Valley Benchmark

If the only reason you want to buy a new PC is to play video games, then you’re surely aware of the number of funds you have to save up and then spend to build the ultimate gaming machine. The first test is carried out when running a complex game, but the true results are provided by benchmarking utilities, just like Valley Benchmark.

On a general note, a benchmarking utility is used to determine the true potential of hardware components, with some dedicated to testing out all of them at once, while others let you focus on those that interest you. This one shows how close to reality you can get with your graphics board, but unlike most applications of its type, it comes with a neat feature.

When it’s launched, you have the impression you’re about to start a game, with a small list displaying various graphics quality options you can set, such as DirectX, stereo 3D, number of monitors, anti-aliasing, resolution, and general quality, or simply pick one of the built-in preset configurations. Hitting the Run button initiates the process.

In a short while you’re immersed in a beautiful landscape with a highly-detailed environment, effects, and vegetation. Even if the camera is moving, the process doesn’t start until you manually issue the command. Looking at the top of the screen reveals various options you can manage that are related to video quality, controls, sound, and a few more.

The surprise comes from the cameras you can select that also features a Free mode. This lets you move around the environment using the mouse and keyboard, just as you would in any game that lets you move in the world.

It’s only after pressing the Benchmark button that the application starts to put pressure on your video board and gather data. You’re taken through some different scenes of the landscape you explored, while also displaying corresponding info. When everything’s done, the score, performance, and FPS are displayed in a window that also lets you save results to file. Valley Benchmark is the Successor of Heaven Benchmark.

Bottom line is that benchmarking is not an activity in which it’s recommended to interfere if you want to get accurate results. However, the way Valley Benchmark tackles the problem is a lot different than what other of its kind provide, giving you the chance to explore the given environment before you impatiently wait for the results. If not to test out your video card, then you definitely need to try this app for the visual experience.