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Glossary

3DMark Time Spy score

A DirectX 12 GPU benchmark from UL Solutions. The composite score is a common shorthand for desktop-class gaming GPU performance at 1440p.

Time Spy renders a fixed scene with tessellation, volumetric lighting, and async compute, then reports a graphics score, a CPU score, and an overall composite.

Score bands (graphics score, desktop)

  • Entry 1080p card: 6,000–9,000
  • 1440p sweet spot: 12,000–18,000
  • 4K-capable: 18,000–25,000
  • Halo (RTX 4090, RX 7900 XTX): 28,000+

Why we use it

  • Cross-vendor (NVIDIA and AMD score on the same scale).
  • Reproducible (locked workload).
  • Maps well to actual 1440p frame rates in modern titles — a 25% Time Spy lead typically translates to a 20–25% in-game lead.

Limitations

It does not include ray tracing (Port Royal does) or upscaling. A card with strong rasterization but weak RT can win Time Spy and lose path-traced Cyberpunk.

Buyer context

How to use 3DMark Time Spy score in a real comparison

A DirectX 12 GPU benchmark from UL Solutions. The composite score is a common shorthand for desktop-class gaming GPU performance at 1440p. In practice, this is most useful as one part of a decision rather than a standalone quality badge. Compare it alongside the workload, room, ecosystem, budget, and ownership constraints that apply to you; the strongest published figure is not automatically the best outcome for every buyer.

What to check next

On vsMars, read together so the value has product-specific context. It is especially relevant in .

Avoid the one-number trap

Manufacturers can describe the same capability under different conditions. Compare like-for-like variants, check the unit and test condition where available, and use a head-to-head page to see whether a measurable difference is material for your own use.

vsMars presents structured catalog values to make trade-offs legible. The linked product and spec pages are the right place to inspect the underlying values before buying.

Where this matters

Categories that use 3dmark time spy score

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