Overview

3DMark06 is the 2006 version of the popular 3DMark series. Potential customers of graphics cards don’t want to discover the intricacies of 3D technology and they just want to know which card to put their money on. When it comes to advanced 3D game performance benchmarking, the 3DMark series are the worldwide standard. 3DMark06 is no exception. Shaders graphics tests as well as CPU tests are incorporated by 3DMark06 in order to give you a complete benchmark of your system. And because these tools are consistent and comparable you can contrast your results with another version of 3DMark to see how you stack up. Let’s take a closer look at the features of 3DMark 06 in this quick review!

Installation

The installation of 3DMark 06 is simple, fast and smooth. It is a straightforward process and you will be able to install it in no time. The free basic edition, which we are reviewing, has standard online result browser functionality. At just 13MB, it is a lightweight tool. This is one program that does not have any adware, spyware or other programs bundled with it. Of course, Directx9 graphics is recommended, as well as the most RAM and CPU power possible to obtain the best scores.

Interface

The interface of 3DMark 06 is aesthetically pleasing and at the same time you will have no problems benchmarking your system as it is a very easy to use tool. The interface is intuitive and most importantly, accurate measures of the capabilities of computers are provided by 3DMark06. Obviously, if you want the full experience, the professional edition is the right choice for you as you get access to all of the advanced features and functionality.

Pros

3DMark06 is a very powerful and feature-packed tool for benchmarking your system. As a result, advanced SM2.0 and HDR/SM3.0 shader graphics tests are included in this very useful tool. Your 3 3DMark score will also be determined by single, multiple core, and multiple processor CPU tests. Advanced real-time 3D game workloads are used by 3DMark06 in order to measure your PC performance. A suite of DirectX 9 3D graphics tests, 3D feature tests and CPU tests are used for a comprehensive benchmark. In order for you obtain a 3DMark score, your system will need to pass three tests: two graphics tests and one CPU test.

The heavily multi-threaded CPU tests will take advantage of both multi-core systems and SMP. Don’t be fooled by the fact that the two CPU tests look the same, as different types of CPU load are simulated in each. As for the graphics section, as stated above, there are two: the first one deals with Shader Model 2, whilst Shader Model 3.0 together with HDR effects, is implemented by the second one. Pixel shader, fill rate and vertex shader are among the 3D graphics feature tests.

Cons

Some users are reporting inaccurate results from benchmarking. Besides this aspect, does making you feel you have a 15-year-old computer count as a con? Guess not!

Alternatives

Alternatives to 3DMark 06 include the following tools: , , Heaven Benchmark and many more .

Conclusion

All in all, 3DMark06 is an excellent benchmarking tool that offers plenty of functionality. When it comes to benchmarking, trust 3DMark06!