU for gaming 2023


What is 3DMark?

3DMark is a benchmarking software that, when installed, provides you with a variety of benchmarks you can use to test the performance of your computer’s hardware – your CPU and GPU, for the most part. 

The application essentially runs resource-intensive tests on your computer and then provides you with a numerical result you can use to compare the performance of your system to the systems of other users with similar and different specs. 


Who is 3DMark for?

Of course, not everyone needs premium benchmarking software on their system. 3DMark and applications similar to it are for select audiences who are in a position to derive some benefit from the benchmarks. See if you fall into any of these categories to find out whether or not 3DMark is worth it for you. 

Enthusiast gamers and PC builders

If you’re an enthusiast gaming who enjoys playing games at maxed-out visual settings and high framerates, and you want to make sure that the hardware you’re getting justifies the price you pay for it, 3DMark is certainly worth considering. 

Enthusiast gaming PC: Is 3DMARK worth it?

If you’re paying $2000 or more for a high-end gaming rig, for example, spending the extra $36 on 3DMark makes sense because it gives you a way to verify that the performance of the system you spent so much on is in line with your expectations. 

This is especially the case for gamers who upgrade to the latest hardware every few years. Having a way to test each PC build for performance after each build can certainly be convenient. Nothing puts system stability to the test quite like a benchmark. 

Competitive overclockers

If you want to squeeze every last drop of performance out of your system, you’ll have to overclock it effectively. 3DMark’s benchmarks can be helpful here since they help you identify the performance increase your overclocking efforts yield. 

You can run benchmarks as you make adjustments to the clock speed of your CPU/GPU to find out the sweet spot – in terms of performance delivered, power consumed, fan noise created, and internal temperatures generated.

3DMark also has a leaderboard for competitive overclockers who like to one-up each other and get the best score out of any particular piece of hardware. 

Professional PC builders

Professional PC builders need benchmarking software to check each system for performance and thermals before shipping it out to customers.

3DMark is a leading software in its category and probably worth the investment if it helps identify errors or improve the quality of system builds before they’re shipped out. 


Is 3DMark worth it? Final word

If your use case falls into any of the categories listed above, 3DMark is likely worth the investment. 

It not only lets you see how your system’s performance stacks up to other systems with the same components, but it also helps you identify problems with thermals and cooling that would have otherwise gone unnoticed. 

If you’re just a casual gamer or the average computer user really only interested in getting a general, mostly accurate idea of how your system compares to others in the world of hardware, there are plenty of free benchmarks and comparison guides available online that can do that for you fine, so you don’t necessarily have to pay the $36 purchase fee for 3DMark. 


Jack is a Tech and News Writer who has a vast and proficient knowledge of CPUs, Motherboards, and Computer technology.

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