3dmark score requests

[Gweaven]

I am confused on how this is supposed to work, when I get a request to get a pc over a certain 3dk score, i am unsure on what to do, there is a tool that ranks gpus and cpus, but the score used in that leaderboard is not the one used in the equation to caluclate the final score, because after having a setup that should have been 3k i Got something over 5k, how am I supposed to fill these requests? Do I just eyeball the parts? is there a way to calculate what I need without overspending?

[🦊Λℚ𝓤ΛƑΛᗯҜᔕ🦊]

Use this guide and website: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2120941673

[Gweaven]

Originally posted by 🦊Λℚ𝓤ΛƑΛᗯҜᔕ🦊:

Use this guide and website: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2120941673

I am aware that there is a community made tool, but what is the intended way gameplay wise? Am I supposed to guess?? can I find the values I am looking for with math? I really don't want to resort to that unless I understand how this works

[🦊Λℚ𝓤ΛƑΛᗯҜᔕ🦊]

Originally posted by Gweaven:

I am aware that there is a community made tool, but what is the intended way gameplay wise? Am I supposed to guess?? can I find the values I am looking for with math? I really don't want to resort to that unless I understand how this works

The video card score accounts for 85% of the overall 3dmark score and the system's CPU + System ram performance is combined together for the other 15%, where the system ram accounts for about 3% of that 15%. The actual 3DMark score of various video cards is not displayed in the game. It's up to us to figure out or guess what what it should be based roughly on the part ranking app. There is no direct actual way to calculate it in the game correctly. That's why we use the community tool.

[DNB]

It is essentially a bit of a 'dark art' trying to achieve the desired benchmark but there are various helpers.
Synthetic Benchmarks like 3DMark and the Part Ranking Software try to execute instructions that are representative of a broad range of computer applications. Unfortunately, their scores and ranks are not totally comparable, which is why you need to craft your own guided instinct.

These may help [contains lots of potential spoilers]:

Set a Baseline

As a golden rule, after the job arrives, I set the machine up on the bench, turn it on, and install and run 3DMark, before I do anything else.
That provides me a baseline score indicating what the customer already has achieved with their existing components (CPU + Graphics).
I then search Part Ranking Software for those components and look for the components that are similar or better than the ones that are used as the baseline. Obviously, there is no point in choosing the components that are equal or only marginally better, so I start looking for ones that give me a big jump in score, and make a mental note of the component name and manufacturer, or use Cloud Notes and write the info down.
Next, I would visit the shop and check for that component model and manufacturer, and check that it is within the customers budget. If it wasn't I'd have to cancel the job, as there is no way in the game to negotiate with the customer over their needs.
If everything is okay, I'd then consider buying it, cross fingers, and hope it works out when I get round to installing.

Balance GPU vs CPU

I would also check both CPU and GPU baselines this way, and see which one would give me the biggest rank jump for the same amount of money. Generally speaking, the customer has only budgeted for a CPU or GPU upgrade, and not a motherboard upgrade, so I am confined to choosing a CPU that fits the customer's motherboard. With the GPU, I am confined to a component that fits the customers case, unless they can afford a new case as well.

Screenshots and Cloud Notes

After completing any 3DMark test, I always take a screenshot of the result, making sure that the CPU and GPU names, along with the 3DMark score, are clearly displayed in the screenshot. That gives me a 'database' of a range of 3DMark scores. As the number of screenshots increase then I can start using them to size up which components generate what scores, and use those to make an informed decision. Of course, the screenshots are difficult to sort in any particular useful order, so writing down the score combinations on the Cloud Notes may help stay organised.
You needn't upload the screenshots to the Steam Cloud. Just keep them on your own disk drive, and access them when you next have a 3DMark job. That will mean switching between the game and desktop environments a lot, but it is useful, as it improves confidence levels, IMO.

Customers Budget Ceiling

You can work backwards, and just identify what is the most expensive upgrade that a customer can afford. That will give you a Ceiling as to what score is possible on their budget. If you cannot achieve the score with the most expensive components that they are able to afford, then consider cancelling the job.

