REDMAGIC 11 Pro and 11 Pro+ delisted after benchmark compliance test
3DMark says the phones recognized the benchmark app by name and returned up to 24% higher scores in the public build than in an internal renamed version.
We have just received a press note that UL Solutions has removed the REDMAGIC 11 Pro and REDMAGIC 11 Pro+ from 3DMark’s performance rankings after what it describes as benchmark compliance testing. The company says both phones failed to comply with its benchmark rules, and delisted devices now appear unranked and without scores at the bottom of its best smartphones list.
According to UL, the issue surfaced after YouTuber highlighted unusual REDMAGIC 11 Pro benchmark results last month. UL says it tested the phones using the public 3DMark app from Google Play and a private, renamed version of the same test. In that comparison, scores from the public app were up to 24% higher, despite the workloads being identical.
Source: UL Solutions
Cheating with ‘Diablo’
UL says that points to app-name detection rather than behavior based on the type of workload. In other words, the company was applying a higher performance profile called Diablo mode when 3DMark was detected. The company says this behavior was enabled by default and could not be disabled while running 3DMark. Under UL’s rules, optional performance modes are allowed only when they are off by default and explicitly selected by the user.
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.
— UL
UL says REDMAGIC has previously warned that Diablo mode can generate substantially more heat and should not be used for extended periods. In its own testing, UL says it measured surface temperatures above 50°C on some areas of the phone, and it recommends users avoid running 3DMark stress tests on these models.
Source: UL Solutions
The live device page now shows the REDMAGIC 11 Pro line as delisted in 3DMark Sling Shot Extreme (OpenGL ES 3.1), Solar Bay Extreme, Solar Bay, and Steel Nomad Light. UL says scores from delisted devices should not be used for comparisons, and the phones remain listed without ranking positions in the public database.
Source: 3DMark PR
