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- WINBENCH
- PC Labs Windows Graphics Benchmark
- Version 2.0 - 20 Oct 91
-
- 1. Contents of the final release:
-
- WINBENCH.EXE WINBENCH executable
- WINBENCH.HLP Help file
- WINBENCH.DOC This file in ASCII text format
- *.XLS Sample reports used by the Compare Results menu
-
- 2. Installation and use:
-
- The Windows Graphics Benchmark program is located in the WINBENCH
- subdirectory on the benchmark installation disk. The file WINBEN2.EXE
- is a self-extracting archive. To install WINBENCH on your machine
- copy the WINBEN2.EXE file to the desired directory on your hard drive
- and type WINBEN2. Run WINBENCH like any Windows application. For
- example, the DOS command "win winbench" will launch WINBENCH from the
- current directory.
-
- WINBENCH writes the files containing test results to the directory from
- which it was launched. Generally, you should launch WINBENCH from the
- same directory every time. This avoids having test results scattered
- about your hard disk.
-
- For other information about WINBENCH, see the help dialogue box.
-
- 3. A summary of the differences in WINBENCH 2.0 from WINBENCH 1.1:
-
- - System Information adds the processor type and clock speed,
- presence of math coprocessor, Windows version number and operating mode,
- video driver file name and description, video driver file date, video
- driver version, X-Width Aspect Ratio, Y-Width Aspect Ratio, height of
- the system font, and average character width of the system font. All
- system information is written to the report file.
-
- - All tests now run for a minimum of five seconds, and report
- throughput, rather than elapsed time. There is no method to convert
- results from WINBENCH 1.1 into the format for the results used by
- WINBENCH 2.0. Many of the tests are upgraded to be consistent with
- Windows 3.0.
-
- - All tests display text centered in the benchmark window to identify
- the current test being run in a series of tests. Identifying the test
- when it is running improves human factors and helps to debug WINBENCH
- and Windows should WINBENCH terminate with an UAE.
-
- - Many tests change the color being displayed to give a better visual
- indication that something is actually being done while the test runs.
-
- - Where possible, throughput is either calculated or estimated as
- "pixels/sec". Results of text handling benchmarks are reported in
- "characters/sec". Results for some other tests are reported in
- "operations/sec".
-
- - The Ellipse (Curves) test renames the WINBENCH 1.1 Full Arcs test,
- which drew ellipses on the screen then filled the ellipse with the
- current brush. The Ellipse test also draws ellipses on the screen, but
- it varies the brush color used to fill the ellipse.
-
- - The Patterns (Rectangles) test now runs ten tests, using a black
- fill pattern, seven grey patterns, a white pattern, and a set of hatched
- patterns.
-
- - The Scroll Text (Text) tests are new. They display and scroll a
- full screen of text using the same five fonts as displayed by the Image
- Text (Text) tests.
-
- - The Mixed Fonts (Text) test uses Courier fonts rather than System
- fonts. With Windows 3.0, it is not possible to display a system font
- with a bold attribute.
-
- - The Help dialogue box provides a complete description of all tests.
-
- - The Modify Options menu writes to the WINBENCH.INI file in a
- section called [Version.2.0] when you choose to save selected
- parameters. WINBENCH 1.1 used the [Bench] section of WIN.INI for the
- same purpose.
-
- - The ASCII text report file now lines up data in vertical columns.
- The "1-2-3" format for a report file produces comma-separated data, and
- non-numeric literals are bounded by double quotes, e.g. "sample text".
- The Excel format produces tab-separated data.
-
- - Because all tests run for at least five seconds, there is no need
- to use radio buttons to select the number of test iterations. These
- radio buttons are removed from WINBENCH 2.0.
-
- - If you run all tests or run in demo mode, WINBENCH displays an
- appropriate message on screen when it is done.
-
- - If WINBENCH is run in real mode and there is enough memory to load
- it, it displays the initial dialog box, then a message box saying that
- it does not run in real mode, and terminates. If there is not enough
- memory to load it, then Windows displays a message box with an
- application error.
-
- - The Compare Results menu choice presents a pair of dialog boxes.
- The first one displays a list of existing .XLS files, from which one is
- selected to compare with the results of testing the current video card
- and driver. The second dialog box displays test results for the current
- card and the selected card inside a list box. The results of each test
- written to the report file now all have unique names so that the Compare
- Results dialog box can operate properly.
-
- - WINBENCH 2.0 was compiled with Microsoft C6.0a, the Windows 3.0
- SDK, and Borland's Workshop resource editor. Borland C++ 2.0 was used
- during the development of WINBENCH, because it is superior to C6.0a for
- rapid program development, debugging, and testing.
-
- 5. If you have problems:
-
- - Please note and report any test results that seem to be incorrect,
- including zero and negative results. These indicate that the test being
- run uses an incorrect throughput calculation, either roundoff or
- overflow.
-
- - Please provide hard copy or electronic copy of test results with
- any problems, and describe the video graphics adapter being used if both
- the Benchmark Results title and the System Information are not self-
- descriptive.
-
- Thank you.
-
- Ben Myers
- Spirit of Performance, Inc.
- 73 Westcott Road
- Harvard, MA 01451-1821
- tel. 508/456-3889
- MCI 357-1400
-
- Bob Kane
- PC Magazine
- One Park Avenue
- New York, NY 10016
- tel. 212/503-5525
- MCI 331-8113