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It tests ray-traced shadows, reflections and global illumination. Its results can help compare ray-tracing hardware, but they are not a substitute for game benchmarks or controlled application testing.
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What GPUScore: Breaking Limit is
GPUScore: Breaking Limit is a synthetic graphics benchmark developed by Basemark. Its purpose is to measure hardware-accelerated ray-tracing performance across several device categories using a standardized workload. Basemark describes it as a cross-platform benchmark designed to use the same workload across supported platforms, although APIs, drivers, resolutions and memory behavior still affect the final result.
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The benchmark is available from Basemark’s official Breaking Limit page. The current downloadable version listed there is 1.0.1.
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The “new” framing needs qualification. Powerboard records show that Breaking Limit version 1.0.0 was already producing public results on July 3 and 4, 2024. Therefore, a current article should describe version 1.0.1 as the present release, rather than suggesting that Basemark launched the product for the first time in August or September 2026.
Breaking Limit and Breaking Limit Ultra
Breaking Limit is divided into two substantially different workloads. Scores from them should never be combined into one general ranking.
| Workload | Target hardware | Platforms | Graphics APIs | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breaking Limit Cross-platform | Phones, tablets, laptops and lower-end desktop GPUs | Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS and Android | DirectX 12, Vulkan or Metal, depending on platform | Comparing a broad range of ray-tracing-capable devices |
| Breaking Limit Ultra | High-end discrete desktop GPUs | Windows and Linux | DirectX 12 or Vulkan | Heavily stressing powerful desktop ray-tracing hardware |
| Ultra upscaling tests | High-end discrete desktop GPUs | Windows and Linux | DirectX 12 or Vulkan | Testing DLSS 2 and FSR 2 performance |
The standard Cross-platform workload requires a ray-tracing-capable GPU and at least 4 GB of GPU or shared memory. Ultra requires at least 8 GB of GPU memory, 8 GB of system RAM and approximately 2 GB of storage. Ultra is deliberately unsuitable as a universal test for every graphics processor.
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Which ray-tracing effects does it test?
Breaking Limit includes three prominent ray-tracing effects:
- Ray-traced shadows
- Ray-traced reflections
- Ray-traced global illumination
These effects make the workload more representative of modern real-time rendering than a simple rasterization test. However, Breaking Limit remains a Basemark-designed synthetic scene. It is not a collection of game engines, and it does not reproduce every combination of lighting, geometry, shader and upscaling technology found in current games.
System requirements and downloads
Basemark’s current product page lists the following operating-system targets:
- Windows: Windows 10 or 11, with x64 and Arm64 downloads.
- Linux: Ubuntu 20.04 LTS x64 and a Linux Flatpak x64 package. Basemark lists Ubuntu 20 and 22 LTS as tested environments for Breaking Limit Ultra.
- Android: Android 12 or later, with a Vulkan ray-tracing-capable GPU and driver.
- macOS: macOS 14 or later, using Metal where supported.
- iOS: iOS 17 or later is listed as supported. The product page presents the iOS distribution route less prominently than the other downloads.
The listed Windows x64 package is approximately 944 MB, the Windows Arm64 installer is approximately 315 MB, the Ubuntu package is approximately 1,264 MB, the Linux Flatpak package is approximately 892 MB, and the Android 1.0.1 APK is approximately 225 MB. Package sizes can change, so the official download page should be treated as the current reference.
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Hardware must expose the required ray-tracing functionality through its driver and graphics API. A device with a fast conventional GPU but no supported hardware ray tracing may not run the benchmark.
Official, Official Native and Custom tests
Breaking Limit offers three ways to run its content:
Official
The Official test uses Basemark’s standard settings and produces the comparable result intended for the Powerboard ranking. In the free version, Official results are automatically submitted to Powerboard.
Official Native
Official Native is available only on mobile devices. It renders at the device’s display resolution rather than using the fixed resolution of the standard Official test.
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Custom
Custom runs use the same benchmark content while allowing settings to be changed. They are useful for investigating resolution, quality or performance behavior, but Custom scores do not belong in the Official ranking and should be labeled clearly in any review.
How to download and run Breaking Limit
- Open Basemark’s official Breaking Limit page.
- Choose the installer or package for the operating system and architecture.
- Install and launch the benchmark.
- Confirm that the GPU and driver expose supported hardware ray tracing.
- Choose Official for a comparable fixed-setting result.
- Use Official Native only when the purpose is to compare native mobile-display rendering.
- Record the workload, API, resolution, driver version, power mode and cooling conditions with the score.
- Allow the free version to submit the result and retrieve its Powerboard response.
For repeatable testing, use the same API and resolution for every device. Keep power settings, fan profiles and driver versions consistent where possible. Avoid treating the first cool run on one system as equivalent to a later throttled run on another.
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Why repeated runs can score lower
Ray tracing can place a sustained load on the GPU, CPU and cooling system. Basemark warns that scores may decline when the test is run repeatedly in a short period because the device heats up and may reduce clocks.
A credible test log should note:
- Ambient temperature
- Whether the device was plugged in
- Performance or balanced power mode
- Fan profile
- Driver version
- Run order and whether the score was a first, best or stabilized result
On phones and tablets, screen brightness, battery state, case temperature and background activity can also affect repeatability.
