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SPECviewperf 8 adds four new viewsets,
features that mirror application performance
LOS ANGELES, August 11, 2004 - SPEC/GPC's OpenGL Performance
Characterization (SPECopc) project group has released SPECviewperf
8, a major new version of its software that measures graphics
performance for systems running popular CAD/CAM, digital content
creation, and visualization applications.
Windows, Linux and Unix versions of SPECviewperf 8 can be downloaded
without charge on the SPEC/GPC web site (www.spec.org/gpc).
Testing results using the new benchmark are also available on
the site.
SPECviewperf 8 includes four new test files, called viewsets,
based on CATIA, SolidWorks, Alias Maya and CEI EnSight application
software. The viewset based on the Lightscape application has
been updated to capture the current OpenGL command stream, and
the DX and DRV viewsets, whose workloads are not based on traces
of the actual applications, have been retired.
Closer to reality
Viewsets in SPECviewperf 8 come closer than ever before to mimicking
real-world application performance. All the viewsets are now derived
from traces of actual applications. The state changes and geometry
mixes that impact graphics application performance are reflected
in the viewset. This allows analysis of the graphics subsystem
performance without requiring licensed versions of the applications.
SPECviewperf 8 also offers new testing options. The benchmark
can now be run at higher resolutions than the standard specified
for the viewset, providing a wider range of comparisons for both
users and vendors reporting results on the SPEC/GPC web site.
As a preview of the benchmark's future direction, there is a new
test file that enables users to see how their systems perform
on a very large Unigraphics data set requiring more than one gigabyte
of system memory.
"SPECviewperf 8 represents major advances in three key areas,"
says Ian Williams, SPECopc chair. "It uses viewsets that
act more like actual applications, provides a broader range of
viewsets that represent a very large portion of the dominant applications
in the commercial 3D graphics market, and offers more options
for testing performance within different computing environments."
New viewsets, bigger models and more geometry in SPECviewperf
8 have added to the size of the benchmark, which is 400 MB in
its compressed state and expands to 1.2 GB when installed. The
SPECopc group recommends that users run the benchmark on systems
that have more than 512 MB of RAM.
Cooperative effort
More new viewsets and features have been added to SPECviewperf
in the last two years than in any other period in the benchmark's
history. The rapid progress is a result of cooperation between
SPECopc and SPEC's Application Performance Characterization (SPECapc)
group, and among independent software vendors (ISVs), hardware
vendors, benchmark users and analysts. The ISVs have been especially
instrumental in expanding the viewsets offered in the benchmark.
"ISVs contribute the content we need to make this benchmark
realistic," says Williams. "They have provided a tremendous
service to the 3D graphics community. We especially thank SolidWorks,
CEI, Alias and CATIA Community for providing models and helping
with development of the new viewsets for this release."
The changes in SPECviewperf 8 are a clear indication of where
the SPECopc group is taking the benchmark, according to Williams.
Users can expect a greater breadth of applications to be covered
in the suite, increased realism in what can be captured and implemented
within the benchmark, and a greater variety of tests for large
and high-resolution data sets.
About SPECviewperf
SPECviewperf measures the 3D rendering performance of systems
running under the OpenGL application programming interface (API).
The benchmark's viewsets represent a similar mix of graphics rendering
and manipulation found in actual applications. Current viewsets
represent graphics functionality in CATIA, Pro/ENGINEER, SolidWorks,
Unigraphics, 3ds max, Maya, EnSight and Lightscape applications.
About SPECopc
SPECopc is a project group of the Graphics Performance Characterization
(GPC) Group, which in turn is part of the Standard Performance
Evaluation Corp. (SPEC). SPEC is a non-profit corporation formed
to establish, maintain and endorse a standardized set of relevant
benchmarks that can be applied to the newest generation of high-performance
computers. SPEC's membership includes computer hardware and software
vendors, and leading universities and research facilities worldwide.
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Press contacts:
Bob Cramblitt, Erin Hatfield
Cramblitt & Company
919-481-4599; info@cramco.com
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