Nukemark: The Ultimate GPU Stress Test Pushing Hardware to Its Limits
A new software application, Nukemark, has emerged as a formidable challenge for even the most robust graphics processing units (GPUs). Utilizing Unreal Engine 5.7, with advanced technologies like Nanite, MegaLights, and Lumen hardware ray tracing, this program is engineered to push hardware to its absolute maximum, supporting virtual textures up to 8K resolution. It's so demanding that a top-tier card like the RTX 5090 reportedly manages only 15-20 frames per second (fps) at its native resolution, a feat the developers at Ezbench proudly highlight. This intense stress test serves as a stark reminder of the ever-evolving demands on PC hardware, especially amidst rising component costs for memory and graphics cards. For those with high-end setups, Nukemark offers a glimpse into future performance expectations and validates the power of upcoming GPU generations.
The creator of Nukemark openly labels it as "the stress test your GPU hopes you never run," a claim that piqued our interest. To put this to the test, we installed it on a moderately powerful gaming system. This setup features an RTX 4070 Super graphics card, an AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D processor, and 32 GB of DDR5 RAM. While this configuration typically delivers excellent performance in modern games without needing upscaling or frame generation, Nukemark presented an entirely different challenge. The results were telling: at 1440p, both of Nukemark's benchmark scenarios, Pandora and Emberhold, ran more like a slideshow than a playable experience. Curiously, enabling DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) seemed to worsen performance rather than improve it, a perplexing outcome that could be attributed to system bottlenecks or the software's early access status. Nukemark is still under development, with a full launch anticipated in 12-18 months, so some performance quirks are to be expected.
Despite not being able to test at 4K resolution, as the monitor's maximum was 1440p, none of the achieved frame rates were close to what would be considered "playable." Even in the most favorable scenario, running Pandora at 1080p, an average of 23 fps was achieved, which is jarringly slow for any interactive application. The visuals in both Pandora and Emberhold are meticulously designed to push graphical boundaries, featuring intricate lighting from various sources such as magic, lava, and ambient effects, alongside numerous reflective surfaces and dynamic fire. This environment ensures that only the most cutting-edge hardware can hope to achieve anything resembling a smooth frame rate.
Nukemark's true purpose extends beyond mere entertainment; it's designed for hardware enthusiasts, system builders, and overclockers who aim to measure and optimize performance under extreme conditions. Ezbench Solutions has explicitly stated that each scene in Nukemark is built to overwhelm even today's fastest GPUs, intentionally surpassing the performance requirements of contemporary games. This makes it an invaluable tool for future benchmarking, offering a glimpse into the capabilities needed for upcoming generations of graphics cards. While current high-end cards struggle, future iterations, such as a hypothetical RTX 6090, might finally find a comfortable stride in Nukemark. For now, systems like ours, featuring the RTX 4070 Super, remain perfectly capable for current games, comfortably maintaining around 60 fps without such extreme demands.
