Fastest Browser Test...Surprising

ares1214

Splendid
Hello everybody, this is a test of my own to determine the "fastest browser". There are 2 parts to this test, speed tests and benchmarks, and opinion. The benchmarks will go to the official score, and the opinion ones will go to a side score, no affecting the main score. The browsers I will be testing today are:

Opera 10.61
Internet Explorer 8
Safari 5
Google Chrome 5
Firefox 3.6
Maxthon 2.5
Maxthon 3

Firefox 4 would have been nice addition, but I am having problems with the latest beta, and therefore will test it at a later date. My system specifications are:
AMD X4 955 @ 3.9 GHz
8GB RAM @ 1400 MHz, 7-8-8
ATI 4890
WD 640GB HDD

So therefore nothing that would bottleneck one browser over another. The scoring system will go:
1st place: 6 points
2nd place: 5 points
3rd place: 4 points
4th place: 3 points
5th place: 2 points
6th place: 1 point
7th place: 0 points

And in the event of a tie, both browsers receive the last position not filled points. If any browser is incapable of running a benchmark, not having to do with compatibility, stops responding, or is unable to complete a benchmark, it will be marked as a "FAIL" and receive lowest marks. At the end, I will tally up all the points from all the benchmarks, and have a technical winner. I will also show what my opinion section gives 1st place too. Feel free to critque, or add to this.

Sputnik Java Script Conformance (Errors, lower is better):

Opera 10.61: 80
Maxthon 3: 135
Safari 5: 170
Chrome 5: 227
Firefox 3.6: 264
Maxthon 2.5: FAIL
IE 8: FAIL

Points:

Opera: 6
Maxthon 3: 5
Safari 5: 4
Chrome 5: 3
Firefox 3.6: 2
Maxthon 2.5: 1
IE 8: 1


Resources Single Tab (KB, less is better)

Fire Fox 3.6: 30,386
Safari: 33,224
Maxthon 2.5: 34,600
Maxthon 3: 42,740
Chrome: 43,380
IE 8: 51,292
Opera: 54,412


Points:

Firefox: 6
Safari: 5
Maxthon 2.5: 4
Maxthon 3: 3
Chrome: 2
IE 8: 1
Opera: 0



Acid 3.0 (higher is better, max 100)

Maxthon 3: 100
Chrome: 100
Opera: 100
Safari: 100
Firefox: 94
Maxthon 2.5: FAIL
IE 8: FAIL

Points:

Maxthon 3: 6
Chrome: 5
Safari: 4
Opera: 3
Firefox: 2
Maxthon 2.5: 1
IE 8: 1




Acid 3.0 Elapsed Time (ms, lower is better):

Maxthon 3: 46
Chrome: 49
Firefox: 52
Safari: 79
Opera: 85
Maxthon 2.5: FAIL
IE 8: FAIL

Points:

Maxthon 3: 6
Chrome: 5
Firefox: 4
Safari: 3
Opera: 2
Maxthon 2.5: 1
IE 8: 1




HTML5 Support (higher is better, max of 300)

Safari: 207
Chrome: 197
Maxthon 3: 166
Opera: 159
Firefox: 139
IE 8: 37
Maxthon 2.5: 27

Points:

Safari: 6
Chrome: 5
Maxthon 3: 4
Opera: 3
Firefox: 2
IE 8: 1
Maxthon 2.5: 0


CSS Rendering (ms, lower is better)

Maxthon 3: 4
Opera: 5
Safari: 5
Chrome: 5
IE 8: 9
Firefox: 13
Maxthon 2.5: 17

Points:

Maxthon 3: 6
Opera: 5
Safari: 5
Chrome: 5
IE 8: 2
Firefox: 1
Maxthon 2.5: 0


5 Tab Memory Consumption (KB, less is better):

Firefox: 96,464
Safari: 193,040
Maxthon 2.5: 228,344
Maxthon 3: 262,596
Chrome: 283,286
Opera: 294,108
IE 8: 481,444

