Web Browser Grand Prix 3: IE9 Enters The Race

Features
By Adam Overa
published

With highly-anticipated Microsoft Internet Explorer 9 now available, along with recently released Google Chrome 10, superb Opera 11, newly updated Apple Safari 5.04, and rock-steady Mozilla Firefox 3.6, this is going to be quite an interesting race.

Compliance Benchmarks: HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, And Acid3

On this page, we are again switching gears, this time to standards compliance testing.

HTML5test.com

Chrome scores the highest on HTML5test.com, earning 288 points and 13 bonus points. Opera is second, achieving 234 points and seven bonus points. Apple Safari finishes in third place, with 187 points and no bonus. Firefox comes in fourth with 155 regular points and four bonus. IE9 brings up the rear with only 130 points, but manages to score five bonus points.

CSS3 Selectors Test

First place in the CSS3 Selectors test is a four-way tie between Mozilla Firefox (3.6.15), IE9, Opera, and Safari. Believe it or not, Google Chrome is the odd man out in a standards compliance test, scoring only 558 out of a possible 574.

Sputnik

Sputnik is a new addition to the WBGP. This is the second version of an up-and-coming JavaScript conformance benchmark from Google.

IE9 once again comes out of the gate swinging, with a chart-topping score of 5175 in Sputnik. Opera comes in second with 5166, and Chrome places third with 5110. Safari finishes fourth with 5075, while Firefox again secures last place with 4982.

Acid3 Pass/Fail

Earlier we looked at the time it took our three first-place finishers to complete the Acid3 test. As you can see, Microsoft's new Internet Explorer still doesn't achieve a full score in Acid3, taking home a 95 out of 100. No surprise here; Firefox 3.6 still scores a 94.

Adam Overa
244 Comments Comment from the forums
  • pirateboy
    I wonder how much microsoft paid tomshardware not to include Firefox 4 RC1
    Reply
  • cruiseoveride
    Now everyone is going to switch from Chrome to IE?
    Reply
  • bison88
    Nice comparison Adam. I think people don't give MS credit for IE9 because of their history with web standards and lack of competition with updating their browser since they destroyed Netscape so many years ago. Hopefully they have their head in the game and continue with a somewhat constant update cycle. Currently the transition from IE8 to IE9 was somewhat FireFox'ish with speed instead of waiting for another revision of the OS. The browser definitely surprised me, some quirks here and there that are definitely noticeable and the Chrome/FF influence is obviously present. I wish them luck as the competition heats up.
    Reply
  • andy5174
    Will there be a " Web Browser Grand Prix 4: Firefox 4 Enters The Race " after Firefox 4's release (22 Mar)?
    Reply
  • illuminatuz
    i felt the speed once i switched from firefox to chrome and now chrome to IE..
    but there is no mention of any addon/extentions for IE..
    i mean there is no comparision on who's got nice addons and startup time "with" addons.. since users tend to use web browsers with addons knowingly or un-knowingly..
    it would be better if you include those two comparisions as well.. and who takes advantage of GPU and all..
    Reply
  • winner4455
    Won't take that long for IE to lag behind.
    Reply
  • illuminatuz
    winner4455Won't take that long for IE to lag behind.lol
    maybe not!!
    and FFS why doesnt that "submit my comment" button not working in IE!! I am using chrome for that ;(
    Reply
  • turboflame
    I like how this article was released one day before Firefox 4 is released.
    Reply
  • dimamu15
    duck it, i stick to firefox.
    Reply
  • Scanlia
    Is there a wrong picture on the efficiency page? The 40tabs graph comes up as GUIMark 2?
    Reply