NOTE: The frame rate figures given here are for double-buffered tests, ie. the drawing of a 3D image is always synchronised with the frame-by-frame display of pixel data on the screen - how quickly this can be done depends on the monitor refresh rate. Thus, a system's graphics hardware renders a model only as quickly as the restrictions of synchronisation allow, the precise nature of which may vary between different models and can easily be strangely obscure. Thus, frame rates for double-buffered tests can never be more than the monitor refresh rate, are usually an integer divisor of the monitor rate, and frequently do not represent the maximum capabilities of a graphics system - however, such tests often do represent the realities of someone's work, eg. real-time 3D animation, but they should not be used as any indicator of the maximum performance a graphics subsystem.
By contrast, single-buffered tests (see GRAPHICS TEST 1 above) make no attempt to synchronise the drawing of the 3D image with the display refresh of the monitor. Thus, a system's graphics hardware renders a model as quickly as possible, which means observed frame rates will usually be an obscure fraction of the monitor refresh rate, but can also be many times the refresh rate if a particular graphics system is sufficiently powerful or if the model is sufficiently simple (ag. the arm2.iv model data shown above).
I present results of both types of test here in order to offer as broad a range of information as possible, and also to show very clearly how different these two types of test can be. For full details on this issue, and I strongly recommend you read this information before looking at the results below, see my page on The Effects of Double-Buffering on Animation Frame Rates. In general though, one should always use single- buffered tests to compare systems.
For each object, a brief description is given and the number of polygons it contains. Monitor settings were always 1280x1024 at 72Hz with 32+32 or the nearest-best. Exceptions: some Onyx2 tests were run at 60Hz HDTV resolution, the Indigo2 GR3-XZ was using a 60Hz monitor, and the Octane R12K/400 V6 was running at 1280x720 60Hz. Remember: the fps score in these double-buffered tests cannot be higher than the monitor refresh rate; thus, they should NOT be used as a measure of best possible graphics performance, and especially not since these are IrisGL tests anyway (newer systems are better at OpenGL; IrisGL calls must be converted to OpenGL calls using the IGLOO system first, which slows down newer systems).
Key:
MWin (MW) = Maximum Window (click top-right button to maximise view)
SWin (SW) = Small Window (default size of ivview)
/xx = xx is the rendering mode; if none is given then the mode is
'default', ie. texturing is ON if the model contains texture.
Otherwise, see SH, W, T or HL below.
SH = shaded
W = wireframe
T = transparent
HL = hidden-line
AA = Anti-Aliasing ON
noAA = Anti-Aliasing OFF
Test A: F15 WireDefs (this is a collection of lines, not polygons).
MWin/AA MWin/noAA SWin/AA SWin/noAA
Fuel R16000SC 700MHz 4MB V10: 72 72 72 72 [hinv]
Octane R12000SC 400MHz 2MB V6 (low res): 60 60 60 60 [hinv]
O2 R12000SC 270MHz 1MB: 21 24 32 34 [hinv]
O2 R5200SC 300MHz 1MB: 19 21 24 24 [hinv]
O2 R10000SC 195MHz 1MB: 18 18 24 24 [hinv]
O2 R5000SC 200MHz 1MB: 14 16 17 17
O2 R5000SC 180MHz 512K: 12 13 14 14
Indigo2 R4400SC 200MHz 1MB GR3-XZ (2GE): 6 11 12 13
Indigo2 R4400SC 150MHz 1MB GR3-XZ (2GE): 6 11 10 13 [hinv]
Test B: shaded Beathoven (4998 polygons).
