What 3DMark’s Windows-on-ARM Support Changes for Gaming Laptops
3DMark’s new Windows-on-ARM support is a set of native benchmarks and feature tests that measure ARM gaming performance on Windows laptops, giving users a consistent way to compare ARM and x86 systems running the same workloads and graphics technologies. By adding Windows-on-ARM support to its Port Royal and Speed Way benchmarks, UL Benchmarks has brought ray-traced, high-end PC testing to ARM-based processors for the first time in a standardized way. The update, released on June 3, also extends to DirectX 12 feature tests such as Mesh Shader, Sampler Feedback, and DirectX Raytracing, and even adds indicators to show whether a run is native ARM or x64 emulation. For Windows-on-ARM laptops, this means their gaming capabilities can be measured with the same tools reviewers and enthusiasts already trust for traditional x86 hardware.
Why Nvidia RTX Spark and ARM CPUs Pushed 3DMark to Evolve
UL Benchmarks’ timing leaves little doubt about the trigger for 3DMark ARM support: Nvidia’s reveal of its RTX Spark Windows-on-ARM processors on June 1. According to UL Benchmarks’ 3DMark Windows 2.32.8871 release notes, Windows-on-ARM support arrived two days later, adding native ARM runs plus an option for x64-emulated tests for enterprise and reviewer licenses. This lets Nvidia demonstrate Windows ARM benchmarks for RTX Spark using a respected third-party utility instead of in-house demos. The new chips combine an ARM-based CPU with Nvidia Blackwell graphics, targeting AI and workstation buyers but inevitably drawing scrutiny from gamers. While questions remain about how well existing PC titles will run on these processors, the presence of standardized Windows ARM benchmarks means any claims about performance can now be checked in a consistent, repeatable way across devices.
Red Magic 11S Pro Shows ARM Can Handle Real PC Games
Benchmarks on the Red Magic 11S Pro show why ARM-specific testing is no longer theoretical. Using a desktop OS through GameHub 6, a Proton- and Wine-based translation system, the phone runs demanding PC titles with measurable performance. Ghost of Tsushima averages 47 fps at 720p low with FSR on a balanced profile, while Forza Horizon 6 reaches about 33 fps at 720p low without frame generation. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Leading Version, overclocked up to 4.74 GHz and backed by liquid metal, a 24,000 RPM fan, and a micropump-driven liquid cooling setup, keeps that load stable over time. In mobile games, it stays near its ceiling—60 fps in Genshin Impact and 120 fps in Fortnite—while handling console emulators at 3–4x texture scaling with minimal frame drops. These results underscore that ARM gaming performance is now a serious topic, not a proof-of-concept.
From Translation Layers to Fair ARM vs x86 Comparisons
Both GameHub 6 on the Red Magic 11S Pro and 3DMark’s new Windows-on-ARM modes highlight the same shift: ARM gaming devices no longer sit outside the PC ecosystem. On one side, translation layers like Proton and Wine bridge x86 PC games to ARM hardware, bringing titles such as Ghost of Tsushima, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, and Forza Horizon 6 to a mobile form factor with documented frame rates and settings. On the other, 3DMark’s Windows ARM benchmarks make it possible to measure native DirectX 12 and ray-traced performance without guesswork about emulation overhead. With ARM indicators in the UI and the option to run native or emulated tests, reviewers can now separate CPU architecture differences from software translation costs. For consumers and laptop reviewers, Windows-on-ARM laptops and traditional x86 machines can finally be compared on something close to equal footing.
