Hardware Benchmarks Running UCSF Chimera

These scores measure the graphics card and CPU performance using Chimera to render volume data and molecular models. The benchmarks are run using Chimera menu entry Tools / Utilities / Benchmark.

Volume benchmarks

The volume scores (Surface, Mesh, Contour, Solid, Recolor) give the edge size of a cube shaped volume data array such that rendering or contouring or recoloring can be performed 10 times per second. Data of this size can be easily manipulated in Chimera.

Doubling a surface or mesh rendering score means rendering 4 times as many triangles or lines per second. Doubling a contouring, solid rendering or solid recoloring score means processing 8 times as many data points per second.

Molecule benchmarks

The molecule scores (Wire, Stick, BStick, Ribbon, Sphere, Ops) give the frames-per-second for molecule 1F4H in different display styles.

Results

This table includes Chimera versions 1.2525 (June 5, 2008) and later. An OpenGL optimization (vertex buffer objects) was added in this release that speeds up surface and mesh rendering. The optimization is present on all platforms except Mac X11. Older scores.

			Volume Scores					Molecule Scores
Graphics	Graphics Memory (Mb)	OS Type	Approx Cost	Surface	Mesh	Contour	Solid	Recolor	Wire	Stick	BStick	Ribbon	Sphere	Ops	Notes	Test Date	Chimera Version	Machine	Processor	Clock (GHz)	Main Memory (Gb)	OS Version	Driver Version	Host name
Quadro FX 1700	512	Linux	$600	1284	1004	180	123	111	60	16.0	15.8	25.2	19.9	32.5	6337	9/08	2540					Linux 2.6.25-16-0.1 x86_64	2.1.2 nvidia 173.14.12
Radeon HD 4800 series	512	Windows	$200	1194	892	139	217	95	60	6.5	6.3	12.9	11.0	28.6	6129 (4)	8/08	2540				2	XP Pro SP2	2.1.7769
GeForce GTX 280	1024	Windows	$500	888	735	220	511	166	75	16.6	16.7	33.3	30.9	82	5921 (4)	7/08	2539	132-CK-NF79	Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450	2.66	6	Vista Pro SP1	2.1.2	from Marcelo Berardi
GeForce 9800 GTX	512	Windows	$300	956	656	175	470	280	61	10.2	10.2	30.5	18.8	41.3	6688	12/08	1.3.2575				3.25	Vista Pro SP1	2.1.2
GeForce 9800 GTX	512	Windows	$300	887	606	171	512	292	60	10.0	10.0	29.9	18.8	40	6623	11/08	1.3.2575				2	Vista Pro SP1	2.1.2
Quadro FX 5600	1536	Mac	$2800	874	876	183	406	151	99	4.8	4.7	7.4	6.7	47.9	6071 (4)	7/08	2540 Aqua	Mac Pro	Dual Intel Xeon Quad-Core	2.8	10	Mac OS 10.5.4	2.0 nvidia 1.5.28	strawson.cgl.ucsf.edu
Quadro FX 3700	512	Linux	$1000	848	738	198	255	168	60	20.0	19.9	25.1	30.0	30.0	6095	7/08	2540					Linux 2.6.24.19-generic, x86_64	2.1.2 NVIDIA 169.12
GeForce 9800 GT	512	Windows	$150	843	586	175	460	305	60	9.2	9.4	30.0	17.2	40.4	6989	2/09	1.3.2575				3	Vista Pro SP1	3.0.0
Radeon HD 3650	512?	Windows	$100	811	640	190	266	122	60	10.5	10.1	18.5	19.8	43.0	6470 (4)	10/08	2540	Dell Vostro 410			3	XP Pro SP3	2.1.7281 Release
Quadro FX 4400	512	Windows	$400	782	674	151	291	120	60	9.9	9.8	18.0	20.0	24.4	6283 (4)	9/08	2540	HP xw6200				XP Pro SP3	2.1.2
GeForce 8600 GT	256	Linux	$100	772	513	173	402	133	60	14.2	14.1	37.2	27.7	33.5	6070	7/08	2540					Linux 2.6.23.17-88.fc7, x86_64	2.1.2 NVIDIA 173.14.09
Quadro FX 3600M	512	Windows	$1000	768	768	191	262	133	60	15.2	15.1	31.6	28.1	43.3	6153	8/08	2540	Dell Precision M6300	Intel Core 2 Duo		3.5	XP Pro SP2	2.1.2
GeForce 8600 GT	256	Linux	$100	761	522	152	452	325	60	10.6	10.6	28.5	20.9	27.5	6645	12/08	1.3.2576				2	Ubuntu 8.10, Linux 2.6.27-7-generic i686	2.1.2 NVIDIA 177.82
