3D Mark 2001 query

[CurlyWhirly]

After seeing the quote below in this thread http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17525307

3D mark 2001 is more system intensive than the newer 3D mark progs.

Sorry about this but I feel I have to comment on this remark as I don't understand

How can 3D Mark 2001 be more system intensive than the newer 3DMark programs as I can run 3DMark 2001 on my PC and it doesn't crash and my PC specs are lower than Dagwoood's!

I would have thought that 3DMark 06 would be more system intensive as when I run it the other day, it was extremely slow especially the 2 CPU tests which were only around 0.3 FPS

Also the 3DMark 2001 benchmark is 5 years old and graphics cards have increased in their capabilities since then!

Please how can this be explained as I'm curious?

 

[CurlyWhirly]

3d mark 01 is cpu limited, VERY cpu limited, the more you tweak your system and the higher the cpu clock the better your score.

I didn't know this as I thought that the whole point of these benchmarks was to test out the graphics card mainly?

things like sli result in decreased marks due to the overheads on the cpu.

Yes but on Dagwoood's PC he is running the same graphics card as me (X800 Pro) and yet 3DMark 2001 crashes on his PC and not mine and I have a slower CPU.

Neither of us are using SLI (or Crossfire) either

Thanks for replying BTW

 

[CurlyWhirly]

When i test my overclocks i always run 3DMark 01 because usually if my PC is going to fail it will do it there.

I will bear this in mind in the future when I overclock as I will test my settings out by running 3DMark 01 first.

Thanks to everyone who replied as I am now a bit clearer as to what is going on