What is a Good PC Benchmark Score in 2024?
A PC benchmark score provides an objective way to measure your system‘s performance for gaming, creation, and productivity tasks. As an avid gamer and content creator, higher scores directly translate to higher framerates, faster game loads, and reduced rendering times. But with many benchmarks available, how do you know what scores you should be aiming for?
As a gaming industry expert, I‘ll break down benchmark recommendations and real-world expectations for latest generation CPUs, GPUs, and storage. You‘ll also get pro tips to push your system to its limits. Let‘s dive in!
CPU Benchmarks – Measuring Processing Power
Your processor plays a crucial role in game performance and smooth frame pacing. CPU benchmarks like GeekBench measure computational speed across various workloads. For gaming, I recommend targeting scores of:
| CPU | Recommended GeekBench Score | Performance Expectations |
|---|---|---|
| Intel Core i5-13600K | Over 17,000 | Smooth 1440p or entry-level 4K gaming |
| Intel Core i7-13700K | Over 20,000 | High framerate 1440p, solid 4K gaming |
| Intel Core i9-13900K | Over 24,000 | Blazing fast 4K gaming, elite creation workflows |
| AMD Ryzen 5 7600X | Over 17,000 | On par with 13600K for gaming and streaming |
| AMD Ryzen 7 7700X | Over 20,000 | Close competition for 13700K across gaming and creation |
| AMD Ryzen 9 7950X | Over 25,000 | Leading multi-threaded performance for 4K gaming and rendering |
Table Source: CPU Benchmark Hierarchy 2023
As you can see, AMD and Intel‘s latest releases go blow-for-blow delivering excellent processing power. The Ryzen 9 7950X edges out the 13900K in heavily threaded workloads like 3D rendering or video encoding. But when gaming frame rates are primary, both flagship CPUs enable outstanding 4K experiences.
GPU Benchmarks – Evaluating Graphics Power
For gaming, your graphics card plays the lead role in determining visual fidelity and frame rates. Tests like 3DMark‘s Time Spy benchmark intensity graphics workloads for scoring. Here are top picks if building a new enthusiast gaming rig:
| GPU | Recommended Time Spy Score | Performance Expectations |
|---|---|---|
| NVIDIA RTX 4080 | Over 23,000 | Silky smooth 4K gaming with ray tracing enabled |
| NVIDIA RTX 4090 | Over 32,000 | Future-proof 8K 60 FPS gaming on max settings |
| AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT | Over 21,000 | On par with RTX 4080 for mesmerizing 4K gaming |
| AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX | Over 24,000 | Go toe-to-toe with RTX 4090 for extreme gaming and creation |
Table Source: GPU Benchmarks and Hierarchy 2023
NVIDIA‘s Ada Lovelace architecture takes the 4K gaming crown with excellent ray tracing support in titles like Cyberpunk 2077 or Spiderman Remastered. But AMD‘s RDNA 3 powered RX 7900 XTX nearly eliminates the gap if ray tracing is disabled. Both offer portal-like immersion when gaming.
Storage Benchmarks – Evaluating Loading Speeds
Gamers have embraced lightning fast NVMe SSDs for radically reducing initial game and level load times. Storage benchmarks measure transfer rates when reading/writing data. For the best experience, I recommend PCIe 4.0 drives enabling raw throughput over 7,000 MB/s!
| Drive Type | Sequential Read | Sequential Write | Real-World Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| SATA SSD | 500 MB/s | 300 MB/s | Tolerable game load times |
| PCIe 3.0 NVMe | 3,500 MB/s | 3,000 MB/s | Very quick game & app launches |
| PCIe 4.0 NVMe | 7,000 MB/s | 5,000 MB/s | Nearly instantaneous game loads |
Table Source: SSD Storage Benchmarks
Compared to old-school hard drives, even basic SATA SSDs provide huge improvements. But leveraging PCIe 4.0 offers unmatched speed – vital when leaping between multiplayer maps or fast traveling across engrossing open worlds.
Benchmark Optimization Tips
- Enable XMP memory profiles in BIOS for higher RAM speeds
- Overclock your CPU and GPU for free benchmark gains
- Close background apps and disable anti-virus scans when testing
- Keep graphics drivers and Windows fully updated for best compatibility
- Clean install Windows for snappier performance without bloatware
With some tuning savvy, you can push hardware to score higher without expensive upgrades! Once you have your system properly configured, run benchmarks before and after to quantify the impact of tweaks.
I hope this deep dive into current CPU, GPU and storage benchmarks for gamers helps better set performance targets for your rig. Let me know if you have any other questions! I‘m always happy to help a fellow gaming enthusiast.
