What is Intel PresentMon and why you should use it

Intel PresentMon is a set of tools that allows you to monitor and measure the performance of your graphics applications on Windows. Whether you are a gamer, a developer, or a reviewer, you can use Intel PresentMon to get insights into how your system is handling different graphics workloads and APIs.

Features of Intel PresentMon

Intel PresentMon consists of several components that offer different features and functionalities. Here are some of the main features of Intel PresentMon:

• Configurable Overlay with Real-time Graphing: You can display a customizable overlay on top of your game or application that shows various performance metrics such as frame rate, frame time, CPU and GPU usage, temperature, and more. You can also see real-time graphs that plot the data over time and show percentiles, averages, and other statistics.
• GPU Busy Metric: This is a unique feature that shows how well your CPU and GPU are balanced and utilized by your graphics workload. It can help you identify performance bottlenecks and optimize your system settings for better gaming experience.
• Combined GPU Telemetry and Performance Capture: You can use Intel PresentMon to collect and analyze both performance and GPU telemetry data from your target applications. This can help you understand how your system behaves during or after your gaming session, and compare different hardware configurations or software versions.
• Multi-vendor Support and Open Source: Intel PresentMon works with Intel Arc graphics cards and Intel Core processors, but also supports other hardware vendors. It is also an open-source utility that can be integrated into third-party applications or modified by the community.
• Broad API Support: Intel PresentMon supports DirectX 12, DirectX 11, DirectX 9, OpenGL, and Vulkan application APIs. It also works with both Windows 11 and Windows 10 operating systems.

How to use Intel PresentMon

To use Intel PresentMon, you need to download the latest version from intel.com or github.com. You can choose between the PresentMon Console Application or the PresentMon Service and Capture Application, depending on your preference and needs.

The PresentMon Console Application is a standalone program that can be used to collect CSV data from target applications. You can run it from the command line or use a batch script to automate the process. You can also customize the output format and the metrics you want to capture.

The PresentMon Service and Capture Application is a user-friendly GUI that can be used to collect and analyze target applications. You can launch it from the Start menu or the system tray icon. You can configure the overlay settings, select the target application, start and stop the capture, and view the results in a separate window.

Conclusion

Intel PresentMon is a powerful tool that can help you monitor and measure the performance of your graphics applications on Windows. It offers many features and functionalities that can help you improve your gaming experience, optimize your system settings, or compare different hardware or software options.