MacVoices #26162: NAB – PugetBench Helps Creators Compare, Troubleshoot, and Upgrade Systems

Jun 1, 2026 | NAB

From NAB in Las Vegas, Matt Bach, Senior Product Manager at Puget Systems, explains PugetBench, a free benchmarking tool for end users that tests real applications such as Premiere Pro, Photoshop, After Effects, DaVinci Resolve, and soon Unreal Engine. Matt discusses why real-world benchmarks beat synthetic scores, how software updates can dramatically change performance, and how Mac and Windows systems each excel in different workflows.

Show Notes:

Chapters:

[0:03] Introduction from NAB 2026
[0:20] Matt Bach introduces PugetBench
[0:31] Real-world benchmarking for creative applications
[1:23] Why first-party claims and synthetic benchmarks can mislead
[1:53] Software updates and changing performance over time
[2:18] Synthetic benchmarks versus real application testing
[3:19] Variables that affect benchmark accuracy
[4:04] Why testing your own projects is the gold standard
[4:27] Using benchmarks to evaluate upgrades realistically
[5:07] Comparing your system through PugetBench’s database
[6:09] Supported apps and future Unreal Engine benchmarking
[7:06] Unreal Engine uses beyond gaming
[7:56] Mac versus Windows value and workflow strengths
[9:16] Where to get PugetBench and end-user pricing
[10:05] Closing from NAB in Las Vegas

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