Futuremark is one of the better-known benchmark providers around. We use the PCMark line to give us a sense of a computer’s overall capabilities and we’ve found the 3DMark line-up of tools to be a good indicator of graphics performance. The new 3DMark FireStrike test is designed to challenge even high-end systems, when using its more taxing settings.
 | Futuremark PCMark 8
| Simulated Application Performance
|
|
PCMark 8 runs through the types of tasks your PC is likely to encounter during ordinary home and office use. It tests the system’s graphics capabilities as well, but it isn’t meant to be a gaming benchmark. Look at the two PCMark benchmarks as an indicator of a system’s general usage performance. We ran the systems through PCMark 8's Home and Work tests using the benchmarks OpenCL-accelerated options, to leverage both CPU and GPU compute resources.
The Alienware X51 R3 took the pole position in PCMark 8's accelerated Work benchmark, besting all of the other systems tested here. In the Home benchmark, the Alienware rig also put up a strong number, but trailed the Digital Storm Bolt II though by a very slim margin.
| | Futuremark 3DMark Fire Strike | | Simulated Gaming Performance |
|
Next up we have Futuremark's 3DMark Fire Strike. This benchmark is designed specifically for gaming PCs. Because Extreme mode is geared towards systems that have multiple graphics cards in CrossFire or SLI configurations, we opted for Normal mode, which runs at a more modest resolution of 1920 x 1080.
The Alienware X51 R3 finished about in the middle of the pack here, thanks to its GeForce GTX 960. No matter what CPU is behind the GTX 960, it's not going to catch more powerful cards like the GTX Titan or GTX 970 in this benchmark.
