How can you tell if new video drivers make a difference??

[pclatino]

I am trying to find out if my PC is running in peak condition. In my humble opinion, checking video performance is best way to check your PC as a whole. Therefore, the question that I have is, how can you tell if new video drivers, or any tweaking for that matter, make a difference in your system. Do you run any benchmark programs? If so, which one do you recommend the best. Where can I compare the results that I get?
I have one more question: How can you find out about that famous Frames Per Second that everyone talks about?

Thanks in advance for all your comments.

[Dputiger]

Ok, there're several programs that are normally used to measure performance.

Quake 3 Arena: This is the standard test for OpenGL performance. First, download the demo if you don't own the game. Then, once the game is loaded, press the atilde ` key. Type 'timedemo 1' in the box, then push enter.

Then, run Demo0001. When the demo has concluded, press the atilde ` key again. This will show you your FPS. (frames per second).

There are several games used for Direct3D performance including Evolva and MDK. If you're looking for a program, you could try 3DMark 2000, though this is known to be a little unstable and heavily Intel optimized--on an AMD chip its results may not truly reflect real world performance.

In any event, to test a video system, you pick a benchmark and run several tests. Then, install your new drivers, and run the same tests again. Here's a few good settings to try to get a quick, overal 'feel' for card performance at various level.s

640x480, 16 bit color, low detail.

800x600, 16 bit color, high detail

800x600, 32 bit color, high detail

1024x768, 16 bit color, high detail

1024x768, 32 bit color, high detail

Those are some modes and resolutions that, broadly, will give you a good video card test. If you have a high-end card and want to really bench it, push up to ultra-high detail levels and resolutions (1600x1200).

Hopefully this is helpful. Email me if you need more advice.

[pclatino]

Thanks a million, Dputiger.
We'll try to follow your great suggestions. I have Quake II. Do you think I can do the demo procedure on it too?

[Dputiger]

Yes. The commands to loop Quake II simply are:

Press '`' (atilde) when the ID logo comes up and type "timedemo 1"

Then, let the game begin its normal demo loop. When it finishes the first demo, but JUST before it begins the next, press the atilde again. This will bring up the console and display your FPS.

However, Q2 is a much older game and therefore may not be a reliable source of info depending on the age of your system. Then again, it may work great.