SolidWorks Benchmark Updated

By DE Editors

SPEC/GPC’s Application Performance Characterization project group has released updated performance evaluation software for systems running SolidWorks 2007 mechanical CAD software. The new benchmark represents typical user operations that are important in evaluating system performance. The suite of benchmark tests have been updated to reflect new features in SolidWorks 2007 and to ensure results consistency over multiple test runs.

SPEC cautions that because of the test changes, SPECapc for SolidWorks 2007 results should not be compared to those from SPECapc for SolidWorks 2005. The 2005 version will remain available for reporting on the SPEC website for another six months.

SPECapc for SolidWorks 2007 is available as a free download on the SPEC/GPC by visiting spec.org/gpc. The 2005 version of the SolidWorks benchmark will remain available for reporting on the SPEC website for another six months. The SPECapc group also provides free benchmarks for systems running 3ds Max 8, Pro/Engineer Wildfire 2.0, Solid Edge V19, UGS NX 3, and Maya 6.5.

In other news, SPEC’s OpenGL Performance Characterization group has released SPECviewperf 10, the newest version of its graphics performance benchmarking software. Key new tools in SPECviewperf 10 measure full-scene anti-aliasing and multithreading performance, both areas of interest in evaluating workstations, high-quality imaging, and multi-core systems for MCAD, visualization, and digital content.

According to SPECopc, SPECviewperf 10 provides the ability to compare performance of systems running in higher-quality graphics modes that use full-scene anti-aliasing. It also measures how effectively graphics subsystems scale when running multithreaded graphics content.

SPECopc also says that it made architectural improvements to the software, citing the separation of the Viewperf benchmark from its test files — viewsets — as most significant. This separation, says SPECopc, should enable smaller downloads and more frequent updates of Viewperf functionality and viewset content in the future.

DE uses SPECviewperf in its reviews of workstations and graphics accelerators. SPECviewperf 10 is available for Windows XP and Vista. Linux and Mac OS versions are expected. It can be downloaded from the SPECopc website, or you can purchase it with accompanying viewsets for $50.

Standard Perf. Eval. Corp.
Warrenton, VA
spec.org/gpc