3DMark Time Spy DXR Tests and TechPowerUp Mirror Guide

Futuremark’s 3DMark package — packaged and mirrored by TechPowerUp as “Futuremark 3DMark for Windows v2.29.8299” — is once again in circulation as a large, feature-rich benchmarking suite that includes Time Spy, Time Spy Extreme upgrades, and modern feature tests such as DirectX Raytracing and vendor upscalers; the TechPowerUp download page lists the package as a 10.3 GB ZIP with published MD5/SHA1/SHA256 checksums and a November 26, 2024 update note, making it a convenient offline mirror for users who want a full 3DMark bundle rather than installing piecemeal via app stores.

Background​

3DMark started life as a Futuremark product and has evolved over two decades into the de facto synthetic benchmark for graphics and gaming-system performance. Its major milestones — from the DirectX 11-focused 3DMark 11 and the Fire Strike/Cloud Gate/Ice Storm triage era to the DirectX 12-era Time Spy and the addition of feature tests for ray tracing and mesh shaders — reflect the major shifts in Windows gaming APIs and GPU architecture. Community archives and release notes going back to the 2010s show 3 generations of DirectX generations and hardware vendor features.
Today the product is published and supported by the UL family (UL Benchmarks / UL Solutions), with the benchmark suite available across multiple storefronts (Steam, Epic) as well as downloadable packages circulated by reputable mirrors such as TechPowerUp. The suite now comprises legacy tests (Fire Strike), DirectX 12 tests (Time Spy, Time Spy Extreme), mobile/low-power tests (Night Raid, Ice Storm variants), and discrete feature tests for vendor technologies such as NVIDIA DLSS, Intel XeSS, AMD FSR, and DirectX Raytracing.

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What the TechPowerUp package contains and why it matters​

Package contents and integrity​

• The TechPowerUp listing identifies the mirror file as 3DMark-v2-29-8299.zip with a size reported as 10.3 GB and provides MD5, SHA1 and SHA256 checksums for the archive. These checksums are crucial for verifying the integrity of the download before running installers from a third-party mirror.
• The mirror appears to offer a bundled full-feature package — useful for offline labs, review farms, and air-gapped test systems where Steam/Epic installation is inconvenient. That said, the canonical source for updates and supported drivers remains UL’s own distribution channels and the Steam/Epic storefronts; TechPowerUp’s mirror is a convenience but should be validated with checksums before use.

Which tests are included (basic overview)​

• The 3DMark Basic package typically includes the common benchmarks:
• Fire Strike (high-performance DirectX 11)
• Sky Diver (mid-range / laptops)
• Cloud Gate (notebook/home PC)
• Ice Storm / Ice Storm Extreme / Ice Storm Unlimited (mobile/entry-level)
• Time Spy (DirectX 12) and optional Time Spy Extreme upgrade (4K DirectX 12)
• Feature tests such as DirectX Raytracing, Mesh Shader, Sampler Feedback, and vendor upscaler tests (NVIDIA DLSS, Intel XeSS, AMD FSR) may be included as standalone feature tests or DLC components.
• Time Spy and Night Raid were added as DirectX 12 tests in later updates, and in many modern distributions Time Spy is bundled or available as a free DLC to the main 3DMark app; however, special features like Time Spy Extreme and stress-test functionality commonly require an upgrade/purchase for Advanced/Professional editions. Check the exact package contents in the mirror and compare against the vendor’s “what’s included” list.

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System requirements and compatibility (verified)​

3DMark’s DirectX 12 tests (Time Spy family) and the modern feature tests have explicit minimums:

• Operating system: Windows 10 (64-bit) or Windows 11 (64-bit) for full feature support.
• CPU: 1.8 GHz dual-core (minimum for basic run), but modern tests and repeatable results require multicore CPUs.
• Memory: 4 GB minimum for Time Spy; integrated GPU systems generally need 8 GB because of shared memory.
• Graphics: DirectX 12-compatible GPU; feature tests like DirectX Raytracing require hardware that exposes DXR support (NVIDIA RTX-series, recent AMD RDNA2/RDNA3 parts, Intel Xe-HPG/Arc with driver DXR support).
• Storage: 3 GB–9 GB depending on which benchmarks are installed (Time Spy only is ~3 GB; full suite is larger).

These requirements are the vendor-stated baseline; practical benchmarking for meaningful comparative results requires headroom beyond the minimums (dedicated GPU with sufficient VRAM for Time Spy Extreme, up-to-date drivers with DXR/mesh-shader support, and Windows power/thermal management configured for maximum performance).

