In general, you should benchmark every device you test under the same conditions. For example, you should test every system in the same location, at room temperature, away from direct sunlight and other heat sources.

Recommended process for quick benchmarking

  1. Install all critical updates to ensure your operating system is up to date.
  2. Install the latest approved drivers for your hardware.
  3. Close other programs.
  4. Run the benchmark.

Expert process for official use 

  1. Install all critical updates to ensure your operating system is up to date.
  2. Install the latest approved drivers for your hardware.
  3. Restart the computer or device.
  4. Wait 2 minutes for startup to complete.
  5. Close other programs, including those that may be running in the background.
  6. Wait for 15 minutes.
  7. Run the benchmark.
  8. Discard the first run result for consistency, as it may include initialization overhead (such as application setup, engine generation, or model caching in AI workloads).
  9. Repeat at least three to five times to verify your results.


Read this guide from Microsoft to learn more about best practices: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/deployment/performance-lab/testing-methodology