If you're reading recent GPU reviews, you'll increasingly see Steel Nomad scores where Time Spy used to dominate. Steel Nomad is 3DMark's modern non-ray-traced (raster) benchmark, introduced to replace an aging Time Spy as GPUs outgrew it. Knowing why the change happened, and how Steel Nomad and its lighter sibling fit in, helps you read current benchmark charts correctly. This article explains Steel Nomad and its place in 2026 GPU testing.
It's the successor explainer to our Time Spy breakdown, and pairs with Port Royal for the ray-tracing side — all part of reading benchmark scores.
Why Time Spy Needed Replacing
Time Spy launched years ago, and modern GPUs have grown so powerful that they post enormous scores that compress the differences between top cards — a benchmark too easy for current hardware loses its ability to discriminate. A modern reference needs a heavier, more current workload that pushes today's fastest GPUs. That's the gap Steel Nomad fills.
What Steel Nomad Tests
- Modern, heavy raster workload: Steel Nomad renders a demanding non-ray-traced scene built for current and next-generation GPUs, so it spreads out the rankings of fast cards meaningfully again.
- Cross-platform: it's designed to run across modern APIs and platforms, making it a broad raster reference.
- Steel Nomad Light: a lighter version for lower-end and mainstream GPUs (and lighter systems), so the benchmark family covers the whole range — use the full version for high-end cards and Light for entry/mid cards.
How to Read It
Read Steel Nomad like any raster GPU benchmark: compare a card's score against others tested similarly to place it in the performance tiers. Because it's a current, heavy workload, it discriminates between modern fast GPUs better than Time Spy now does — which is exactly why reviewers adopted it. Like Time Spy, it measures raster performance, not ray tracing, so pair it with a ray-tracing benchmark if RT matters to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is 3DMark Steel Nomad? It's 3DMark's modern raster (non-ray-traced) GPU benchmark, introduced to replace Time Spy as the reference test. It runs a heavy, current workload that meaningfully separates today's fastest GPUs, with a lighter "Steel Nomad Light" version for mainstream and entry cards.
Why did Steel Nomad replace Time Spy? Because modern GPUs grew so powerful that Time Spy became too easy, compressing the differences between top cards. A heavier, current workload was needed to discriminate between fast GPUs again — which is what Steel Nomad provides.
What's the difference between Steel Nomad and Steel Nomad Light? Steel Nomad is the heavy version for high-end GPUs; Steel Nomad Light is a lighter workload for mainstream and entry-level cards and lighter systems. Use the full version for fast cards and Light for lower-end ones so the score is meaningful.
The One Thing to Remember
Steel Nomad is 3DMark's modern raster reference, replacing a Time Spy that grew too easy for today's GPUs — its heavier workload separates fast cards meaningfully again, with Steel Nomad Light covering mainstream parts. Read it like any raster benchmark (compare same-tested cards to place them in tiers), and remember it measures raster, not ray tracing — pair it with Port Royal for RT.
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