Points:

Firefox: 6
Safari: 5
Maxthon 2.5: 4
Maxthon 3: 3
Chrome: 2
Opera: 1
IE 8: 0


10 Tab Memory Consumption (KB, less is better)

Firefox: 123,500
Maxthon 2.5: 145,388
Maxthon 3: 260, 348
Opera: 262,140
Safari: 358,508
Chrome: 361, 172
IE 8: 393,028

Points:

Firefox: 6
Maxthon 2.5: 5
Maxthon 3: 4
Opera: 3
Safari: 2
Chrome: 1
IE 8: 0

Mozilla Dromaeo (Runs/second, higher is better)

Maxthon 3: 375.54
Opera: 308.85
Safari: 269.87
Chrome:
Firefox: 126.08
Maxthon 2.5: FAIL
IE 8: FAIL

Points:

Maxthon 3: 6
Opera: 5
Safari: 4
Chrome: 3
Firefox: 2
Maxthon 2.5: 1
IE 8: 1


Futuremark Peacekeeper (higher is better):

Opera: 8066
Chrome: 7670
Maxthon 3: 7217
Safari: 6438
Firefox: 3142
Maxthon 2.5: 984
IE 8: 984

Points:

Opera: 6
Chrome: 5
Maxthon 3: 4
Safari: 3
Firefox: 2
Maxthon 2.5: 1
IE 8: 1


Notroppo Speed Test (KB/s, higher is better)

Firefox: 616
Maxthon 3: 613
Opera: 467
Chrome: 421
Safari: 419
IE 8: 391
Maxthon 2.5: 213

Points:

Firefox: 6
Maxthon 3: 5
Opera: 4
Chrome: 3
Safari: 2
IE: 1
Maxthon 2.5: 0


Notroppo Browser Load Time Test (ms, lower is better)
Safari: 3
Maxthon 3: 4
Opera: 10
Firefox: 11
Chrome: 16
Maxthon 2.5: 5153
IE 8: 5156

Points:

Safari: 6
Maxthon 3: 5
Opera: 4
Firefox: 3
Chrome: 2
Maxthon 2.5: 1
IE 8: 0


Browser Start Up Time (Warm Start, ms)

Maxthon 3: 76
Chrome: 83
Safari: 139
Maxthon 2.5: 160
Firefox: 163
Opera: 202
IE 8: 221

Points:

Maxthon 3: 6
Chrome: 5
Safari: 4
Maxthon 2.5: 3
Firefox: 2
Opera: 1
IE 8: 0


GUI Bitmark Game (FPS, higher is better):

Opera: 14.18
Maxthon 3: 12.3
Chrome: 11.85
Safari: 9.3
Firefox: 6.42
Maxthon 2.5: FAIL
IE 8: FAIL

Points:

Opera: 6
Maxthon 3: 5
Chrome: 4
Safari: 3
Firefox: 2
Maxthon 2.5: 1
IE 8: 1


GUI Vector Charting (FPS, higher is better)

Opera: 21.99
Firefox: 14.95
Maxthon 3: 7.21
Chrome: 5.14
Safari: 4.28
Maxthon 2.5: FAIL
IE 8: FAIL

Points:

Opera: 6
Firefox: 5
Maxthon 3: 4
Chrome: 3
Safari: 2
Maxthon 2.5: 1
IE 8: 1



Sun Spider Java Script (ms, lower is better)

Opera: 270.4
Chrome: 289.8
Safari: 302.2
Maxthon 3: 340.2
Firefox: 731.2
IE 8: 4054.6
Maxthon 2.5: 4502.8

Points:

Opera: 6
Chrome: 5
Safari:4
Mathon 3: 3
Firefox: 2
IE 8: 1
Maxthon 2.5: 0


Google V8 Benchmark V5 (points, higher is better)

