OpenGL Workstation Power - Graphics Cards for the Professional User

Test Methodology

In addition to the synthetic benchmarks in SPECViewperf 6.1.2., we also used two application benchmark scripts released by www.spec.org. The 3D Studio Max one has a broad user base.

There currently exists a script for version R3.1, which is being used as a benchmark. Although version 4.0 was launched on the market long ago, there is no benchmark available. 3DSM R3.1 is officially only being offered for Windows NT 4, although some unsupported patches for Windows 2000 have begun making the rounds on the Internet.

ProEngineer 2000 i2 is in an entirely different situation. ProEngineer's developer, PTC, is offering this not particularly cheap program for both NT4 and Windows 2000.

All the benchmarks were run under either NT4 or Windows 2000 at a resolution of 1280 x 1024 pixels, refresh rate of 85 Hz and True Color. Due to the limitations we mentioned above, 3D Studio Max 3.1 was only tested under NT4.

This screenshot was created by the ProEngineer benchmark (version 2000 i2).