Thursday, May 12th 2011
PCMark 7 Released, Offers Complete PC Testing for Windows 7
PCMark 7, a new Futuremark benchmark that offers complete PC performance testing for Windows 7, was released today and is now available to download and purchase from here. PCMark 7 is available in 3 editions: the free Basic Edition that offers unlimited runs of the PCMark test suite without registration or expiry, the Advanced Edition which includes all 7 benchmark tests and the Professional Edition which unlocks all features and is licensed for commercial use. PCMark 7 is the latest benchmark from developer Futuremark and joins existing Windows PC tests PCMark05 for Windows XP and PCMark Vantage for Windows Vista.
PCMark 7 provides a set of 7 PC tests for measuring different aspects of PC performance with a high degree of accuracy. Overall system performance is measured by the PCMark test. The Lightweight test measures the capabilities of entry level systems and mobility platforms unable to run the full PCMark test. Common use performance is measured by the Entertainment, Creativity and Productivity tests. Component performance is measured by the Computation and Storage hardware tests. The Storage test is ideal for testing solid state drives (SSDs) and external hard drives in addition to the system drive.
PCMark 7 helps you choose the best component upgrades
With the launch of PCMark 7 today, everyone can use this powerful PC test and its online services found at www.pcmark.com to compare the PCMark scores from thousands of systems. By comparing the increases gained by upgrading either the CPU, GPU, RAM or system storage device, then comparing the cost of each component, it's easy for PC users to see which upgrades deliver the biggest performance increase per dollar spent.
"A benchmark is a highly complex and sophisticated piece of software, yet PCMark 7 is easy to use and requires no specialist knowledge or set up," said Jani Joki, Director of PC Products and Services at Futuremark. "Better yet, PCMark 7 Basic Edition is available as a free download so all PC users can benefit from this industrial strength PC test."
PCMark 7 is designed for the full range of modern hardware
The PC landscape is changing rapidly thanks to new hardware innovations like solid state drives (SSDs), CPUs with integrated graphics and computing capabilities and new form factors such as netbooks and tablets. PCMark 7 is the only benchmark that lets PC home users and business managers make valid performance comparisons across such a wide range of hardware and usage scenarios.
The video transcoding workloads, for example, use dedicated hardware acceleration if it is available. This allows for a better comparison between newer components which enable acceleration and older parts that rely on brute force calculation alone.
The storage workloads in PCMark 7 have been extensively developed to accurately and fairly compare systems with either SSD or HDD storage drives. An SSD may be ten times faster than an HDD, but upgrading will not make your PC ten times faster. Tests that use the storage workloads take this into account, and comparing the scores between systems with an SSD and without will give you an accurate estimate of the difference in performance for your complete system, not just that one isolated component.
PCMark 7's storage workloads use recordings of how real applications, including Microsoft Word, Windows Live Photo Gallery, Windows Live Movie Maker, Windows Media Center, Windows Media Player, Internet Explorer, Windows Defender (Security Essentials) and even World of Warcraft, access and use the PC's storage device. These recordings are used in the benchmark to replicate how real applications behave without needing to install, run and measure each individual application.
PCMark 7 is available in a range of editions to suit different needs:
PCMARK 7 BASIC EDITION
PCMark 7 provides a set of 7 PC tests for measuring different aspects of PC performance with a high degree of accuracy. Overall system performance is measured by the PCMark test. The Lightweight test measures the capabilities of entry level systems and mobility platforms unable to run the full PCMark test. Common use performance is measured by the Entertainment, Creativity and Productivity tests. Component performance is measured by the Computation and Storage hardware tests. The Storage test is ideal for testing solid state drives (SSDs) and external hard drives in addition to the system drive.
With the launch of PCMark 7 today, everyone can use this powerful PC test and its online services found at www.pcmark.com to compare the PCMark scores from thousands of systems. By comparing the increases gained by upgrading either the CPU, GPU, RAM or system storage device, then comparing the cost of each component, it's easy for PC users to see which upgrades deliver the biggest performance increase per dollar spent.