Maxthon 3: 5982
Chrome: 5709
Opera: 4266
Safari: 3033
Firefox: 591
Maxthon 2.5: FAIL
IE 8: FAIL


Points:

Maxthon: 6
Chrome: 5
Opera: 4
Safari: 3
Firefox: 2
Maxthon 2.5: 1
IE 8: 1


JSBenchmark (Points, higher is better)

Maxthon 3: 602
Chrome: 597
Opera: 416
Safari: 390
Firefox: 185
Maxthon 2.5: 78
IE 8: FAIL

Points:

Maxthon 3: 6
Chrome: 5
Opera: 4
Safari: 3
Firefox: 2
Maxthon 2.5: 1
IE 8: 0


Bubblemark Silverlight (FPS, higher is better)

Maxthon 3: 135
Chrome: 110
Opera: 63
Safari: 55
Firefox: 24
Maxthon 2.5: 11
IE 8: 9

Points:

Maxthon 3: 6
Chrome: 5
Opera: 4
Safari: 3
Firefox: 2
Maxthon 2.5: 1
IE 8: 0


Opinion Section:

Overall Stability (score of 1-10)
Opera: 10
Maxthon 3: 9
Firefox: 9
Maxthon 2.5: 8
Chrome: 7
Safari: 7
IE 8: 6

Overall Compatibility (score of 1-10)

IE 8: 10
Maxthon 3: 10
Maxthon 2.5: 10
Firefox: 9
Safari: 8
Chrome: 8
Opera: 7

Overall UI (score of 1-10)

Maxthon 3: 10
Chrome: 10
Opera: 9
Maxthon 2.5: 9
Firefox: 8
Safari: 7
IE 8: 4

Overall Add-On/Tools/Widgets (score of 1-10)

Firefox: 10
Chrome: 8
Opera: 8
Maxthon 3: 7
Maxthon 2.5: 7
Safari: 1
IE 8: 1

Overall Customization (score of 1-10):

Firefox: 10
Maxthon 2.5: 10
Opera: 9
Chrome: 8
Maxthon 3: 8
Safari: 3
IE 8: 1

Overall Ease of Use/"Lightness" (score of 1-10)

Maxthon 3: 10
Chrome: 10
Safari: 8
Maxthon 2.5: 8
Opera: 7
Firefox: 7
IE 8: 6

"Snappiness" (score of 1-10)

Chrome: 10
Maxthon 3: 10
Opera: 9
Safari: 8
Firefox: 8
Maxthon 2.5: 7
IE 8: 4

Total Scores:

Benchmarks:
Maxthon 3: 91
Chrome: 73
Firefox: 59
Safari: 77
Opera: 73
IE 8: 14
Maxthon 2.5: 27

Opinion (out of 70)
Maxthon 3: 64
Chrome: 61
Firefox: 61
Opera: 69
Maxthon 2.5: 59
IE 8: 32


Odd how much you can learn going into a test with an open mind. I honestly didnt know or care who would win, as i just wanted to know what browser to use, since i just downloaded Maxthon 3. I liked it, but was blown out of the water by this, i had no clue it would be the fastest. Ironic how Chrome and the lot are always going around saying they are the fastest, when its been a nobody this whole time. Ill add FF 4.0b4 as soon as possible to make this a fair fight for Firefox, but until then, looks like ill be using Maxthon 3. Its also nice to know that I have some backup in my testing:

http://it.tmcnet.com/news/2009/09/25/4390671.htm

In any event, feel free to post about flaws, suggestions, or any questions. Im just as blown away by this as most of you likely are :lol:
 
Well, installed on my SSD Firefox is already faster than I can type and click anyway, so what's the point in looking at something else? It also works with plug-ins such as NoScript which I would be loath to give up.
 

Nope. Maxthon 3 may well be "best" on your particular setup (and you do seem to be very keen on pushing Maxthon 3), but that means nothing on other platforms.