Quadro FX 570	256	Linux	$200	756	705	205	374	392	60	15.0	15.0	20.1	20.0	37.2	6923	2/09	1.3.2577 64-bit				8	RHEL 5 (Tikanga)	2.1.2 NVIDIA 169.12
GeForce 9600 GT	512	Windows	$150	756	521	186	27	279	60	15.6	15.8	29.6	15.9	38.0	6842	1/09	1.3.2577					Windows XP SP3 (build 2600)	2.1.2
Quadro FX 770M	512	Windows	laptop	721	1103	188	512	316	60	4.5	4.6	13.7	5.4	50.8	7062	3/09	1.3	HP EliteBook 8530w			4	Vista SP1	2.1.2
GeForce 8800 GTS	512	Windows	$300	692	529	197	349	149	60	18.9	18.8	20.0	30.0	49.2	6285 (4)	9/08	2540					XP Pro SP3	2.1.2
GeForce 8800 GS	512	Mac	$100	668	453	190	355	152	60	5.0	5.0	8.4	7.5	43.4	6076 (4)	7/08	2540 Aqua	iMac	Intel Core 2 Duo	3.06	4	Mac OS 10.5.4	2.0 NVIDIA-1.5.28	clemens.cgl.ucsf.edu
Radeon 9600M GT	256	Mac	laptop	663	411	165	351	256	60	4.6	4.4	5.0	7.2	28.7	7003	3/09	1.3.2577 Aqua	MacBook Pro	Intel Core 2 Duo	2.4	4	Mac OS 10.5.6	2.0 NVIDIA-1.5.36
Mobility Radeon X1700	256	Windows	laptop	622	607	153	98	251	60	5.1	4.7	9.3	9.4	32.4	7074	3/09	1.3	ASUSTeK Computer Inc. F3JP	Intel Core Duo T7200	2	2	Vista SP1	2.1.8494 Release
Radeon X1600	256	Mac	$100	607	546	155	256	77	60	3.3	3.3	9.6	5.4	27.1	6072	7/08	2540 Aqua	iMac	Intel Core Duo	2	2	Mac OS 10.4.11	2.0 ATI 1.4.56	oscar.cgl.ucsf.edu
Radeon X1600	256	Mac	laptop	575	565	172	313	232	17.8	3.7	3.6	10.5	4.7	30.3	7011	3/09	1.4_b26987 Aqua	MacBook Pro	Intel Core 2 Duo	2.33	2	Mac OS 10.5.6	2.0 ATI-1.5.36	Tom Goddard's laptop
GeForce 7600 GT	256 ?	Linux	$100	509	349	169	419	130	60	13.8	13.9	30.1	29.9	31.1	6017	7/08	2540					Linux 2.6.23.17-88.fc7, x86_64	2.1.2 NVIDIA 173.14.09
Radeon 9800 Pro	128	Mac	$200	507	509	140	256	102	60	3.2	3.5	10.5	5.5	13.3	6041	7/08	2540 Aqua	Power Mac G5	Dual PowerPC 970 (2.2)	2	2.5	Mac OS 10.5.4	2.0 ATI 1.5.28	mach.cgl.ucsf.edu
Mobility Radeon X2300	?	Linux	integrated	489	489	183	185	303	60	8.6	8.6	12.4	12.1	37.1	6871	1/09	1.3.2577				3	Mandriva 2008.1	2.1.8304 Release
Mobility Radeon X2300	?	Windows	integrated	489	489	196	150	314	60	8.6	8.6	18.9	12.1	44.3	6872	1/09	1.3.2577	HP nc65xx			3	XP Pro SP3	2.1.7769 Release
Radeon HD 3200	shared	Windows	integrated	488	394	147	239	101	90	7.9	6.9	12.7	14.2	28.9	6032	7/08	2540				1.8	XP Pro SP2	2.1.7659
GeForce 8600 GT	256	Linux	$100	341	503	168	457	298	19.7	4.3	4.3	9.2	7.6	29.1	6684	12/08	1.4.2578				2	CentOS 5.2, Linux 2.6.18-92.1.22.el5 x86_64	2.1.2 NVIDIA 169.09
GeForce 8200M	shared	Windows	integrated	255	221	127	16	171	23.4	5.4	5.9	13.2	7.7	20.8	6807	12/08	1.3.2577	HP G60 Notebook PC			3	Vista home, SP1	2.1.2
ATI Radeon 9600	128	Mac	$50	218	217	86	155	75	72	3.6	3.6	8.8	5.9	12.8	5979	7/08	2536 X11	iMac	G5	2	1	Mac OS 10.4.10	1.5 ATI-1.4.18	UCSF Mission Bay Library
GeForce 8500 GT	256 or 512	Windows	$50	214	73	189	2	21	15.2	8.3	8.3	11.6	2.4	41.8	6100	7/08	2540					Windows XP Pro SP3	2.1.1
GeForce 8600 GT	256	Windows	$100	1	195	187	2	15	15.7	10.5	8.6	13.2	1.9	40.2	6954	2/09	1.3.2577	G31M-ES2L			3	Windows XP Pro SP3	2.1.2

Notes

(1) Peak frame rate is limited in molecule benchmarks to 60 frames per second because of synchronization to the display refresh rate.

(2) CPU and graphics both overclocked.

(3) Low surface/mesh scores probably because the machine was being used for other tasks while benchmarks were running. Detailed scores showed larger test sizes producing faster frame rates.

(4) Solid benchmark ran out of memory on sizes larger than the reported score (32-bit Chimera limitation).