Web Browser Grand Prix 7: Firefox 7, Chrome 14, Opera 11.51

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Benchmark Results: WebGL Performance

Like the page load times, GUIMark2, and the conformance tests, we're able to combine the WebGL results into a single table and provide a composite score. All three WebGL tests: Mozilla WebGL FishIE, ThoughtsInComputation Particles, and Chrome Experiments WebGL Solar System are displayed in the table below.

While it may appear that Chrome handily beats Firefox in WebGL performance, winning two out of the three WebGL tests, the composite score shows a much closer race indeed.

When we average the three WebGL scores, Chrome only has a lead of 2.333 frames per second, with both Web browsers running at a totally playable 30+ FPS.

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Summary
  1. Web Browser Grand Prix 7
  2. The Top Five Web Browsers
  3. Test Setup And Methodology
  4. Benchmark Results: Startup Times
  5. Benchmark Results: Page Load Times
  6. Benchmark Results: JavaScript, CSS, And DOM
  7. Benchmark Results: HTML5 Performance
  8. Tom's Hardware Exclusive: Peacekeeper 2.0
  9. Benchmark Results: Flash Performance
  10. Benchmark Results: Java And Silverlight
  11. Benchmark Results: HTML5 Hardware Acceleration
  12. Benchmark Results: WebGL Performance
  13. Page Load Reliability
  14. Memory Efficiency
  15. Standards Conformance
  16. Benchmark Analysis
  17. The Crowning Of A Champion
About the author
Adam Overa

Adam Overa was the Managing Editor of Tom's Hardware US from 2012-2017

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  • makaveli316
    "Until another browser beats Chrome in the speed/performance benchmarks I'm sticking with it."

    lol people still think they can feel the difference in terms of speed in real world performance and there's still people that doesn't use a browser for their needs and preferences, but just because they have seen some silly benchmark.
    Ridiculous. I bet those are the same people that are always complaining in the forums about crashes, viruses and blue screens.
  • Anonymous
    This article (as well as the preceding series of articles) is a great example of how amateur journalism can be misleading, or just downright wrong.

    On the surface, everything looks good - the author sets out a methodology, clearly presents the results, and draws conclusions based on them. Unfortunately, in doing so he reveals his severely lacking knowledge of testing methodology, the browsers themselves, as well as how one interprets the results of benchmarks.

    To aggregate across criteria such as "performance" and "standards compliance" (never mind the fact that HTML5 hasn't yet been drawn up), using an arbitrary weighting system, and then conclude that one browser beats other "overall" is nonsensical.

    Nowhere has the author talked about relevance (this is critical) or statistical significance of his tests. I'm sure he put in a lot of effort into the article, and that it was written out of the best of intentions; however, this article remains a jumble of random tests clumsily grouped together. For example, can the author explain to the readers why the removal of SVG fonts in the ACID3 test is important? Should browsers have support for SVG fonts? Should one test for it? If he can't, he's just mechanically running benchmarks that he's found on the internet.

    Obviously it's easier to criticise - but it's much more beneficial for people to actually try the browsers out for themselves (it is free after all) than to read this kind of poorly conducted "showdown".
  • killik
    Even better yet,if you use FF7 with the MemoryFox addon,Firefox simply obliterates the competition.try it for yourself.
    • Other Comments
  • gerchokas
    Well done Mozilla!
    Now they could change their famous icon to a more minimalist/modern style and we're done. Speedy AND classy, just like a fire fox.
  • shiftmx112
    Quote:
    Enjoy it while you can Firefox fans


    Indeed. I have been quite content with FF8 though.
  • soccerdocks
    Until another browser beats Chrome in the speed/performance benchmarks I'm sticking with it.
  • iam2thecrowe
    im sticking with IE, its perfectly fast enough and stable and why should I have to install another browser when it works perfectly fine?
  • JOSHSKORN
    I'm on FF10. :D Nightly 64-bit!
  • compton
    I have to say, I do really like chrome. I stopped using Firefox as much one I tried the chrome beta, and now I use IE9 and chrome all the time. I used opera for a while, but Netflix streaming doesn't work with it, nor do many other sites I use.

