New 3DMark feature test for Intel XeSS.

October 5, 2022

We’re excited to release a new 3DMark feature test for Intel’s new XeSS AI-enhanced upscaling technology. This new feature test is available in 3DMark Advanced and Professional Editions.

Compare XeSS performance and image quality with the Intel XeSS feature test.

3DMark feature tests are special tests designed to highlight specific techniques, functions, or capabilities. The Intel XeSS feature test shows you how XeSS affects performance.

The 3DMark Intel XeSS frame inspector tool helps you compare image quality with an interactive side-by-side comparison of XeSS and native-resolution rendering.

Check out the images below to see an example comparison of native resolution rendering and XeSS in the new 3DMark feature test.

3DMark Intel XeSS feature test

Comparing performance and image quality with the Intel XeSS feature test

The test renders a scene based on the 3DMark Port Royal benchmark two times to show the effect XeSS has on performance and image quality. The first run measures baseline performance by rendering the scene with temporal anti-aliasing (TAA) at the output resolution.

The second run renders the scene at a lower resolution and then uses the selected XeSS mode to upscale the frames to the output resolution.

The result screen shows you the average frame rate from each run and the difference in performance expressed as a percentage.

3DMark Intel XeSS feature test

3DMark Intel XeSS frame inspector

The 3DMark Intel XeSS feature test includes the frame inspector tool. This tool lets you compare image quality with a side-by-side view of Intel XeSS and native-resolution rendering. You can render up to 100 consecutive frames from the feature test and freely pan around or zoom in up to 32×.

3DMark Intel XeSS feature test

About Intel Xess

XeSS (Xe Super Sampling) is a new Intel graphics technology that uses AI-enhanced upscaling to improve performance while maintaining high image fidelity. XeSS renders each frame at a lower resolution to boost performance and then uses AI upscaling to generate frames at the target output resolution.

Find out more about XeSS on Intel's website.

Available now

The Intel XeSS feature test is a free update to 3DMark Advanced Edition for users who purchased 3DMark after January 8, 2019. You can buy 3DMark on Steam or direct from the UL Benchmarks website.

To run the Intel XeSS feature test, you must have a GPU that supports Intel XeSS and Microsoft DirectX Raytracing Tier 1.1. XeSS compatible GPUs include Intel Arc GPUs, as well as AMD Radeon and NVIDIA GeForce GPUs with Shader Model 6.4 support. You also need Windows 11 or Windows 10 64-bit, version 20H2 or newer.

If you already own 3DMark but bought it before January 8, 2019, you'll need to buy the Port Royal upgrade to unlock the Intel XeSS feature test. You can read more about 3DMark updates and upgrades here.

3DMark Professional Edition.

The Intel XeSS feature test is available now for 3DMark Professional Edition customers with a valid annual license. Customers with an older, perpetual Professional Edition license will need to purchase an annual license to unlock the Intel XeSS feature test.