3DMark 2001 32-bit Performance

MadOnion's 3DMark 2001 has become quite a popular 3D benchmark tool, and its DirectX 8.x support makes it a great tool for comparing the RADEON 8500 to the various GeForce3 cards. All benchmark testing was performed in 32-bit mode, and used hardware T&L support. Please note that the RADEON 7500 and GeForce2 cards do not have the hardware necessary to complete certain tests and this earns them a lower overall 3DMark 2001 score. Please view these results as the potential performance that fully compatible DirectX 8.x cards may offer with upcoming DirectX 8-enabled games, rather than a barometer of current 3D performance.

Given that 3DMark 2001 is a theoretical score rather than an actual game, it may be dangerous to read too much into these results. With that said, the RADEON 8500 simply smokes the competition and easily wins at every single resolution. Even more impressive are the gains realized when moving to the newest drivers, as the improvements can be in the 600 point range. Even the RADEON 7500 shows some real promise here, beating out its GeForce2 competition quite handily.