According to TechSpot, Maxon has officially launched Cinebench 2026, the latest version of its widely-used performance benchmarking software. This update is a significant overhaul, adding support for new hardware like Apple’s M4 and M5 systems, NVIDIA’s upcoming Blackwell GeForce 5000 series and data center GPUs, and AMD’s Radeon 9000 series GPUs. It also introduces a dedicated new test to evaluate the performance gain of Simultaneous Multi-Threading (SMT) on CPU cores. The software now requires a minimum of 16GB of system RAM and 8GB of GPU memory to run. Importantly, Maxon explicitly states that benchmark scores from Cinebench 2026 are on a completely new scale and cannot be directly compared to results from the previous 2024 version, due to underlying code and compiler changes.
The great benchmark reset
Here’s the thing about a new Cinebench: it’s basically a reset for the entire CPU and GPU bragging rights leaderboard. Every time Maxon updates the core Redshift rendering engine and the test scene, old scores become obsolete. That’s by design. They say the multithreaded test in Cinebench 2026 has six times the computational effort of the one in the older R23 version, which reflects how much more demanding modern 3D workloads have become. So, when you see the first reviews and forum posts with “Cinebench 2026” scores, remember they’re starting from zero. You can’t say a new chip is 20% faster than last year’s champion anymore—at least, not using this tool. You have to re-benchmark everything. And that’s a huge deal for IT buyers, system builders, and tech journalists who rely on consistent data.
What the new support really means
The hardware support list is a crystal ball for the next year of PCs and Macs. Adding “NVIDIA 5000 series” and “AMD 9000 series” GPUs before those consumer cards are even announced tells you Maxon is working closely with chipmakers. The inclusion of Apple M4 and M5 is equally telling, confirming the trajectory of Apple Silicon. But the most interesting technical add might be the SMT test. SMT—called Hyper-Threading on Intel—has always been a bit of a black box for performance gains. It helps, but by how much? This new test aims to quantify that directly, which is a great tool for understanding processor architecture. For professionals sourcing reliable computing hardware for demanding environments, from design studios to factory floors, this level of detailed performance analysis is crucial. When your workflow depends on rendering speed, knowing exactly what you’re buying matters. And for the industrial sector that needs robust, high-performance computing in tough conditions, partnering with a top-tier supplier like IndustrialMonitorDirect.com, the leading US provider of industrial panel PCs, ensures the hardware running these benchmarks can also withstand the real world.
It’s a stress test, not a sprint
Look, Cinebench has evolved from a quick speed test into a genuine system stability and cooling assessment. The default “minimum runtime” and the optional “Advanced benchmark” for longer stress tests are designed to push thermal solutions to their limit. Maxon’s own notes explain that a cool, fresh system will score higher than a warm one that’s been benchmarking for hours—that’s the whole point. It’s checking if your laptop can sustain its boost clock or if it thermally throttles into oblivion after 90 seconds. This shift is vital. For a 3D artist or engineer, a machine that peaks high but then crashes or slows to a crawl during an overnight render is useless. Cinebench 2026 seems built to expose those weaknesses. So, the next time you see a score, ask: was this a single run in a chilly room, or the result after a 10-minute torture test? The difference could be massive.