Use the Inventory

I've also got lots of spare parts in my inventory marked as 'used', as I only sell duplicates and broken items. I have also got new parts arriving all the time. Use the better parts already in your inventory to test a higher 3DMark score inside the customer's machine, before you buy. You might not find the exact component you want in the inventory, but you may find one that has similar rank.
Note: the game allows you to use 'new' components this way without them getting flagged as 'used'. It seems the game only flags something as 'used' when it leaves the shop or comes in from a customer. So, this means, that you can use 'new' components intended for other customers, and install them temporarily in the 3DMark job computer, for a quick benchmark, at no additional cost to you and the shop.

Check emails for new items

When a customer requests a new 3DMark score job, and it is difficult to fulfil, then be aware of new stock that arrives in the Shop and in the email bulletins. Newly stocked items sometimes out performs existing stock, or does a similar score for a cheaper price. So, you could hang onto a job for a few days, and see if new stock fits the bill. Plus (huge bonus!!!), the Part Ranking Software ALWAYS gets updated with the new stock as it is released, without you having to pay any money or install any application patch.

Overclocking

Later in the game, you unlock the ability to overclock the components. Overclocking is known to improve 3DMark scores without having to buy new components, or for maxing out totally new components.
To overclock, you'd need to access the BIOS at the computer startup. But overclocking also pushes up the heat, so you need the OCCT software from the shop, to test out component temperatures, otherwise high temperatures will just cause the computer to fall over.

Setup a Benchmark Computer

In the real world you'd have your own benchmark computer, that you keep in the shop, for each CPU manufacturer. The benchmark computer, would include the best power supply, best motherboard and best RAM, and empty slots for your chosen CPU and GPU cards. These benchmark computers would serve as a reference points for the tests you perform. However, this is difficult to set up in game, as there is nowhere to store the shop's own benchmark machines, without taking up bays in the loading area. So scrap that idea.

[🦊Λℚ𝓤ΛƑΛᗯҜᔕ🦊]

Originally posted by DNB:

It is essentially a bit of a 'dark art' trying to achieve the desired benchmark but there are various helpers.
Synthetic Benchmarks like 3DMark and the Part Ranking Software try to execute instructions that are representative of a broad range of computer applications. Unfortunately, their scores and ranks are not totally comparable, which is why you need to craft your own guided instinct.

These may help [contains lots of potential spoilers]:<snip>

There's no need to go through all of that effort like that and there is no guessing needed. All parts in the game have a fixed 3dmark score (before overclocking) and you can view that here: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1798336403

Then follow this formula that the game uses: (Simplified) Time Spy Score = 1 / (0.85/Sgraphics + 0.15/Scpu)

And you can calculate the resulting 3dmark score of any combination of parts in the game before buying something to know if it would meet their score or not if you just bought a part and added it to what they already have.

That's how you do it if you want to do it yourself the slow way. However the tool I linked above does all of this math for us and has the 3dmark scores of every part in the game in it's database. We just input the parts the customer already has, the budget of the job, the target 3dmark score that the customer wants and then it tells us which hardware to buy that will meet the job requirements every time.

So there's two ways to do it: Calculate the math yourself or just use the guide which does the exact same thing and save yourself a lot of time and headache.

[DNB]

Thx. Where did you get the formula from? Was it an email, or something?

Yes, I'd realised the link you'd posted earlier. Very useful. Thx. Just that the O.P. then went and asked "what was the intended way gamewise?" Which prompted me to write up on my experience of the matter, as I see no formula, hint, or tool within the confines of the actual gameplay.

Cheers

[🦊Λℚ𝓤ΛƑΛᗯҜᔕ🦊]

Originally posted by DNB:

Thx. Where did you get the formula from? Was it an email, or something?

Yes, I'd realised the link you'd posted earlier. Very useful. Thx. Just that the O.P. then went and asked "what was the intended way gamewise?" Which prompted me to write up on my experience of the matter, as I see no formula, hint, or tool within the confines of the actual gameplay.

Cheers :ElectricianOutlet:

The formula can be simplified to say it the same way as I said above: 85% of the score is from the video card(s), and the other 15% is from CPU performance + system ram performance combined to equal 15%. Thus: 1 / (0.85/Sgraphics + 0.15/Scpu) = 85% GPU & 15% CPU+RAM.

EDIT: I got the formula from this original post from years ago here: https://steamcommunity.com/app/621060/discussions/0/1696043806564899052/

Beware and note that their original GPU scores posted there were from when the game was in Early Access and all of those scores are changed today. To see the current 3dmark scores for all hardware in the game please refer to the guide I linked above instead. But that explains how 3dmark is calculated and the formula.

[DNB]