3DMark Benchmark Previews Native 4K Path Tracing With AI Rendering at Computex 2026

New 3DMark Benchmark Test Will Let You Use Upscaling, Frame Gen to Boost FPS

The Thermal Grizzly stand at Computex 2026 has been running what could be the first public demo of the next-generation 3DMark ray-tracing benchmark, VideoCardz reports. It looks beautiful and targets 4K resolution, so it will be demanding for even powerful, modern GPUs. Fortunately, it's also letting users take advantage of dynamic upscaling and frame generation, which should help with the frame rate. It's unclear what it'll do to your score, though. Maybe that's cheating. 3DMark developer UL Solutions (Formerly Futuremark) has been a standout 3D gaming benchmark developer for decades. Despite increased competition today, 3DMark remains a gold-standard benchmark for modern GPUs. Ray tracing has become an integral part of that in recent years, and 3DMark has released several ray-tracing-first benchmarks, including Port Royal, Solar Bay, and Speedway. Now it looks like it might have another in the works. ComputerBase spotted a demo of the new benchmark running at the Thermal Grizzly stand in Taipei. It's one of the benchmark's first sponsors, so it was able to get an early glimpse of what it looks like and what it takes to run. Described on-screen as an "Upcoming flagship ultra-high-end Path Tracing benchmark," the tests can use "AI upscaling and frame gen, as well as a native 4K mode," to balance demand with compatibility with modern performance and visual-enhancing features. It also claims to be "The most demanding 3DMark benchmark to date." Considering how it looks, I don't doubt it. My 7900XTX is nervous. The demo itself displays a "Work in progress" banner while in motion, so it may change before wider release. It appears to depict a sci-fi scene with a robotic character moving down a corridor, featuring numerous reflective surfaces, high-contrast light sources, and detailed moving parts. They cross a futuristic catwalk and interact with various machines and robots inside and outside, before we pan across some alien-looking characters enjoying themselves at a cafe. Existing 3DMark ray-tracing benchmarks target less contemporary technologies and lower-resolution ray-traced reflections. This newer benchmark seems to up the ante to 4K, as well as focusing on path tracing, a more demanding but more visually impressive form of ray tracing. The fact that this benchmark also uses upscaling and frame generation suggests that it's not just looking to test raw performance, but also to test how hardware AI accelerators can facilitate these enhancing technologies without significantly impacting latency. UL hasn't announced this benchmark yet. In the meantime, the Solar Bay Extreme benchmark is particularly difficult to achieve strong frame rates on, even for top-tier GPUs.

3DMark Previews Native 4K Path-Tracing Benchmark With AI Rendering

A new flagship graphics benchmark for 3DMark has made an early appearance at Computex 2026, offering a glimpse at what could become one of the most demanding GPU workloads available to enthusiasts and reviewers. The preview was shown at the Thermal Grizzly booth and revealed an upcoming benchmark focused on native 4K path tracing, positioning it above the current generation of ray-tracing tests available within the 3DMark suite. Unlike existing ray-tracing benchmarks such as Port Royal and Speed Way, which operate at 2560×1440 resolution, the new workload is designed around full native 4K rendering. Combined with path tracing, this significantly increases computational complexity and places substantially higher demands on graphics hardware. The benchmark appears intended to stress future GPU architectures and provide a meaningful performance differentiator for next-generation graphics cards. One of the more interesting details from the teaser is the inclusion of AI-powered rendering technologies. The benchmark will reportedly support image upscaling and frame generation, reflecting the growing role that AI acceleration plays in modern gaming workloads. Rather than measuring only traditional rendering performance, the benchmark appears set to evaluate how graphics cards handle AI-assisted rendering techniques alongside ray tracing and path tracing calculations. The demonstration showcased a science-fiction environment featuring highly reflective surfaces, bright lighting sources, and complex geometry suitable for advanced path-tracing workloads. However, the footage was clearly labeled as a work-in-progress build, and many important technical details remain unknown. UL has not disclosed supported APIs, benchmark scoring methodology, hardware requirements, or which upscaling technologies will be supported. The benchmark would expand UL's existing portfolio of graphics tests. Current offerings include Port Royal for ray tracing, Speed Way for DirectX 12 Ultimate workloads, and Steel Nomad for native 4K rasterized performance testing. The new benchmark appears aimed at establishing a new performance tier focused on next-generation ray tracing and AI-assisted rendering technologies. UL has not yet announced a release date or availability window. For now, the benchmark remains a teaser, but it provides a clear indication that future GPU testing will increasingly incorporate AI-enhanced rendering methods alongside traditional graphics performance metrics. As game engines continue to adopt path tracing, frame generation, and advanced reconstruction technologies, benchmark workloads are evolving to reflect those real-world gaming scenarios.