You may have heard that Microsoft will end support for Windows 7 on January 14, 2020.
Benchmarks also have a natural lifespan that ends when they no longer provide meaningful results on modern hardware. When old benchmarks are used with new hardware, the results can be skewed or limited in ways that reduce their accuracy and relevance.
Today, we're announcing that, from January 14, 2020, we will no longer offer updates or support for 3DMark 11, PCMark 7, Powermark, 3DMark Cloud Gate, and 3DMark Ice Storm benchmarks.
These benchmarks, all of which were released between 2011 and 2013, no longer provide useful, comparable results with modern hardware. In every case, there is a newer and more relevant benchmark test that you should use instead.
After January 14, 2020, these unsupported benchmarks will:
- No longer be sold by UL, Steam, or other app stores.
- No longer receive updates.
- No longer be guaranteed to work with our online services.
- No longer be eligible for customer support.
If you bought 3DMark 11 from Steam, you will continue to own it, and you will still be able to run it from your Steam Library.
Legacy benchmarks are free to download
Legacy benchmarks going back to 3DMark99 are available to download for free from the UL Benchmarks website. These unsupported benchmarks are provided for entertainment only with no guarantee of compatibility with current operating systems. 3DMark 11 and PCMark 7 will be available for free from January 14, 2020.
