Monday, May 5th, 2025 Posted by Jim Thacker SPECviewperf 15 adds Blender and UE5 tests to the benchmark html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd" SPEC has released SPECviewperf 15, the latest version of its 3D graphics benchmark. It’s the first update since 2022, and reflects recent changes to CG software and pipelines, adding new tests based on Blender and Unreal Engine 5, and support for the Vulkan API. One of the longest-established graphics benchmarks for workstations and GPUs Originally developed over three decades ago, and maintained by non-profit consortium SPEC, SPECviewperf is one of the most widely used graphics benchmarks. It provides a measure of the viewport performance of a workstation, or its GPU, in a range of tests reflecting CAD, DCC and scientific visualization workflows, and based on commercial apps. Although synthetic benchmarks aren’t always reflective of real-world performance, they provide a reasonable overview that can easily be compared with other results available online. Now uses Vulkan and DirectX 12, including DirectX Raytracing The latest version, Specviewperf 15, reflects some of the recent changes to CG software and CG pipelines: not just since the previous update in 2022, but from the years preceding it. Whereas Specviewperf 2020 measured the performance of applications running under the OpenGL and DirectX APIs, Specviewperf 15 also uses Vulkan, which is beginning to be supported in DCC apps. There are also new workloads based on DirectX 12 and DirectX Raytracing (DXR), used for hardware-accelerated ray tracing in current real-time renderers. Includes new tests based on Unreal Engine, Blender and Enscape That includes Unreal Engine, one of three new applications to be added to the benchmark, reflecting Unreal’s increasing usage in virtual production, visualization and visual effects. The Unreal Engine test is based on Unreal Engine 5.4 and DXR, and makes use of key features including real-time GI system Lumen, and virtualized geometry system Nanite. Other new test applications include open-source 3D software Blender, now widely used for asset creation for VFX, animation, motion graphics, game development and visualization. The test is based on Blender 3.6, the last-but-one long-term support release, and uses the OpenGL rendering backend rather than the experimental new Vulkan backend. The final new application is real-time architectural renderer Enscape: the test is based on Enscape 4.0 using Vulkan for ray tracing. Updates to the existing test applications In addition, the existing applications used in the benchmark have been updated to more recent versions, including Maya 2025, SolidWorks 2024, and 3ds Max 2023. You can find more details of the tests in the online documentation. Price and system requirements Specviewperf 15 is compatible with Windows 11 Pro, running on systems with AMD or Intel CPUs and AMD, Intel or NVIDIA GPUs. At the time of writing, the Linux edition has not been updated. Specviewperf is free for community use, but costs $2,500 for sellers of computer-related products. Download graphics benchmark Specviewperf 15 Have your say on this story by following CG Channel on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). As well as being able to comment on stories, followers of our social media accounts can see videos we don’t post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects. 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