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The DirectX Raytracing and modern feature tests — what they measure​

The inclusion of a DirectX Raytracing (DXR) feature test is a notable modern addition. It’s a purpose-built, non-scored or feature test that isolates the performance characteristics of GPU ray-tracing hardware and the supporting driver stack, rather than producing a single composite “3DMark score” that mixes rasterization and compute. Steam and vendor documentation list DirectX Raytracing among the headline feature tests in recent 3DMark builds. Why this matters:

• Ray tracing is a GPU and driver-dependent workload — hardware ray-tracing acceleration units, driver maturity, and vendor upscalers (DLSS/XeSS/FSR) have a major impact on both throughput and visual quality trade-offs.
• 3DMark’s DXR feature test provides a repeatable way to measure raw ray-tracing performance and to evaluate how vendor upscalers affect frame rates under ray-traced lighting/reflections. Use it to compare GPUs strictly for ray-tracing throughput, or to validate driver-level improvements across time.

Other modern feature tests include:

• Mesh Shader — measures the new mesh-shader pipeline efficiencies.
• Sampler Feedback — tests streaming/resolution-management techniques.
• Vendor upscalers — DLSS, XeSS, FSR tests show the performance/QoL uplift of vendor/third-party temporal/spatial upscaling methods.

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Strengths and practical benefits​

• Comprehensive test coverage: 3DMark spans GPUs and devices from low-power tablets to high-end desktops, plus feature tests for modern GPU capabilities. That breadth is useful for labs, reviewers, and engineers who must evaluate performance across use cases.
• Repeatability and comparability: The suite’s deterministic scenes and published rules let reviewers and OEMs compare apples-to-apples across driver versions, hardware revisions, and OS builds. Leaderboards (Steam/UL) and a large body of published results support longitudinal comparisons.
• Modular distribution: Individual tests and DLC make it possible to install only what’s needed (e.g., Time Spy only), which helps with disk management and targeted testing workflows. Mirrors like TechPowerUp presenting single-archive downloads are convenient for rapid deployment in closed environments.
• Feature test granularity: Tests that isolate ray tracing, mesh shaders, and scaler performance reduce ambiguity about where a performance uplift or regression originates — rasterization, RT cores, memory subsystem, or driver scheduler.

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Risks, limitations, and important caveats​

• Mirror trust and integrity: Using a third-party mirror requires careful verification of checksums and an understanding that canonical updates/driver validation are managed by UL/Steam/Epic. TechPowerUp is a reputable community mirror, but always verify the archived checksums (MD5/SHA1/SHA256) reported on the mirror against the vendor’s published hashes when possible. The TechPowerUp listing does include checksums; use them.
• Licensing and DLC differences: Some advanced features — Time Spy Extreme, stress tests, and custom settings — are gated behind Advanced or Professional editions, or sold as DLC on Steam/Epic. Mirrors may include multiple files or installers, but license enforcement is managed by the 3DMark application and storefronts. Confirm your entitlement before expecting all features to be unlocked.
• Synthetnce: Synthetic benchmark scores are useful for relative comparisons, but they do not always translate into equivalent gaming-frame improvements. Optimized drivers or game-specific patches can yield large real-world differences that synthetic loads do not reflect. Community discussions and historical release notes show users often debate how much weight to give synthetic numbers versus real game tests.
• Driver and OS dependencies: Feature tests (DXR, mesh shaders, vendor upscalers) rely on recent drivers and sometimes specific driver-verified builds for consistent results. UL maintains “approved drivers” lists to ensure valid submissions; compare your driver version against vendor or UL guidance before publishing comparative scores.
• Thermals, power limits, and background tasks: Benchmarks amplify thermal and power behavior. Without standardized power profiles, two identical GPUs can report different scores due to firmware, cooler quality, or Windows power settings. Document the system state for each run. Forum archives are full of results skewed by differing test rigs and OS configurations.

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Best-practice checklist for running 3DMark (recommended workflow)​

• Verify the download
• Check the TechPowerUp-listed SHA256 (or MD5/SHA1) against the local file before extraction to ensure integrity. TechPowerUp publishes these values on the listing page.
• Prepare the test system
• Update the GPU driver to the vendor’s recommended “performance” or “gaming” build used by your comparison set.
• Set Windows power plan to High Performance (or vendor recommended) and disable dynamic clock-lowering features for repeatable results.
• Close background apps, overlay software (Discord/GeForce Experience overlays), and unnecessary services.
• Control thermals and power
• Ensure consistent GPU temperatures across runs by allowing a cool-down period and using the same fan/charger settings.
• Use the same ambient temperature and identical cooling configurations if comparing multiple systems.
• Warm-up and run multiple iterations
• Run one warm-up pass to bring clocks and temps to steady state.
• Execute a minimum of three validated runs and use the median score (or an average after excluding an outlier). Record variance.
• Record system state and metadata
• Log CPU model, GPU model and driver version, RAM type/speed, OS build, power settings, and any firmware/BIOS overrides.
• Where possible, capture SystemInfo output from 3DMark’s internal logging and preserve detailed logs for reproducibility.
• Use approved drivers and obey benchmark rules
• For formal submissions or competitive leaderboards, use the vendor-approved driver set documented by UL to avoid invalidated results.
• Validate ray-tracing tests and upscaler runs
• When running the DXR feature test or DLSS/XeSS/FSR comparisons, keep resolution, in-game quality presets, and upscaler mode consistent between runs to make comparisons meaningful.

