If you have been involved with PC gaming or GPU overclocking at all in the last few years, then you are familiar with the name "3DMark".  Starting with 3DMark 2001, Futuremark has essentially been the name in GPU benchmarks.  However, many things have changed since 2001, and so Futuremark must keep up with the times.  How well does it manage to stay relevant?

Just about everything has changed in 3DMark Vantage, the first being the layout.  The main screen shows the four major tests required to obtain a score.  Just like the older 3DMarks, you can change the image settings and resolution.  The major change however, is the existance of four different presets.  In 3DMark Vantage, there are four different relevant scores, titled Entry, Performance, High and Extreme.  In order to differentiate between the different kinds of scores, each score type is preceded with a letter specific to each test type.  For example, an Entry test score has a prefix of E, Performance uses a P, High uses an H, and Extreme uses an X. It is also important to note that the different presets weigh the tests differently, with the less intensive tests placing more weight on CPU, and the more intensive tests putting the weight on the GPU. 

For example, an 8800GTX overclocked with a 3.6GHz Q6600 scored H3844, while a 3850 with a stock Q6600 scored P4043.

Test 1:

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The first graphics test, Jane Nash, is a scene reminiscent of the game No One Lives Forever, as a female spy makes a daring getaway from a hidden base.  Click on the screenshots to open a larger image, run at maximum quality.  According to Futuremark, this test uses the following features:

• Lots of static objects
•  Lots of complex dynamic skinned objects
•  Cascaded shadow maps using PCF filtering
•  Very few instanced objects
•  No ray-marching (volumetric) effects
•  Cloth simulation
•  Anisotropic materials (math-heavy)
•  Caustics
•  Hierarchical rendering passes to render water reflection and refraction

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The test concludes as our protagonist steals a Sapphire branded hovercraft and escapes.  Maybe Sapphire will be sending out review samples of the hovercraft sometime in the future?

Test 2:

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The second test, New Calico, is set in an outer space setting, with an invasion force commencing an attack on the planet below.  This test uses the following:

• Almost entirely consists of moving objects
• No skinned objects
•  Variance shadow mapping shadows
•  Lots of instanced objects
•  Local and global ray-tracing effects (Parallax Occlusion Mapping, True Impostors and volumetric fog)

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This test is very reminiscent of the game Homeworld, and the visuals are quite stunning.