Why it matters to you
Coming June 22, PCMark 10 will offer faster and more accurate benchmarking for contemporary computer systems.
Futuremark, which produces computer benchmark applications for home users and businesses, has a brand-new version of its long-standing PCMark software, dubbed PCMark 10. It’s not quite ready for prime time yet, but the Finnish company is sending out preview builds to the press, and the Professional, Advanced and Basic editions of the software will be launched throughout June.
A little different from the 3D and gaming-focused 3DMark benchmark, PCMark 10 looks to ape the tradition of its predecessors and test a system’s overall performance. It does still throw a few tasks the graphics card’s way, but it also looks at a PC’s ability to handle media viewing, office software, and creative applications, as well as tests the onboard storage system.
Futuremark hasn’t revealed what new features we can expect with PCMark10, but did say that it will base its tests on real-world applications and activities, to give users an idea of how capable their system is at the tasks they perform on a regular basis. We’re told that the new workload PCMark 10 offers, reflects the variety of tasks performed in the modern workplace.
It also takes less time to run, as little as half the time as the previous-generation benchmark of the same name. Incidentally, that was PCMark 8. Futuremark skipped PCMark 9, taking a page out of Microsoft’s book to keep its software’s nomenclature in line with Windows 10.
The first look we’ll all have of PCMark 10 will be at Computex, which runs from May 31 through June 3, though the Professional Edition of the software will debut on June 5. For those not looking to shell out quite that much, you’ll be able to buy the Advanced version on June 22, or download the Basic Edition for free on the same day.
If you’ve ever wondered how Futuremark puts together its benchmarks and how it got into the business of doing so in the first place, check out our interview with one team member who’s been there from the very beginning.