"A benchmark is a highly complex and sophisticated piece of software, yet PCMark 7 is easy to use and requires no specialist knowledge or set up," said Jani Joki, Director of PC Products and Services at Futuremark. "Better yet, PCMark 7 Basic Edition is available as a free download so all PC users can benefit from this industrial strength PC test."
PCMark 7 is designed for the full range of modern hardware
The PC landscape is changing rapidly thanks to new hardware innovations like solid state drives (SSDs), CPUs with integrated graphics and computing capabilities and new form factors such as netbooks and tablets. PCMark 7 is the only benchmark that lets PC home users and business managers make valid performance comparisons across such a wide range of hardware and usage scenarios.
The video transcoding workloads, for example, use dedicated hardware acceleration if it is available. This allows for a better comparison between newer components which enable acceleration and older parts that rely on brute force calculation alone.
The storage workloads in PCMark 7 have been extensively developed to accurately and fairly compare systems with either SSD or HDD storage drives. An SSD may be ten times faster than an HDD, but upgrading will not make your PC ten times faster. Tests that use the storage workloads take this into account, and comparing the scores between systems with an SSD and without will give you an accurate estimate of the difference in performance for your complete system, not just that one isolated component.
PCMark 7's storage workloads use recordings of how real applications, including Microsoft Word, Windows Live Photo Gallery, Windows Live Movie Maker, Windows Media Center, Windows Media Player, Internet Explorer, Windows Defender (Security Essentials) and even World of Warcraft, access and use the PC's storage device. These recordings are used in the benchmark to replicate how real applications behave without needing to install, run and measure each individual application.
PCMark 7 is available in a range of editions to suit different needs:
PCMARK 7 BASIC EDITION
- Free download
- Free PC test offering unlimited runs of the main PCMark test
- Browse, search and compare results online
- Store one result online
- $39.95
- Includes all 7 PC tests with more than 25 individual workloads
- Browse, search and compare results online
- Unlimited online results storage
- Hide results from public view
- Offline result management
- Advert-free online service
- $995.00
- Licensed for commercial PC system testing
- Includes all 7 PC tests with more than 25 individual workloads
- Command line automation
- Browse, search and compare results online
- Unlimited online results storage
- Hide results from public view
- Offline result management
- Advert-free online service
- Priority support
16 Comments on PCMark 7 Released, Offers Complete PC Testing for Windows 7
wtf? Thousand dollars for useless program that only tests computer?
For you (overclocker/PC-enthusiast/non-commercial user), the $40 edition gives you everything you'll ever need.
Benchmark programs like this only seem useful if you want to play bragging number games. Otherwise, who cares? If you can play your latest game with all settings on high then your computer is fast enough. Otherwise, it is not. That's all I really need to know! :rolleyes:
I turned off a few things, 5474.
People race cars, boats, and bikes for "bragging numbers," too.Those who test hardware for a living.Yes, that applies with automobiles as well. Your Fiat [insert entry level model] can drive you to work and back. It won't win races, some people make a living running those races.
Once again, if you don't see a purpose in benchmarking and fast hardware, you're on the wrong website.
The 995$ version is for people who'll use that product to generate money.
The 40$ version is for people who want bragging rights in the e-peen race.
For the rest of us, game performance is all that matters, so we pay nothing.I think what he's getting at, is that as PC Gamers/Overclockers, we WANT to have a system worthy of benchmarking, but only for the purpose of gaming.
Like revving up a cheap Sonata with a V8 to have some fun on your morning commute.
It's simply more practical. Why build a rig just to benchmark? No fun.
With the old laptop
2854 with tweaking 3dmark.com/pcm7/10661
Hell, their is division's that just do that.. see how hard they can take the system, just to get that "pop" that we all hate to hear..
Thanks for the post btarunr.
3dmark.com/pcm7/29480
Your mom with two weeks of training, bunch of pre-made components and a giant tank of helium could probably break a record or two too.
Think the score was rather low 5703 PCMarks