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Start Volume Shader Test

The GPU draws a ray marched volume. You watch live FPS.

Older phones can hitch. Start on Standard if you are unsure.

This browser cannot draw a canvas.

Drag to turn. Scroll to zoom. Right click to pan.

What this test is doing

Volume Shader loads the GPU by ray marching a Mandelbulb in WebGL. You tap Start when you are ready. Live FPS is the main result. Each pixel walks a ray through a 3D field until it finds a surface. That loop is expensive because every pixel runs it, not only the silhouette of a mesh. For the name, the kernel, and Volume Shader BM, read What is Volume Shader.

How to read the numbers

FPS sits on the canvas while the test runs. Compare devices only when complexity, browser, and heat match. Bands and hitch notes are in what FPS means. A fair compare method is the GPU benchmark.

  • FPS: 60 and up is comfortable. 30 to 60 is usable. 15 to 30 is strained. Under 15 means this level is too heavy.
  • Complexity: Simple, Standard, Advanced, or Extreme under the canvas. Standard matches the classic Volume Shader load.
  • Fullscreen: Use fullscreen to record a clip. Escape or the same control exits.
  • Share: The header share button opens the system share sheet on phones that support it.

Controls

  • Start / Stop: Start on the overlay, then the stop icon. Keyboard: P stops the test.
  • Complexity: Buttons under the canvas rebuild the shader. Changing level restarts the load.
  • Desktop: Left drag to rotate, scroll to zoom, right drag to pan. Space resets the view.
  • Phone: One finger rotates, pinch zooms, two fingers pan.
  • Advanced: Optional kernel editor for people who already know GLSL. Leave it alone for a fair comparison. Notes for that panel are in the BM test developers guide.

When to use Extreme

Standard is the comparison point. Extreme is a stress load. If you want heat and throttling, stay on Extreme for one to two minutes after you prep the device. Details are on GPU stress test.

When to pick another test

This canvas is ray marching, not raster 3D. Games almost never run a full screen Mandelbulb. If you want timed meshes and lights, open the 3D rendering test. If you want fragment iterations without a volume, open the shader test. If you want texture sampling pressure, open the VRAM test.

Name, GitHub, and BM

You do not need a GitHub project to run Volume Shader. Public demos popularized this Mandelbulb look years ago. History and naming, including Volume Shader BM, are on What is Volume Shader.