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If 3DMark gave your result a Great, Excellent, or Legendary hardware grade during the Lunar New Year event, it should qualify for the Steam achievement “Shoot for the Moon.” However, a high percentile is not the same as a qualifying grade, and a locally completed benchmark may not yet have been submitted or synchronized with Steam.
Verify the result’s validity, explicit hardware grade, timestamp, and online achievement entry first. Then sign in to 3DMark, use Compare results online, restart 3DMark and Steam, inspect Documents3DMark3dmark.log, and contact UL if the published result clearly qualifies but the achievement remains locked.
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The achievement is called “Shoot for the Moon”
“Lunar New Year achievement” is a common description, but the exact Steam achievement name is Shoot for the Moon. Its requirement is to “Achieve a great score or better for your hardware during Lunar New Year.” The requirement was changed to Great or better in a 3DMark update published in 2022; older explanations may therefore be inaccurate. See the 3DMark Steam announcement.
First check whether the result really qualifies
A qualifying result must pass several separate checks:
#1 Best Overall
- System: AMD Ryzen 5 5500 3.6GHz 6 Cores | AMD B550 Chipset | 8GB DDR4 | 500GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD | Windows 11 Home
- Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT 4GB Graphics | 1x HDMI | 1x DisplayPort
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- Valid result: The benchmark must complete without a validation failure.
- Hardware grade: The result must explicitly say Great, Excellent, or Legendary.
- Event timing: The benchmark must have been run during the applicable Lunar New Year event window.
- Online processing: The result must be submitted or compared online so the service can process the achievement.
- Steam connection: 3DMark must be associated with the Steam session or account that should receive the achievement.
Great is not the same as “better than X%”
The most common misunderstanding is treating the percentile on 3dmark.com as the achievement grade. They are different measurements.
- Hardware grade: Good, Great, Excellent, or Legendary. This is the rating used for the achievement requirement.
- Percentile: A comparison with results in the online database, including older hardware and historical submissions.
A PC can rank better than a high percentage of all submitted results while receiving only Good for its hardware category. That does not satisfy the achievement. UL’s explanation of the distinction is documented in this Steam discussion.
Inspect the online result page
Open the published 3DMark result and check each of these items:
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- It says Valid result.
- The benchmark name and version are shown.
- The run date and time fall within the event window.
- The hardware assessment says Great, Excellent, or Legendary.
- The Achievements section is present.
- Shoot for the Moon appears there, if the server has already awarded it.
- The result is visible and available to UL support if you need to escalate.
Public examples show the achievement attached to qualifying Time Spy, Time Spy Extreme, and Port Royal results. That indicates the award is not necessarily limited to Time Spy, although the eligible tests and server behavior can change with the current 3DMark version.
Rank #2
- 8-Core 16-Thread Processing Power – Powered by the Ryzen 7 4700LE processor with Zen 2 architecture, delivering 8 cores and 16 threads with a boost clock up to 4.2GHz. Effortlessly handle multitasking, streaming, content creation, and demanding applications simultaneously without slowdowns.
- GeForce RTX 3050 8GB Graphics – Equipped with 8GB GDDR6 dedicated VRAM and real-time ray tracing support. Experience smooth 1080p gaming at 55-60 FPS in AAA titles like Cyberpunk 2077, 70+ FPS in Fortnite, and 90-100 FPS in Apex Legends with DLSS enabled. The 8GB buffer handles modern game textures comfortably – a step above 6GB variants
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Submit the result with “Compare results online”
A benchmark can finish successfully on your computer without the online service having processed it for achievements. After the run:
- Open the result details in 3DMark.
- Sign in to the 3DMark online service if prompted, using the Steam-linked account.
- Select Compare results online, or the equivalent online submission control in your version.
- Wait for the online result page to load.
- Check the result’s Achievements section again.
This is a practical remedy rather than a confirmed universal prerequisite. In a February 2024 AnandTech report, the user said the achievement appeared after signing in with Steam and/or comparing the result online. That is anecdotal, but it is consistent with a synchronization or server-processing problem. See the AnandTech discussion.
Restart Steam and 3DMark, then retry
If the result qualifies but Steam still shows the achievement as locked:
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- Exit 3DMark completely.
- Exit Steam completely rather than merely closing the window.
- Start Steam and sign in online.
- Launch the Steam edition of 3DMark through Steam.