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How to verify the TechPowerUp download checksums (practical steps)​

• Windows PowerShell:
• Open PowerShell and navigate to the folder containing the ZIP.
• Compute SHA256:
• Get-FileHash .\3DMark-v2-29-8299.zip -Algorithm SHA256
• Compare the output hash to the SHA256 listed on the TechPowerUp page; they must match exactly.
• On Linux/macOS:
• sha256sum 3DMark-v2-29-8299.zip
• Compare the output hash against the listed value.
• If any checksum mismatches, do not run installers — re-download from an alternate canonical source such as UL Benchmarks or Steam and re-verify. TechPowerUp’s listing includes the published checksums to support this verification step.

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PowerUp mirror versus official storefront installation​

• Use the TechPowerUp bundle when:
• You need an offline master archive for images or air-gapped test rigs.
• You’re rebuilding a review farm and prefer a single-sideband archive rather than per-node store downloads.
• You want to preserve a known stable set of test files with checksums for long-term regression testing.
• Use official storefronts (Steam, Epic) when:
• You want automatic updates, DLC management, and entitlement enforcement (Advanced/Professional features).
• You need integrated leaderboards and cloud features.
• You want minimal manual verification overhead and vendor-managed driver support references.

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Critical analysis: what 3DMark still excels at — and where it can mislead​

Strengths:

• 3DMark remains the most widely recognized synthetic benchmark for Windows GPUs, and its curated scenarios are a strong baseline for cross-GPU comparisons across raster, compute, and ray-tracing workloads. The inclusion of feature tests (DXR, mesh shaders) and vendor upscalers provides useful, targeted evaluation points for modern architectures.
• The test architecture and published rules make 3DMark results auditable and shareable — a critical feature for press labs and OEM validation. Historical community threads show that Futuremark/3DMark updates have consistently reflected evolving graphics APIs and hardware capability sets.

Risks and misinterpretations:

• Benchmarks are an abstraction. High synthetic scores can coexist with subpar in-game experience if drivers or game engines use different code paths. Treat 3DMark as a comparative tool, not a single-source determinator of “real” performance. Community debates and long-standing forum logs highlight cases where benchmark-focused tuning led to improved scores but did not translate to proportional in-game gains.
• Feature tests can be deceptively sensitive to drivers and platform-level optimizations. An apparent advantage in a mesh-shader test may be the result of a driver patch that specifically optimizes synthetic workloads rather than general gameplay. Always cross-validate with real-world game titles if you must correlate a synthetic uplift to player-visible performance improvements.

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Final verdict and recommendations for Windows enthusiasts and reviewers​

3DMark remains a cornerstone tool for GPU and system benchmarking on Windows. The TechPowerUp mirror for v2.29.8299 provides a convenient single-package distribution with checksums suitable for offline testing and lab deployment, but it should be treated as a mirrored convenience rather than the canonical, authoritative distribution channel. Always verify the archive checksum and compare feature/DLC entitlements with the vendor-provided distribution on Steam, Epic, or UL’s site. When using modern tests like Time Spy and the DirectX Raytracing feature test:

• Ensure your GPU driver supports DXR and the specific vendor feature you intend to test (DLSS, XeSS, FSR).
• Use consistent hardware and environment controls, run multiple iterations, and record full SystemInfo for reproducibility.
• Beware of drawing absolute conclusions from a single synthetic test — complement 3DMark data with in-game benchmarks and real-world scenarios.

3DMark’s modular test suite, feature tests, and broad adoption mean it will continue to be indispensable for reviewers, OEMs, and hobbyists who need repeatable, comparable GPU performance metrics. The TechPowerUp mirror is a pragmatic option for certain workflows, provided precautions are taken on integrity and license entitlements.

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Conclusion
For any Windows enthusiast, builder, or reviewer seeking a one-stop benchmarking toolkit, 3DMark remains the standard; the TechPowerUp mirror of Futuremark 3DMark v2.29.8299 delivers a practical bundled archive for offline use, but it demands the usual diligence — checksum verification, driver validation, and cautious interpretation of synthetic results. Pair 3DMark feature-test runs with real-game tests and driver-controlled experiments, and document every variable; that combination turns synthetic numbers into meaningful, actionable insight about GPU and system performance.

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Source: TechPowerUp Futuremark 3DMark for Windows v2.32.8826 Download