Today we are getting an expansion of the 3DMark GPU benchmark"s family with the introduction of the new Speed Way benchmark. The new benchmark incorporates Microsoft"s DirectX Raytracing (DXR) commonly called just ray tracing, which is part of Microsoft"s DirectX 12 Ultimate feature suite.
Alongside DXR, the benchmark will also feature Mesh Shaders as well as variable rate shading (VRS), all in one, unlike the earlier Port Royal benchmark which was a standalone test for the ray tracing feature only.
The announcement specifically also mentions the use of "real-time global illumination to render realistic lighting and reflections" and we wonder if this also includes ray-traced shadows too. Judging by the shadow of the monitors in the demonstration image (below on the right) it does look like shadows too are a part of the package.
3DMark creator UL Benchmarks describes it as the next generation of gaming experiences, much like most of the media out there. Here"s its full statement:
3DMark Speed Way is a new GPU benchmark that showcases the graphics technology that will power the next generation of gaming experiences. 3DMark Speed Way uses ray tracing and real-time global illumination to render realistic lighting and reflections. It uses new DirectX 12 Ultimate features such as mesh shaders and variable rate shading to optimize performance and visual quality.
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UL says that the new Speed Way benchmark was developed in partnership with Lenovo and hence will feature Legion branding and other such product placements.
Source: UL Benchmarks