Benchmarking tests a computer hardware component’s capabilities, including video cards. Video card benchmarks can be done through internal monitors, specialized programs, or real-world programs. Real-world program benchmarks are common and use high-end programs to test the card’s capabilities in different areas.
Benchmarking is the process of determining the capabilities of a computer hardware component. Video card benchmarks are the result of benchmarking performed on a computer’s video card. Benchmarking can be done through a variety of methods, such as internal monitors, specialized programs, or simply observing the results of using the hardware in a typical way. Due to the cost and complexity of modern video cards, this form of benchmarking is an extensive process.
The purpose of benchmarking is to illustrate the real-world capabilities of a hardware component. Manufacturers often cite numbers and speeds to show how their product is superior to others. These numbers are often nothing more than a broad guideline at best and totally meaningless at worst. Running benchmark tests will show the actual performance of the hardware in a real computer.
Of the three main types of benchmarks, video cards rarely use internal monitors. Almost all video card benchmarks fall into the other two categories; industry standard software and real world programs. With common industry standard tests, video cards are sent a series of challenges and produce results. Many of these challenges operate entirely within the charter.
These types of video card benchmarks are still only moderately useful, as they don’t reflect actual usage. It is only in very rare circumstances that video cards work without interaction with hardware systems. Video card systems request information from hard drives, sequences stored in computer memory, and the results of problems given to the computer processor. Consequently, the real-world calculation method is a very common method of benchmarking a video system.
Video card benchmarks done by running real-world programs are common across the industry. Most testers will take a standard system and try several cards using it. This system will have several high-end programs installed on it, usually video games. Each card will go through the same section of each game using the same settings. The individual frame rate for the game is monitored throughout the test and the average is used as an assessment for the card.
To make the test fair for cards with different capabilities, different programs are used to create video card benchmarks. Each program is chosen for its use of video resources – if it doesn’t test the capabilities of the card, there is little reason to use it. However, there are programs that focus on different areas. Often, a multiplayer first-person shooter tests the card’s ability to render graphics quickly. Action titles are used to test detail during motion, and slower games, such as an RPG, are used to test overall detail rendering capabilities.
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