Geekbench 7 pushes computers and phones harder for better benchmarks
▼ Summary
– Primate Labs released Geekbench 7, featuring new video/audio encoding/decoding tests, a redesigned multi-core test, and larger datasets for CPUs and GPUs.
– A Geekbench 7 Pro license costs $99 (discounted to $79 until August 6th) and allows offline benchmarking without uploads to the Geekbench Browser.
– The tool remains simple and fast but is better for testing quick bursts of computing rather than sustained loads that can throttle hardware.
– Geekbench 7 uses more demanding datasets and new tests (including AV1 and Opus) to better reflect modern applications and real software behavior.
– Scores from Geekbench 6 are not compatible with Geekbench 7, requiring new testing for users.
Primate Labs has officially launched Geekbench 7, the latest iteration of its widely used benchmarking software. The new version introduces video and audio encoding/decoding tests, a redesigned multi-core evaluation, and larger, more demanding datasets for both CPUs and GPUs. Despite these upgrades, the tool retains the familiar look and feel of Geekbench 6, and a Pro license remains priced at $99 (with a discount to $79 available until August 6th).
A Geekbench 7 Pro license enables offline benchmarking without automatic uploads to the Geekbench Browser, and it continues to support Windows, macOS, and Linux platforms.
Geekbench has long been a staple in our laptop reviews here at The Verge. I’ve appreciated its simplicity and speed, but its short runtime means it primarily measures quick bursts of performance rather than sustained loads that can cause throttling in some chips. For example, one test involves rendering a 1.5MB PDF file , a task that modern processors handle almost instantly.
According to Primate Labs, Geekbench 7 uses more demanding data sets to better reflect the hardware requirements of today’s applications. The updated audio and video tests now include AV1 and Opus codecs, modeling workloads for video conferencing, streaming, and content consumption. The multi-core benchmarks have also been reworked to mimic real-world software behavior, running multi-threaded tasks only when the modeled applications would do so.
These changes represent meaningful improvements, even though Geekbench 7 tests still complete in just a few minutes. Keep in mind that scores from Geekbench 6 are not compatible with the new version. So if you’re someone who enjoys running benchmarks, join me in embracing a fresh round of testing and retesting. Always be testing.
(Source: The Verge)
