The 3DMark Time Spy benchmark produces a 3DMark Time Spy score, a Graphics test sub-score, and a CPU test sub-score. The scores are rounded to the nearest integer. The better a system's performance, the higher the score.
3DMark Time Spy score
We use a weighted harmonic mean to calculate the 3DMark Time Spy score from the Graphics and CPU test scores.
3DMark Time Spy score = (W_graphics + W_cpu) / (W_graphics / S_graphics + W_cpu / S_cpu) Where: W_graphics = The Graphics score weight, equal to 0.85 W_cpu = The CPU score weight, equal to 0.15 S_graphics = Graphics test score S_cpu = CPU test score
For a balanced system, the weights reflect the ratio of the effects of GPU and CPU performance on the overall score. Balanced in this sense means the Graphics and CPU test scores are roughly the same magnitude.
For a system where either the Graphics or CPU score is substantially higher than the other, the harmonic mean rewards boosting the lower score. This reflects the reality of the user experience. For example, doubling the CPU speed in a system with an entry-level graphics card doesn't help much in games since the system is already limited by the GPU. Likewise for a system with a high-end graphics card paired with an underpowered CPU.
Graphics test score
Each Graphics test produces a raw performance result in frames per second (FPS). We take a harmonic mean of these raw results and multiply it by a scaling constant to reach a Graphics score (S_graphics). The scaling constant is used to bring the score in line with traditional 3DMark score levels.
S_graphics = 164 × 2 / (1 / F_gt1 + 1 / F_gt2) Where: F_gt1 = The average frame rate in FPS from Graphics Test 1 F_gt2 = The average frame rate in FPS from Graphics Test 2
CPU test score
The CPU test consists of three increasingly heavy levels, each of which has a ten-second timeline. The third, and heaviest, level produces a raw performance result in frames per second (FPS) which is multiplied by a scaling constant to give a CPU score (S_cpu). The scaling constant brings the score in line with traditional 3DMark score levels.
S_cpu = 298 × F_cpu_3 Where: F_cpu_3 = The average frame rate in FPS from the CPU test's third level