OpenGL ES is becoming a graphics standard in mobile devices. The new benchmark will give manufacturers and software developers an objective evaluation.
OpenGL ES, an open graphics platform for mobile devices championed by the Khronos Group, is becoming a standard in new smartphones and tablets. At Siggraph last week Rightware introduced a benchmark program to test devices running the OpenGL ES API.
Basemark ES 3.0 enables objective benchmarking of smartphones, tablets and other embedded devices that support OpenGL ES 3.0 graphics API. Having long experience in OpenGL ES and development of benchmark products for the various Khronos Group’s APIs, Rightware’s Basemark ES 3.0 enables device manufacturers, semiconductor companies and operators to measure and compare performance of different OpenGL ES 3.0 hardware platforms in a objective manner.
Basemark ES 3.0 includes photorealistic graphics game tests to benchmark performance of the graphics hardware. The tests are rigorous enough for the four simultaneous render targets in OpenGL. Basemark ES will also test the ability to apply antialiasing to render targets, and will provide more varied internal data types for render buffers such as floating point color targets. Basemark ES 3.0 will also test features such as 3D textures, instanced rendering, transform feedback and occlusion queries, all of which are provided with OpenGL ES 3.0.
Basemark ES 3.0 consists of two tests, scored based on the time required to visualize each benchmark frame including the time spent on CPU and GPU operations. The sequences are run with fixed step time so each rendered frame will contain identical visuals to previous runs.
The first main test “Rush” provides an action style sequence taking place on city rooftops. The goal of this test is to give good overview of the platforms performance for character based games with PC-quality rendering.
The second main test “Racer” simulates a car game sequence. Basemark ES 3.0 visualizes a car racing track, cars and various effects which are common in car games. The goal of this test is to provide an overview of the platform’s performance for racing games with PC-quality rendering.
Open standards require objective testing
The Khronos group has succeeded in getting manufacturers and developers to unify around OpenGL ES for the next generation of embedded graphics. It is good to see a benchmark specialist like Rightware step up with a testing platform early in the adoption cycle. It is crucial for OpenGL ES 3.0 adopters to measure their performance; Rightware’s new benchmark will help everyone deliver better products.