    Now that IE is good again, I can't fault anyone for using it in lieu of the others.
  • makaveli316
    "Until another browser beats Chrome in the speed/performance benchmarks I'm sticking with it."

    lol people still think they can feel the difference in terms of speed in real world performance and there's still people that doesn't use a browser for their needs and preferences, but just because they have seen some silly benchmark.
    Ridiculous. I bet those are the same people that are always complaining in the forums about crashes, viruses and blue screens.
  • killik
    Even better yet,if you use FF7 with the MemoryFox addon,Firefox simply obliterates the competition.try it for yourself.
  • killik
    Even better yet,if you use FF7 with the MemoryFox addon,Firefox simply obliterates the competition in the memory management department.try it for yourself.
  • frostmachine
    I noticed firefox will use progressively more memory. Even if it's just refreshing the same pages. I use firefox, opera n chrome, keeping them open 24hr/day. It can go from intial 100mb to over 500mb. I don't see this in the other browsers.
  • Anonymous
    The only test that matters to me is whether i can play zuma blitz on facebook. Firefox still loses there. I shoot a ball the screen hangs til all acclerated movements stop. IE9 runs smoothly no problem; still wont use it unless im trying to plan that game. I'm just sayin
  • Anonymous
    The Encog Silverlight result is wrong. In the graph IE9 comes third with Firefox fourth, but your conclusions are,
    Firefox 7 shows significant improvement over version 6, moving up to third place. As a result, IE9 drops to fourth.
  • Anonymous
    How on earth can Firefox be winner in memory manaegment? Chrome and IE are much better....
  • buzznut
    Firefox 7 is supposed to be better at memory management but I am still getting the same messages from AVG telling me Firefox is using too much memory. This only started with 6 so I think they still have work to do here. Maybe if they had longer than 6 weeks between versions...
  • jdwii
    give it a week and my favorite browser will put firefox in their place.
  • Anonymous
    This article (as well as the preceding series of articles) is a great example of how amateur journalism can be misleading, or just downright wrong.

    On the surface, everything looks good - the author sets out a methodology, clearly presents the results, and draws conclusions based on them. Unfortunately, in doing so he reveals his severely lacking knowledge of testing methodology, the browsers themselves, as well as how one interprets the results of benchmarks.

    To aggregate across criteria such as "performance" and "standards compliance" (never mind the fact that HTML5 hasn't yet been drawn up), using an arbitrary weighting system, and then conclude that one browser beats other "overall" is nonsensical.

    Nowhere has the author talked about relevance (this is critical) or statistical significance of his tests. I'm sure he put in a lot of effort into the article, and that it was written out of the best of intentions; however, this article remains a jumble of random tests clumsily grouped together. For example, can the author explain to the readers why the removal of SVG fonts in the ACID3 test is important? Should browsers have support for SVG fonts? Should one test for it? If he can't, he's just mechanically running benchmarks that he's found on the internet.

    Obviously it's easier to criticise - but it's much more beneficial for people to actually try the browsers out for themselves (it is free after all) than to read this kind of poorly conducted "showdown".
  • lassik
    FF7 was always my favourite, it had the best storyline. :)
  • Anonymous
    http://blog.mozilla.com/futurereleases/2011/09/30/firefoxbeta8/

    Firefox 8.0 Beta is now available.
  • Onus
    Some add-in crash issues in FF a couple months ago forced me to use IE again for a while. Wow, I never realized how many sites had so many ads, and ways to show them! I'm glad FF is more stable again so I can use it once more, although there are still a couple of sites where IE9 is more compatible.
  • eddieroolz
    Firefox 7 as the winner of Grand Prix!?! I gotta go check if hell has frozen over right now!

    But on a more serious tone, I honestly thought Chrome had this one again. Looking at the charts my impression was that Firefox never really won anything by significant margins.

    Also, I hope Internet Explorer 10 will arrive soon. My short experience with IE10 under Windows 8 was very pleasant, even better than that of IE9.
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