3dmark calculator not accurate

[twiggy]

ok ive been using a calculator spreadsheet thing that tells you exactly what is needed to reach a certain 3dmark score but half the time its just flat out wrong and i end up wasting my money and time only to have a lower 3dmark score than required.. how do you guys figure out your 3d mark score jobs? especially when building a complete pc from scratch?

[🦊Λℚ𝓤ΛƑΛᗯҜᔕ🦊]

Which spreadsheet thing are you using, exactly? Do you have a link to it? It may be an older outdated one.

The most current and updated one that everyone uses now is this one: https://steamcommunity.com/app/621060/discussions/0/3216031607491943889/

[twiggy]

Originally posted by Aquafawks:

Which spreadsheet thing are you using, exactly? Do you have a link to it? It may be an older outdated one.

The most current and updated one that everyone uses now is this one: https://steamcommunity.com/app/621060/discussions/0/3216031607491943889/

thats the one i use

[🦊Λℚ𝓤ΛƑΛᗯҜᔕ🦊]

Originally posted by Ciara:

thats the one i use

Then I would suggest you go post in that thread exactly what's wrong or inaccurate so the spreadsheet creator can fix it. They'll never find your newly created thread here.

[twiggy]

Originally posted by Aquafawks:

Originally posted by Ciara:

thats the one i use

Then I would suggest you go post in that thread exactly what's wrong or inaccurate so the spreadsheet creator can fix it. They'll never find your newly created thread here.

have you ever had problems using it? i started using the middle tier option from the results so i dont choose parts that equal the exact 3d mark score but i still end up with a lower score than calculated

[🦊Λℚ𝓤ΛƑΛᗯҜᔕ🦊]

Originally posted by Ciara:

have you ever had problems using it? i started using the middle tier option from the results so i dont choose parts that equal the exact 3d mark score but i still end up with a lower score than calculated

Admittedly I have not used the calculator and I have not been playing the game because of the numerous gameplay breaking bugs to do with career that plagues the game still yet and the terrible aliasing on all the parts almost makes me sick and this game's lack of anti-aliasing options makes it borderline almost unplayable.

[dvs_x]

So best bet is to look at scores in the app thing and pick a GPU in score range you want. Or use 2 the score seems to reflect what 3dmark score you will get pretty good imo. CPU will add some so if i need like a 4000 score i could get a 3k ish gpu and a cpu in middle tier to pick up the rest.

Then i just say trial and error honestly after you do make one what score did it get? Then try and remember that lol.

[twiggy]

this is BS

[🦊Λℚ𝓤ΛƑΛᗯҜᔕ🦊]

Originally posted by Ciara:

this is BS

What exactly is BS? The game does have a part ranking app in game. That's good enough to complete all jobs in the game if you use it.

[BonPadre]

Honnestly, I personally use the BiuBiu's one (the one you state is at fault), and while I admit I may have small differences here and there sometimes, overall it does the job fine.

Now there is quite a thing to take into account on YOUR side.
And that's the RAM speed.

By that I mean, if in the calculator you enter (or it says) a RAM of 3200MHz, make sure to check that :
Enable XMP in the BIOS to actually have that speed
AND
Make sure the MOBO is not limiting that speed and can carry it.

Other than that, I would love to read your examples of builds (with proof pics from PCBS) and what the calculator told you it would be.

EDIT : An example with a randomly picked broken used PC I had to repair from PCBay
I had in it a 2666MHz RAM (single), an I3-7320 & a MSI Radeon RX 580 GAMING X 4G
The calculator gave me that :
Total Score: 3877
CPU Score: 2484
GPU Score: 4304

This is what I got
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1672853074

Now if I DON'T enable XMP (thus leaving the PC run the RAM at default 2133MHz), this is what I would get
Total Score: 3847
CPU Score: 2403
GPU Score: 4304
Note that the more powerful the CPU is, it will exponantially be a bigger gap between your experiment in game and the calculator, as RAM speed affect the CPU score

[BonPadre]

Sorry for double post (and for long text), but it's for a purpose if OP's willing to learn.
Now OP, I'm currently lvl24, and I have a job that asks me to build that.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1672863552

Now if I simply enter that in the calculator, this is my first result line
Intel Pentium G4600
2x RAM 3866
2x MSI GeForce GTX 960 GAMING 100ME
Score : 3917
Wattage : 291
Cost : 450
Budget left : 835

Right in there, I have tons of RED FLAGS for this very result.

First the only 3866MHz RAM I have now is $272 a pop (yeah right it will fit the budget to use more than 1/3 of it on RAM)

Then, while the calculator tells me to use a 3866MHz RAM, the MOBO's that can accept the G4600 are either NOT dual GPU, AND/OR have a max speed of 3800MHz.

