> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/Crosstalk-Solutions/project-nomad/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# System Benchmark

> Hardware performance scoring with NOMAD Score, Builder Tags, and a community leaderboard.

The System Benchmark tests your hardware and produces a **NOMAD Score** — a weighted composite of CPU, memory, disk, and AI performance. You can compare your results against other N.O.M.A.D. builds on the community leaderboard at [benchmark.projectnomad.us](https://benchmark.projectnomad.us).

## How to run a benchmark

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the System Benchmark">
    Go to **Settings → System Benchmark**, or navigate to `/settings/benchmark`.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose a benchmark type">
    Select one of the three available types (see [Benchmark types](#benchmark-types) below).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Run the benchmark">
    Click **Run**. The benchmark runs in the background and may take several minutes to complete. Do not shut down or restart your server while it is running.
  </Step>

  <Step title="View your results">
    When the benchmark finishes, your NOMAD Score and individual component scores are displayed.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Benchmark types

| Type            | What it measures                      | Can be shared to leaderboard       |
| --------------- | ------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------- |
| **Full**        | CPU, memory, disk, and AI performance | Yes — if AI Assistant is installed |
| **System Only** | CPU, memory, and disk only            | No                                 |
| **AI Only**     | AI inference performance only         | No                                 |

<Note>
  Only Full Benchmarks that include AI results can be submitted to the community leaderboard.
</Note>

## NOMAD Score

The NOMAD Score is a single weighted composite number calculated from your benchmark results across four categories:

* **CPU performance**
* **Memory performance**
* **Disk performance**
* **AI inference performance**

The AI component contributes meaningfully to the overall score, so systems with GPU acceleration will generally score higher than CPU-only builds.

## Builder Tags

A Builder Tag is a NOMAD-themed identity you assign to your benchmark result before sharing it to the leaderboard. Tags follow the format `Word-Word-0000` — for example, `Tactical-Llama-1234`.

Builder Tags are optional for local results but are associated with any submission you share publicly.

## Sharing results to the leaderboard

You can submit qualifying results to the community leaderboard at [benchmark.projectnomad.us](https://benchmark.projectnomad.us).

**Requirements to share a result:**

* The benchmark must be a **Full Benchmark** (not System Only or AI Only)
* The **AI Assistant** must be installed and working — the benchmark must include AI results
* Your score must be **higher than any previous submission from the same hardware**

<Warning>
  If submission fails, check the error message. The most common reasons are: the benchmark type was not Full, the AI Assistant is not installed, or the new score is not higher than the previous submission from that build.
</Warning>

## Measuring GPU impact

The System Benchmark is a practical way to quantify the effect of hardware changes on your N.O.M.A.D. build.

<Tip>
  Run a Full Benchmark before adding a GPU, then run another after installing the GPU and completing the AI Assistant Force Reinstall. The difference in NOMAD Score reflects the real performance improvement — GPU-accelerated builds typically see AI speeds of 100+ tokens per second compared to 10–15 on CPU only.
</Tip>

See the [AI Assistant](/features/ai-assistant) page for instructions on enabling GPU acceleration.

## Related

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="AI Assistant" icon="robot" href="/features/ai-assistant">
    Install the AI Assistant and enable GPU acceleration to maximize your NOMAD Score.
  </Card>

  <Card title="System health" icon="heart-pulse" href="/management/system-health">
    Monitor CPU, memory, and storage usage on your server.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>