Futuremark updates benchmarking software

Futuremark, developers of PC performance analysis software, today released 3DMark05, its latest addition to the 3DMark video-card benchmark series. Futuremark has updated its software with a completely new test suite designed to measure the performance of the latest generation of graphics cards. 3DMark05 uses Shader Model 2.0 and 3.0 for all vertex and pixel processing, and the new benchmark requires all hardware to be compatible with DirectX 9.0 and Shader Model 2.0. In comparison, the previous version of 3DMark, 3DMark03, could evaluate DirectX 9.0 performance only through Shader Model 1.x and 2.0.

3DMark05 has a brand-new rendering engine, and with a download size of nearly 300MB and an installation size of 620MB, 3DMark05 is comparable in size to some game titles. Scenes average over 1 million polygons and peak at over 2 million polygons.

As with 3DMark03, the primary 3DMark05 benchmark score is based on frame rate performance in three simulated game tests. The first game test, Return to Proxycon. extends the storyline of the Battle for Proxycon game test presented in 3DMark2003.

Return to Proxycon simulates a first-person shooter with an indoor location and numerous player models and light sources onscreen. The bulk of the test takes place in the cargo hold of a space vessel, where a large gun battle ensues between a boarding party and ship defenders. The cargo hold is much larger than the confined corridors from 3DMark03's Battle for Proxycon, allowing for more onscreen character models to better simulate a multiplayer environment.

Game test two, Firefly Forest, follows a firefly through a wooded forest. The heavy vegetation of the forest, combined with lighting from the moon and the firefly, create a cinematic nature scene with challenging shadow effects.

The third test, Canyon Flight, is by far the most challenging game test in 3DMark05. In the test, a dirigible encounters a massive sea dragon during its flight through a watery canyon. This test is particularly difficult because of the complex canyon regions and heavily detailed water reflections and refractions.

The CPU tests in 3DMark05 have been updated to run in two threads to take advantage of the multi-core processors that will become available in 05. Futuremark has also included a new batch-size test designed to render highly unoptimized scenes to evaluate small batch rendering performance.

3DMark05 is available for immediate download. Please visit Futuremark for a complete list of download mirrors.