- Submit the existing result, or run another qualifying benchmark while the event is active.
Restarting can refresh the Steam achievement state, but it is not a guaranteed fix. Also check that Steam was not offline, that you did not launch a different edition or account, and that the Steam overlay and account session are functioning normally.
Rank #3
- POWERHOUSE 8-CORE GAMING PERFORMANCE — Driven by the AMD Ryzen 7 8700F with 8 cores and 16 threads, boosting up to 5.0 GHz for smooth, responsive gameplay and the ability to handle AAA titles, streaming, and background tasks all at once
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- Simplistic Design: Enjoy the latest generation of Windows 11 Home for your everyday needs. *MSI recommends Windows 11 Pro for business use.
- Cool While Gaming: In conjunction with an ARGB fan Air Cooler, the Codex R2 features four system cooling fans; three in the front and one in the rear to pull in cool air and push heat out of the PC.
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Read the 3DMark log
UL has specifically pointed affected users to the 3DMark log because it records what the achievement checker received. On Windows, open:
Documents3DMark3dmark.logSearch for the relevant benchmark result and the achievement-test lines. Look for the Lunar New Year check, which may refer to “Shoot the Moon,” and keep the relevant section for support. The log can help distinguish a qualifying result that failed to synchronize from one that was rejected as invalid, outside the event period, or below the required grade.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Consider the event date and time carefully
Lunar New Year is a recurring event, so dates from one year do not automatically apply to another. Historical reports refer to February 1, 2022 and January 29, 2025, while the original widely discussed failure was reported on February 10, 2024. Always use the active event dates published for the current 3DMark implementation.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Community discussions have raised conflicting assumptions about whether the event uses local time or UTC. There is no reliable basis here for declaring one universal rule. To reduce the risk:
Rank #4
- POWERED BY RTX 5070 12GB + RYZEN 7 9700X - The GeForce RTX 5070 12GB GDDR7 graphics card pairs with an 8-core AMD Ryzen 7 9700X processor to drive smooth 1440p and 4K gameplay, giving this gaming PC the headroom for modern titles, streaming, and creative work.
- 32GB DDR5 6000MHz MEMORY & 1TB NVMe SSD - 32GB of high-speed DDR5 memory and a 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe solid state drive deliver quick load times, smooth multitasking, and generous storage, keeping this prebuilt gaming desktop responsive under heavy workloads.
- BUILT-IN 11.3-INCH Smart DISPLAY - An integrated smart screen shows real-time CPU and GPU temperatures, usage, and weather while you play, adding a distinctive and functional touch to your battlestation.
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- Run the benchmark well inside the published event window rather than near its final hours.
- Check the timestamp on the online result page.
- Keep the result URL and log if the achievement does not appear.
- Do not assume a result uploaded after the event will qualify merely because the benchmark was run earlier.
Execution time, upload time, and Steam unlock time are separate events. The server may use one or more of them when evaluating the award.
What if the result is valid but hidden?
Check that the result is available online and not hidden by account or edition settings. Hidden results can affect visibility and leaderboard information, particularly for Basic Edition submissions. If you contact UL, make sure support can access the result or provide any account details they request.
Contact UL when the evidence is clear
If the published result is valid, shows Great or better, falls within the event window, and still lacks the achievement, email UL Benchmarks Support:
Include:
- The public 3DMark result URL.
- A screenshot of the Steam achievements page showing Shoot for the Moon as locked.
- The benchmark name and approximate run time.
- Your Steam account name or other account information if requested.
- The relevant portion of
Documents3DMark3dmark.log.
UL staff have said they can manually inspect qualifying cases and award the achievement when appropriate. That does not mean every missing unlock will be approved: an invalid result, Good grade, wrong date, or unrelated account problem may correctly fail the requirement. UL has also acknowledged server-side achievement problems in the past, including a January 1 achievement issue that was fixed with retroactive awards. That history makes support escalation worthwhile, but it does not prove that every Lunar New Year failure is a server bug.
Should you buy a particular benchmark?
Do not buy hardware or a specific benchmark solely to chase this achievement. Historical result pages show multiple qualifying tests, and the award depends on the hardware-relative grade and event timing rather than simply owning a faster component. First check whether an eligible benchmark is already available through your installation, demo, or free Steam DLC. The 3DMark Steam page lists the current edition, demo, benchmark DLC, and upgrade options; pricing and availability can change by region and promotion.
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