MWin MWin/T MWin/W SWin SWin/T SWin/W
Fuel R16000SC 700MHz 4MB V10: 72 72 72 72 72 72 [hinv]
Octane R12000SC 400MHz 2MB V6 (low res): 60 60 60 60 60 60 [hinv]
O2 R5200SC 300MHz 1MB: 14 14 18 18 18 24 [hinv]
O2 R12000SC 270MHz 1MB: 14 14 18 18 18 23 [hinv]
O2 R10000SC 195MHz 1MB: 12 12 14 14 14 17 [hinv]
O2 R5000SC 200MHz 1MB: 12 11 14 14 14 14
O2 R5000SC 180MHz 512K: 10 10 11 12 12 13
Indigo2 R4400SC 200MHz 1MB GR3-XZ (2GE): 6 5 4 7 7 4
Indigo2 R4400SC 150MHz 1MB GR3-XZ (2GE): 6 5 4 7 7 4 [hinv]
Test C: shaded Ranger (14174 polygons).
MWin MWin/T MWin/W SWin SWin/T SWin/W
Fuel R16000SC 700MHz 4MB V10: 36 36 36 36 36 36 [hinv]
Octane R12000SC 400MHz 2MB V6 (low res): 20 20 20 20 20 20 [hinv]
O2 R12000SC 270MHz 1MB: 7 7 7 8 7 8 [hinv]
O2 R5200SC 300MHz 1MB: 6 6 7 7 7 8 [hinv]
O2 R10000SC 195MHz 1MB: 5 5 5 6 6 6 [hinv]
O2 R5000SC 200MHz 1MB: 5 5 5 5 5 5
O2 R5000SC 180MHz 512K: 4 4 4 4 4 5
Indigo2 R4400SC 200MHz 1MB GR3-XZ (2GE): 2 2 1 2 2 1
Indigo2 R4400SC 150MHz 1MB GR3-XZ (2GE): 2 2 1 2 2 1 [hinv]
Test D: shaded SGI Logo (864 polygons).
MWin MWin/T MWin/W SWin SWin/T SWin/W
Fuel R16000SC 700MHz 4MB V10: 72 72 72 72 72 72 [hinv]
Octane R12000SC 400MHz 2MB V6 (low res): 60 60 60 60 60 60 [hinv]
O2 R5200SC 300MHz 1MB: 24 24 36 72 68 72 [hinv]
O2 R12000SC 270MHz 1MB: 24 24 36 54 36 72 [hinv]
O2 R10000SC 195MHz 1MB: 24 24 36 36 36 36 [hinv]
O2 R5000SC 200MHz 1MB: 24 24 36 36 36 36
O2 R5000SC 180MHz 512K: 24 24 24 36 36 36
Indigo2 R4400SC 200MHz 1MB GR3-XZ (2GE): 15 11 17 25 20 20
Indigo2 R4400SC 150MHz 1MB GR3-XZ (2GE): 17 10 18 24 18 23 [hinv]
Test E: brick-textured Beathoven (4998 polygons).
MWin MWin/T MWin/W SWin SWin/T SWin/W
Fuel R16000SC 700MHz 4MB V10: 72 72 36 72 72 72 [hinv]
Octane R12000SC 400MHz 2MB V6: 60 60 30 60 60 60 [hinv]
O2 R5200SC 300MHz 1MB: 9 8 10 17 17 12 [hinv]
O2 R12000SC 270MHz 1MB: 9 8 10 16 15 12 [hinv]
O2 R10000SC 195MHz 1MB: 7 7 8 12 12 9 [hinv]
O2 R5000SC 200MHz 1MB: 7 7 5 11 10 5
O2 R5000SC 180MHz 512K: 6 6 4 8 8 4
Test F: brick-textured Ranger (14174 polygons).
