3DMark is a computer benchmark by Futuremark (formerly MadOnion) to determine the DirectX performance of graphics cards. A benchmark is a point of reference for a measurement. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards and conform with our NPOV policy, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Microsoft DirectX is a collection of APIs for handling tasks related to multimedia, especially game programming and video, on Microsoft platforms. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... A graphics/video/display card/board/adapter is a computer component designed to convert the logical representation of visual information into a signal that can be used as input for a display medium. ...

The measurement unit 3DMark is intended to give a normalized mean for comparing different visual processing units, which proponents assert is indicative of end-user performance capabilities. Critics counter by stating that it is not a reliable measure of real-world performance. It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles. ...

There are seven different versions of 3DMark:

• 3DMark99
• 3DMark2000
• 3dMark2001
• 3DMark2001 SE
• 3DMark03
• 3DMark05
• 3DMark06

The number in the title corresponds with the year that the features it was designed to benchmark would be available on graphics cards released publicly. Typically each version was made and released some months in advance of the start of its title year. Scores for each subsequent year will be lower, as each new version measures new and innovative developments in the graphics field, such as DirectX enhancements like Pixel Shader 3.0. Microsoft DirectX is a collection of APIs for handling tasks related to multimedia, especially game programming and video, on Microsoft platforms. ... A Shader in the field of computer graphics is a set of software instructions, which is used by the graphic resources primarily to perform rendering effects. ...

3DMark06 Features

• HDR rendering.
• Complex HDR Video post-processing.
• Dynamic soft shadows for all objects.
• Water shader with HDR refraction, HDR reflection, depth fog and Gerstner wave functions.
• Heterogeneous fog.
• Atmospheric light scattering.
• Realistic sky model with cloud blending.
• Strauss lighting model for most materials.
• Subsurface scattering shader for some objects (not visible in the shot).
• Texture & normal map sizes: 1024 x 1024 to 2048 x 2048.
• Approximately 5.4 million triangles and 8.8 million vertices.

High dynamic range rendering (HDRR or HDR Rendering), also known as high dynamic range lighting, is the rendering of 3D computer graphics scenes by using lighting calculations done in a larger dynamic range. ... In computer graphics and cinematography, high dynamic range imaging (HDRI for short) is a set of techniques that allow a far greater dynamic range of exposures than normal digital imaging techniques. ... See also: Post-production The term post-processing is used in the video/film business for quality-improvement methods used in video playback devices, (such as stand-alone DVD-Video players). ... Three dimensional object with subsurface scattering Subsurface scattering (or SSS) is a mechanism of light transport in which light penetrates the surface of a translucent object, is scattered by interacting with the material, and exits the surface at a different point. ... A Shader in the field of computer graphics is a set of software instructions, which is used by the graphic resources primarily to perform rendering effects. ...

3DMark and Overclocking

3DMark is one of the programs used by gamers and overclocking enthusiasts worldwide for assessing and comparing their system's prowess. The 3DMark score remains the premier source for assessing the Graphics subsystem's raw performance. AMD Athlon XP Overclocking BIOS Setup on ABIT NF7-S. FSB frequency (External clock) has increased from 133 MHz to 148 MHz, and clock multiplier factor has changed from 13. ...

Criticism

Real performance in games is not determined by this benchmark. Because of this, 3DMark's results have increasingly come into question over the years; while 3DMark01's results largely tallied with overall game performance (a result of it being built on the Max Payne renderer), 3DMark 2003 proved almost totally divorced from realistic gaming scenarios. One hardware site performed tests on the benchmark, and found that in 3DMark 2003, a system using a Pentium II and a Radeon 9800 would perform only slightly slower than a system with the same graphics card and a top-of-the-line Pentium 4. In real-world games though, the Pentium II system would be totally unsuitable for playing (then-)modern games on. This caused 3DMark 2003 to lose most of its credibility^{[citation needed]}, with many other hardware sites reverting to 3DMark01, which was felt to give more realistic results. Since then, 3DMark 2005 and 2006 have given much more weighting to the CPU score, and produce more realistic results than the 2003 version, though enthusiasts still question the realistic worth of these scores^{[citation needed]}. A benchmark is a point of reference for a measurement. ... Max Payne is a third-person shooter computer game developed by the Finnish company Remedy Entertainment, produced by 3D Realms and published by Gathering of Developers in July, 2001 for Windows. ... Pentium II – front view The Pentium II is an x86 architecture microprocessor by Intel, introduced on May 7, 1997. ... New Intel Pentium 4 with Hyper Threading logo The Pentium 4 is a seventh-generation x86 architecture microprocessor produced by Intel and was the companys first all-new CPU design since the Pentium Pro of 1995. ...

External links

• Futuremark Corporation website
• 3DMark 06 Screenshots on Futuremark Corporation website