PCMark 8 Professional Edition now available

Ideal for testing new processors from AMD and Intel

Today sees that start of Computex, one of the largest computer shows of the year. Hundreds of technology companies will be exhibiting new products, but for many the most exciting event is the launch of new Intel and AMD processors.

Coinciding with these new products, we are officially launching PCMark 8 Professional Edition today. In fact, members of the press were given copies last week so you will see PCMark 8 scores appearing in their reviews already.

Designed around common scenarios in the home and office, PCMark 8 is an essential benchmark for the latest Windows 8 notebooks, tablets and desktop PCs, especially those powered by new AMD Richland and Intel Haswell processors. PCMark 8 Professional Edition is licensed for commercial use and is intended for business, press and industry users. PCMark 8 Basic Edition and PCMark 8 Advanced Edition will be released later in June.

PCMark 8 - The Complete Benchmark for Windows

PCMark 8 includes five new benchmark tests, each designed to highlight real-world performance differences in common computing scenarios.

Home, Creative and Work benchmarks

These three benchmark tests reflect the most common computer usage patterns - light home use, demanding media and entertainment activities, and typical office productivity tasks. Each benchmark includes a series of workloads covering activities such as web browsing, writing, photo editing, video chat, gaming and other tasks.

Applications benchmark

The PCMark 8 Applications benchmark is one of the most exciting new features in PCMark 8. This test measures system performance using popular applications from the Adobe Creative Suite and Microsoft Office. You can choose which tests to run based on the applications installed on your system.

Storage benchmark

The PCMark 8 Storage benchmark is ideal for testing the performance of SSDs, HDDs and hybrid drives. Using traces recorded from Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Office and a selection of popular games, PCMark 8 Storage highlights real-world performance differences between storage devices. 

Battery life testing in PCMark 8

For the first time in the PCMark series, PCMark 8 combines performance benchmarking with battery life testing. Choose Battery Life mode to loop the Home, Creative, Work or Applications benchmark until the battery is almost empty to accurately measure battery life under real-world conditions. 

PCMark 8 editions and pricing

PCMark 8 Professional Edition is licensed for business and commercial use and is available now from our website priced at USD $1495.00.

PCMark 8 Basic Edition (free) and PCMark 8 Advanced Edition (USD $49.95), designed for home use, will be released later in June.

To find out more, visit the PCMark 8 page or ask us a question in our forums.