How results are submitted to Powerboard
The free edition automatically uploads Official benchmark results to Basemark’s Powerboard scoreboard. It requires an internet connection to submit results and retrieve the online result.
That makes the free edition convenient for public comparisons, but users should not assume that a run is entirely local or private. The Corporate version makes result submission optional and adds expanded configuration and automation features, making it better suited to OEM validation, laboratories and controlled commercial testing. Basemark does not publish a standard corporate price on the product page and directs commercial users to contact its sales team.
Powerboard can filter results by GPU family, operating system, API, workload and resolution. Its pages may show maximum, median or average values. Those filters must remain attached to any number quoted from the scoreboard.
What current Powerboard results show
One displayed Powerboard ranking for Breaking Limit Ultra, filtered to DirectX 12 results, places the GeForce RTX 5090 at the top with a score of 8,269. The same view shows an RTX 4090 at 6,353, an RTX 5080 at 5,000 and an RTX 4080 SUPER at 4,202.
These are Powerboard leaderboard values, not controlled independent laboratory measurements. The ranking can include different drivers, processors, cooling systems, clock speeds, power limits and user configurations. It can also change as new submissions arrive or as the selected ranking statistic changes. The filtered view is available at Powerboard’s Breaking Limit Ultra leaderboard.
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Individual records illustrate why context is essential. An RTX 4080 SUPER result recorded 4,202 in Breaking Limit Ultra using DirectX 12 at 3,840×2,160. An RX 7900 XTX result recorded 3,168 under the same Ultra resolution and DirectX 12, while another RX 7900 XTX result using Vulkan recorded 3,037. These entries are useful evidence that API and system configuration matter, but they do not establish a universal GPU hierarchy.
How to interpret a Breaking Limit score
A score is most useful when all of these conditions match:
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- The same graphics API is used.
- The same resolution and test type are used.
- Drivers and power limits are documented.
- Cooling and run order are reasonably comparable.
- The hardware belongs to a comparable category.
Do not directly compare:
- Official with Official Native results
- Breaking Limit with Breaking Limit Ultra
- DirectX 12 with Vulkan without labeling the API
- Stock cards with overclocked or heavily power-limited cards
- A cool first run with a thermally throttled later run
- Results from different driver generations without recording those versions
Even a carefully matched score is only one synthetic data point. A buying decision should also consider real game frame rates, frame-time consistency, image quality, power consumption, noise, price and the games or applications the buyer actually uses.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What to do if the benchmark will not run
No supported ray tracing
Check whether the GPU and driver expose hardware ray tracing through the required API. A general-purpose graphics benchmark may run on hardware that Breaking Limit cannot use.
Insufficient memory
Check the workload’s memory requirement. The standard test needs at least 4 GB of GPU or shared memory; Ultra needs at least 8 GB of GPU memory, plus 8 GB of system RAM and approximately 2 GB of storage.
Unsupported operating system
Verify the platform-specific minimum version on Basemark’s current page. Older articles and download mirrors may list requirements that no longer match the current release.
Driver or API failure
Install a current driver supported by the operating system and try another supported API when the platform allows it. Keep results from DirectX 12 and Vulkan in separate tables.
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Network failure
The free edition needs connectivity for result submission and retrieval. A network problem may prevent the run from completing its online result workflow even if the local rendering test itself starts.
Thermal throttling
Let the hardware cool, close background workloads and repeat the test under documented conditions. A falling score across rapid consecutive runs may indicate heat-related throttling rather than a software regression.
Breaking Limit compared with alternatives
3DMark
3DMark offers a broad suite of established PC and mobile graphics tests, including rasterization and ray-tracing workloads. It is often a stronger choice when a review requires multiple standardized tests and extensive PC comparison data. Breaking Limit’s distinctive focus is its Basemark workload model spanning desktop and mobile platforms.
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Basemark GPU
Basemark GPU is a separate, broader graphics benchmark. It is useful as a general-GPU or raster-oriented companion, but it is not a replacement for Breaking Limit when the specific goal is hardware-accelerated ray-tracing performance.
Game benchmarks
Built-in game benchmarks are the best evidence for estimating performance in a particular title. They are less standardized across platforms and can change with patches, engines, upscaling modes, image-quality settings and CPU limits, but they reflect actual game behavior more directly than a synthetic scene.
Vendor tools
Tools from NVIDIA, AMD, Intel, Apple and Qualcomm can expose deeper API and hardware diagnostics. They are valuable for development and debugging, but are generally less suitable for neutral public comparisons across vendors.
Verdict
GPUScore: Breaking Limit is a useful cross-platform ray-tracing benchmark, and version 1.0.1 is the current release listed by Basemark. Its Cross-platform workload is suited to phones, laptops and less powerful GPUs, while Ultra is a separate, demanding test for high-end desktop hardware with optional DLSS 2 and FSR 2 tests.
Use Official results with matching workload, API, resolution and test conditions. Treat Powerboard as a large user-submitted comparison database rather than a controlled review lab, and pair the score with real game and application testing. Most importantly, do not present Breaking Limit as a brand-new 2026 release: its public history reaches back to version 1.0.0 results from 2024.
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