So you have to think of it, and take the proposed parts from the builder section, go on the top of the calculator and then enter the 3 key parts again and set RAM to the max speed the MOBO you choose can handle it (oh and ofc downgrade the RAM as well to match mobo.. useless to pay for quicker RAM that can't do their job due to mobo reastrictions)

Finally, I think that in my 20 results list I requested, I can spot a few viables ones, but they may not always be on the top of the list, so learn to play around it.
So basically what I do, I go search for an idea in the result list, and see from the GPU's ideas what I can use in the top part calculator to find my personal build. In my list the dual 960 is screaming at me "Pick me, pick meeee ! "
That's my streamline process for those jobs

So personally, for this very build, I guess I would go :
I5-6500
2x MSI GeForce GTX 960 GAMING 2G LE
2x 2400MHz RAM

And that would give me that
Total Score: 4081
CPU Score: 3533
GPU Score: 4197
Est. Wattage: 355

Very low Wattage, so a cheap modular 400W-450W PSU, very small RAM speed, so I know my MOBO will anyway accomodate it, quite small budget to reach the score, so I can go fancy on other "non score" related stuff.

Edit : my screenshot result for that build, as I expected it to be
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1672897822
So I really don't see how it's not accurate

This calculator is a beauty, thanks to BiuBiu, but it also takes some learning from the game's mechanics, and from how to truely use that calculator. It's not as an easy thing as "enter numbers, spit out results I can simply slap in game"

The calculator can't think for you, it's already a complicated and tedious process BiuBiu has gone through, so the tool may not be perfect (in such as my first result it spits at me), but it serves it's purpose, should the user adapt a bit as well.

[BonPadre]

Last one, just to demonstrate how indeed the calculator is working fine (as all my examples are random picks)
The job
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1672923559
The customer's parts list
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1672923535
My shopping list
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1672923570
What the calculator projects with the upgrades
Total Score: 4126
CPU Score: 9290
GPU Score: 3758

The Benchmark pic
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1672923594
So OP, to me, either you stumbled on a possible mistake on the inputs by BiuBiu (so in that case you should go in his thread and report the faulty calculation with as much details as possible), or you DO NOT enable the correct RAM speed using XMP (or misunderstand the limitations of some motherboards on RAM speed)

[Hyomoto]

Or, like me, you could do all the benchmarking, overclocking and voltage/heat testing on your own and end up with an innate understanding of about what you need to put in to get any given score. Give me a score and a price and I'll give you a build from memory.

That's not a commentary on my particular knowledge, but that understanding what is needed is a product of experience that is most if you just turn it into a simple spreadsheet exercise.

Minor tips: the GPU must be around the final result. The CPU will weigh down your final score, but doesn't do much to raise it no matter how high it is. For something like 6900, a 4500 CPU and a 6600 GPU would be sufficient. Both are low, but depending on the GPU and power supply you can overclock all those parts to meet it. This is the type of knowledge the spreadsheet doesn't have but that you'll get it you play around with stuff.

[twiggy]

Originally posted by Hyomoto:

Or, like me, you could do all the benchmarking, overclocking and voltage/heat testing on your own and end up with an innate understanding of about what you need to put in to get any given score. Give me a score and a price and I'll give you a build from memory.

That's not a commentary on my particular knowledge, but that understanding what is needed is a product of experience that is most if you just turn it into a simple spreadsheet exercise.

Minor tips: the GPU must be around the final result. The CPU will weigh down your final score, but doesn't do much to raise it no matter how high it is. For something like 6900, a 4500 CPU and a 6600 GPU would be sufficient. Both are low, but depending on the GPU and power supply you can overclock all those parts to meet it. This is the type of knowledge the spreadsheet doesn't have but that you'll get it you play around with stuff.

too complicated and im only a beginner (level 8)

[🦊Λℚ𝓤ΛƑΛᗯҜᔕ🦊]

Originally posted by Ciara:

too complicated and im only a beginner (level 8)

That is the challenge part of the game then. If you don't want to learn how to calculate / figure out how to complete 3dmark challenges on your own in-game then don't do those jobs and reject all of them. That's probably your only choice. There are ways in-game to learn how to complete these jobs without outside spreadsheets. And these jobs are supposed to be challenging, that is the point after all. You're going to be missing out on a lot in the game though because everything else with career mode is monotonous and boring and super easy.

[dvs_x]

It can be interesting because sometimes you have to go SLI to keep budget but need right cards and cpu combo. Its a fun challenge for me lol.