MWin MWin/T MWin/W SWin SWin/T SWin/W
Fuel R16000SC 700MHz 4MB V10: 36 36 24 36 36 36 [hinv]
Octane R12000SC 400MHz 2MB V6: 20 20 20 20 20 20 [hinv]
O2 R12000SC 270MHz 1MB: 6 6 4 6 6 4 [hinv]
O2 R5200SC 300MHz 1MB: 6 6 4 6 6 4 [hinv]
O2 R10000SC 195MHz 1MB: 4 4 3 5 5 3 [hinv]
O2 R5000SC 200MHz 1MB: 3 3 2 4 4 2
O2 R5000SC 180MHz 512K: 3 3 1 3 3 1
MWin MWin/T MWin/W SWin SWin/T SWin/W
Fuel R16000SC 700MHz 4MB V10: 72 72 72 72 72 72 [hinv]
Octane R12000SC 400MHz 2MB V6: 60 60 60 60 60 60 [hinv]
O2 R12000SC 270MHz 1MB: 15 14 24 36 36 36 [hinv]
O2 R5200SC 300MHz 1MB: 15 14 24 36 36 36 [hinv]
O2 R10000SC 195MHz 1MB: 15 14 23 36 36 36 [hinv]
O2 R5000SC 200MHz 1MB: 15 14 16 34 27 17
O2 R5000SC 180MHz 512K: 13 12 14 24 24 17
Test H: Cafe-Mapped Beathoven (4998 polygons).
MWin MWin/T MWin/W SWin SWin/T SWin/W
Fuel R16000SC 700MHz 4MB V10: 72 72 36 72 72 72 [hinv]
Octane R12000SC 400MHz 2MB V6: 60 60 30 60 60 60 [hinv]
O2 R12000SC 270MHz 1MB: 10 10 10 14 14 11 [hinv]
O2 R5200SC 300MHz 1MB: 10 10 9 14 14 10 [hinv]
O2 R10000SC 195MHz 1MB: 9 9 7 11 11 8 [hinv]
O2 R5000SC 200MHz 1MB: 7 7 4 8 8 4
O2 R5000SC 180MHz 512K: 6 6 3 7 7 4
Test I: Cafe-Mapped Ranger (14174 polygons).
MWin MWin/T MWin/W SWin SWin/T SWin/W
Fuel R16000SC 700MHz 4MB V10: 36 36 24 36 36 36 [hinv]
Octane R12000SC 400MHz 2MB V6: 20 20 20 20 20 20 [hinv]
O2 R12000SC 270MHz 1MB: 5 5 3 6 6 4 [hinv]
O2 R5200SC 300MHz 1MB: 5 5 3 5 5 3 [hinv]
O2 R10000SC 195MHz 1MB: 4 4 2 4 4 3 [hinv]
O2 R5000SC 200MHz 1MB: 3 3 1 3 3 1
O2 R5000SC 180MHz 512K: 2 2 1 2 2 1
Test J: Cafe-Mapped SGI Logo (864 polygons).
MWin MWin/T MWin/W SWin SWin/T SWin/W
Fuel R16000SC 700MHz 4MB V10: 72 72 72 72 72 72 [hinv]
Octane R12000SC 400MHz 2MB V6: 60 60 60 60 60 60 [hinv]
O2 R12000SC 270MHz 1MB: 15 15 24 36 36 36 [hinv]
O2 R5200SC 300MHz 1MB: 14 14 24 36 36 36 [hinv]
O2 R10000SC 195MHz 1MB: 14 14 22 35 34 24 [hinv]
O2 R5000SC 200MHz 1MB: 14 14 14 24 24 17
O2 R5000SC 180MHz 512K: 14 12 14 24 24 15
Test K: powerflip (fighter model, 572 polygons).
MWin MWin/T MWin/W SWin SWin/T SWin/W
Fuel R16000SC 700MHz 4MB V10: 72 72 72 72 72 72 [hinv]
Octane R12000SC 400MHz 2MB V6 (low res): 60 60 60 60 60 60 [hinv]
O2 R12000SC 270MHz 1MB: 36 36 36 72 72 72 [hinv]
O2 R5200SC 300MHz 1MB: 36 36 36 72 72 72 [hinv]
O2 R10000SC 195MHz 1MB: 36 36 36 72 72 72 [hinv]
O2 R5000SC 200MHz 1MB: 36 36 36 72 72 72
O2 R5000SC 180MHz 512K: 36 36 36 36 36 68
Indigo2 R4400SC 200MHz 1MB GR3-XZ (2GE): 30 20 20 30 30 30
Indigo2 R4400SC 150MHz 1MB GR3-XZ (2GE): 24 20 24 36 36 28 [hinv]