ggwptech Laptop Benchmarking Methodology

Overview

This benchmarking methodology is designed to evaluate both gaming and non-gaming laptops in a way that balances synthetic testing with real-world scenarios. The goal is to get a big-picture understanding of a machine’s strengths and weaknesses without going too deep into engineering-level metrics.

We use a combination of synthetic benchmarks, real-world applications, gaming tests, and usability metrics. All FPS data and sensor info (CPU/GPU temps, clocks, power draw) are captured via CapFrameX.

Benchmark Suite

Synthetic Benchmarks

• Cinebench R23
  
  • Purpose: Multi-core and single-core CPU rendering performance
    
  • Rationale: Provides insight into how well the CPU handles workloads in creative and productivity tasks
    
• PCMark 10
  
  • Purpose: Measures system performance in productivity tasks such as spreadsheets, word processing, browsing, and video conferencing
    
  • Rationale: Good for general use scenarios, including office work and multitasking
    
  • Integration Note: Covers Microsoft Office scenarios (Excel, Word, Outlook)
    
• UL Procyon
  
  • Purpose: Real-world performance testing using actual applications (Microsoft Office, Adobe apps)
    
  • Rationale: More modern and application-specific than PCMark 10
    
  • Office Workflows: Uses full Microsoft 365 apps for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook
    
  • Photo Editing (Alternative to GIMP): Uses Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom, but results can be used as a proxy for typical photo editing workloads
    
  • GIMP Note: For Linux or open-source benchmarking, GIMP performance can optionally be tested manually by exporting large files or batch-resizing with timers
    
• 3DMark Steel Nomad
  
  • Purpose: GPU synthetic benchmark
    
  • Rationale: Measures ray tracing and rasterization performance under a unified, modern workload
    
• Battery Eater Pro
  
  • Purpose: Battery endurance stress test
    
  • Rationale: Simulates worst-case usage scenario by stressing CPU and GPU simultaneously until battery depletes
    
• CrystalDiskMark
  
  • Purpose: Measures SSD read/write performance
    
  • Rationale: Fast storage impacts boot time, loading times, and file transfer performance
    
• Spyder X Elite
  
  • Purpose: Display color calibration and gamut coverage measurement
    
  • Rationale: Important for creatives or users who rely on color accuracy
    

Gaming Benchmarks

All games tested at native screen resolution (or 1080p as a baseline), using in-game benchmark tools if available or repeated runs on a controlled scene.

• Rainbow Six Siege X — esports-level FPS, CPU and GPU dependent
  
• Doom Eternal — Vulkan performance, fast-paced AAA shooter
  
• Armored Core 6 — modern game with fast GPU scenes
  
• Baldur’s Gate 3 — heavy CPU and GPU RPG with large scenes
  
• Claire Obscur: Expedition 33 — newer title, test for stability and visuals
  
• Cyberpunk 2077 — used for both raster and RT testing, high-end AAA
  
• Bright Memory Infinite — used primarily for its ray tracing showcase (note: not the best gameplay sample, but ideal for a visually rich RT scene)
  

Captured via CapFrameX:

• Average FPS
  
• 1% and 0.1% low FPS
  
• CPU/GPU temperature and clock behavior
  
• Frame time consistency and latency
  

Real-World Workflows

DaVinci Resolve

• Render a 4K timeline with basic color correction and transitions
  
• Export using YouTube 4K preset
  
• Measure render time and export FPS
  
• Monitor CPU/GPU usage during export
  

GIMP

• Manually test with a 300MB+ PSD or multi-layered image
  
• Perform batch resize/export of 50 high-res JPEGs
  
• Time the export duration and record CPU usage
  

Microsoft Office (Already Covered by PCMark 10 & Procyon)

• Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook operations tested via Procyon’s real-world benchmarking
  

Scoring & Rubric (1 to 5 Scale)

Categories

1. CPU Performance
   
2. GPU Performance
   
3. Storage Speed
   
4. Display Quality
   
5. Thermals
   
6. Battery Life
   
7. Productivity Workflows
   
8. Gaming Experience
   

Scoring Interpretation

• 5 = Excellent — Industry-leading performance for its category
  
• 4 = Great — Above average, handles most tasks with ease
  
• 3 = Good — Average performance, minor hiccups
  
• 2 = Fair — Below average or inconsistent results
  
• 1 = Poor — Major bottlenecks or system limitations
  

How to Score Each Category

• CPU Performance — Based on Cinebench R23, PCMark 10, and render/export tests
  
• GPU Performance — 3DMark Steel Nomad + average FPS on modern games like Cyberpunk 2077 or Doom Eternal
  
• Storage Speed — CrystalDiskMark (look at sequential read/write and random 4K QD1)
  
• Display Quality — Spyder X Elite data (sRGB/AdobeRGB coverage, brightness, deltaE)
  
• Thermals — Recorded via CapFrameX or HWiNFO; throttling = lower score
  
• Battery Life — Measured via Battery Eater or real-world usage simulation (YouTube streaming, office work)
  
• Productivity Workflows — PCMark 10 + Procyon Office/Photo Editing scores, render/export timing in DaVinci or GIMP
  

Gaming Experience — Considers both FPS consistency and thermal/clock stability during gameplay