3DMark Vantage FAQ

Q: When I click on the "Run Benchmark" button in 3DMark Vantage, the whole thing freezes during the "Scanning System" thing.
A: This could be due to the User Account Control (UAC). Please check your Windows taskbar for a prompt. If the prompt is there, open the prompt and accept it. Alternatively, you can choose to start the benchmark via Right Click, and choose "Run as Administrator". If nothing helps, please remove any external USB/Firewire storage devices you may have and try again. Also, if you have a copy-protected CD/DVD in your CD/DVD drive, please remove it prior to running the benchmark!
Update: Please download the new hotfix 1.0.1 for 3DMark Vantage as it should correct this issue. >> Download <<

Q: When I fire up 3DMark Vantage, I get stuck on the "Initializing UI" screen. Nothing happens! What's wrong?
A: This is most probably due to the User Account Control (UAC) prompt which should be found in your Windows taskbar. Please open the prompt and accept it. Alternatively, you can choose to start the benchmark via Right Click, and choose "Run as Administrator".
Update: Please download the new hotfix 1.0.1 for 3DMark Vantage as it should correct this issue. >> Download <<

Q: I get a "C++ Runtime Error" when trying to execute 3DMark Vantage. What's wrong?
A: This error usually shows up if you try to run 3DMark Vantage with a non-DX10 compliant graphics card. Please make sure that you have a fully DirectX10 compliant graphics card (capable of ShaderModel 4.0+) in your system. You can view a complete list of supported graphics card here.
Update: Please download the new hotfix 1.0.1 for 3DMark Vantage as it should correct this issue. >> Download <<

Q: Is Windows Vista Service Pack 1 really required?
A: To ensure full functionality we endorse all users to update to Windows Vista Service Pack 1. It comes with several updates such as multiple-display adapter fixes, performance updates etc. which all ensure that the benchmark works properly. In case you haven't downloaded and/or installed Windows Vista Service Pack 1, or it's not available through your Windows Update, you can download it here.

Q: After the graphics tests, or first CPU test I get a black screen and nothing happens. I have also read that some users get an error after the first CPU test which says "IDXGISwapChain::ResizeBuffers failed:". What could be wrong?
A: Please check that your monitor supports the required 1280x1024 resolution. We are looking into this issue.
Update: Please download the new hotfix 1.0.1 for 3DMark Vantage as it should correct this issue. >> Download <<

Q: I just bought 3DMark Vantage Advanced Edition to get to test the Extreme preset, but during the run the benchmark quits and I get a notification that says "Display driver stopped responding, but has successfully recovered.". What does this mean? Do I need to do some changes to run the Extreme preset?
A: Timeout Detection and Recovery (TDR) is a feature of Windows Vista that tries to detect when a graphics card is under too heavy load, and resets the driver to avoid any hangs. If your adapter doesn't meet the Extreme preset requirements (please refer to the 3DMark Vantage Whitepaper), this is likely to happen. You can try to enable the "Flush on Low FPS" option in the benchmark settings, and try again. Microsoft has posted information on TDR and how to disable it, but it is not something we can recommend unless you are 100% sure what you are doing. The tutorial can be found here: http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/device/display/wddm_timeout.mspx

Q: If I enter my key (Trial, Basic, Advanced or Professional) when prompted, I get an error saying that the key is not valid. I am sure that it is 100% correct. What should I do?
A: This is a known issue in 3DMark Vantage 1.0.0. Please re-type the key and it should work correctly.
Update: Please download the new hotfix 1.0.1 for 3DMark Vantage as it should correct this issue. >> Download <<

Q: I get an error when I start 3DMark Vantage 1.0.0 which says "Error occured in DLL. Error type: std::exception Error message: boost::filesystem::create_directory". Is something wrong with my system?
A: This is a known issue in 3DMark Vantage 1.0.0. The error only appears randomly on the first run of 3DMark Vantage. You can ignore the error as it doesn't affect your benchmark results.
Update: Please download the new hotfix 1.0.1 for 3DMark Vantage as it should correct this issue. >> Download <<

Q: I ran 3DMark Vantage and got a score of P1020. What does "P" stand for?
A: In 3DMark Vantage you get a letter with each 3DMark score. E = Entry preset, P = Performance preset, H = High preset and X = Extreme preset. This was done to differentiate the presets.

Q: I purchased the Advanced Edition to benchmark my graphics card Anti-Aliasing performance. When I enable Anti-Aliasing in the settings, I get 0 3DMarks. Is it a driver issue or did I something wrong?
A: 3DMark Vantage outputs 3DMark scores only if you have selected a preset (entry, performance, high or extreme). If you select any settings outside the pre-defined presets, your preset is "custom" and no 3DMark score will be shown. You can use the graphics score to see the performance impact of Anti-Aliasing, or any other optional settings.

Q: I submitted a result to the ORB, but it says that my graphics driver is not approved by Futuremark. How can I get an approved driver?
A: At the time of launch, we haven't approved any drivers for 3DMark Vantage. This will be done as soon as official WHQL drivers will be publicly available from IHV's.

Q: My monitor doesn't support the performance preset 1280x1024 resolution, and thus I can't get a 3DMark score. What can I do?
A: For the time being 3DMark Vantage requires a monitor that supports 1280x1024 resolution.