3DMark delisting of REDMAGIC 11 Pro phones

UL Solutions removes certain REDMAGIC models from 3DMark rankings following benchmark compliance testing

3DMark is one of the most popular benchmarks for mobile devices, letting millions of mobile gamers around the world find out how fast their devices can perform in a realistic gaming environment.

Last month, YouTuber Saityo highlighted benchmark results for the REDMAGIC 11 Pro that appeared unusual. After obtaining and testing the relevant devices in our lab, we determined that the device behavior does not comply with our Benchmark Rules and Guidelines. As a result, we have delisted the affected devices and removed them from our performance rankings.

Which models have been removed from rankings?

Based on our testing, the following models have been delisted:

• REDMAGIC 11 Pro
• REDMAGIC 11 Pro+

Delisted devices appear unranked, and without scores, at the bottom of our popular list of the best smartphones. 3DMark scores from delisted devices should not be used to compare models.

Why were these models delisted?

We tested each model with the public version of 3DMark, available from Google Play, and a private, renamed version of 3DMark that is not available to the public or manufacturers.

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In our testing, scores from the public 3DMark app were up to 24% higher than scores from the internal version, even though the tests are identical.

The differences in scores tell us that the devices are simply recognizing the 3DMark app by name rather than adapting to the type of work in the test. This kind of detection and optimization is forbidden by our rules for manufacturers.

Based on our observations, the devices appear to run the benchmark in a higher-performance mode that resembles REDMAGIC’s “Diablo” mode.

In our testing, this higher-performance behavior was enabled by default when the phone detected 3DMark running, and we were unable to find a way to disable it when running 3DMark. As a result, 3DMark cannot produce results for these models that reflect normal, real-world gaming behavior.

Optional performance modes that users can enable are allowed under our rules, provided they are disabled by default. A device must run the benchmark in the same way it would run other applications unless the user has explicitly selected an optional mode.

3DMark usage notice

REDMAGIC has previously stated that using Diablo mode on their devices can cause them to generate substantially more heat and recommended that users do not use the mode for extended periods. In our own testing, we measured surface temperatures exceeding 50°C in some areas.

Given these observations, we recommend that users do not run 3DMark stress tests on these devices. If users choose to run 3DMark on these devices, the device should be allowed to cool between benchmark runs to reduce the risk of excessive heat. In addition, 3DMark scores for these models are not valid for performance comparisons and should not be used for that purpose.

3DMark does not enable or force any performance mode changes. Any automatic performance mode changes observed when 3DMark is run are solely done by the device manufacturer unless explicitly enabled by the end-user.

We're committed to creating benchmarks you can trust

• 3DMark is protected by rules for manufacturers.
• 3DMark has public documentation that explains what each test measures and how the scores are calculated.
• Our Best Smartphones list only shows publicly available models. We never list or leak unverified scores from pre-release hardware.