If a reputable lab was to do tests on a varitey of browsers on a range of platforms then I might be interested, but a single test on a single setup from a user whose credentials I can't check? - I don't think so. For all I know you might have some connection with Maxthon.

If Maxthon 3 is so good why don't we see rave reviews of it? The only reviews I have seen rate it as pretty average.
 

ares1214

Splendid
Why would i want to "push" Maxthon 3? :heink: Its free, im in no way affiliated with them, and was using opera and chrome up to this. These are the exact tests in "Tom's Hardware Browser Grand Prix" following the exact precautions. I can understand you might think its not as credible, but feel free to try a few of the tests yourself, all i did was write the numbers down. And have you ever used Maxthon 3? Well dont use reviews to judge something that takes 2 seconds to download, and you can just as easily get rid of it. Well maybe that last line sounded a bit salesman like, but seriously, the download takes about 2 seconds! :lol: For those who use firefox, I dont really recommend it as much, most of them would die without all the add-ons, but for those who use chrome, it seems to be everything chrome is famed to be, but better in those areas. Its faster, and the UI seems lighter to me. Im no salesman, try some of the tests out if you would like, very quick ill even give a few links:

http://sputnik.googlelabs.com/

http://acid3.acidtests.org/

http://html5test.com/

http://dromaeo.com/

http://service.futuremark.com/peacekeeper/index.action

Theres a few if you feel the need to validate any. I also used TSKMNG for memory consumption.
 
No, it's Chinese. Considering the number of hack attempts from my servers originating in China I don't think I'll be installing this software on my computer. It's not as if I have any problems with the more mainstream browsers.
 

ares1214

Splendid
You also have to realize this isnt a Maxthon Ad or something, this was just a test i did in my free time, half expecting opera or chrome to win, and surprisingly proving Maxthon is for some reason fastest. Firefox lags behind, which is unfortuante as i took all the add ons and personas off, and it still lags behind. But ill try to test FF 4 ASAP.
 
I have to say that, for a disinterested party it does look an awful lot like an ad! Not only do you have a footer praising Maxthon, but your sig does the same.

I'll take your word for it that you are just an unbiased party, but there's an old saying "if it ain't broke don't fix it". My browser ain't broke, so I'm not about to install some Chinese software from a company that I haven't heard of. I'll stick with the household names.
 

ares1214

Splendid
The reason for that is i find it massively interesting that a minor one is fastest, and wanted people to see the link. Before it was telling people to select a best answer :lol: And i dont care, like i said, not trying to sell it, so you should use what you like, the .2ms generally isnt worth it, but like i said, i was just so surprised chrome or opera wasnt the fastest, so i wanted to show other people.
 

ares1214

Splendid
LOL, too be honest, im not really sure what it is or where its from, although i was just on a quest to get all the main browsers on my computer for no apparent reason, and it seemed decent enough, so i got 2.5. Liked it, wasnt terribly fast, since its based of IE 8. Got 3, was very impressed with its UI and speed, and i was confused as to what to use, and therefore ran the test. Halfway thru i started noticing it was racking up a LOT of wins, however still expected Opera to win, or Chrome. I was BLOWN AWAY that it won by so much, and extremely surprised it won. After using it extensively since then, it really is a nice browser. Even though its still technically a beta, but its more of a final copy in progress if you ask me :lol:
 

ares1214

Splendid
Lets see, for FF 4 B4, here are some numbers:

Sputnik Javascript Conformance: 268

Google V8 V5: 1251

Peacemaker: 4813

ACID 3.0: 97/100, 81ms

HTML5 Support: 190/300

Ill do more. Quite the upgrade over 3.6. Although so far, doesnt seem quite as fast as the others. I really do like the more appealing UI on it though.
 

+1 there. I think one of the main reasons Firefox is gaining over Chrome,etc is partly due to the insane amounts of ad-ons that are available for Firefox. NoScript + AdBlockPlus + Firefox = Win imo. NoScript is a very good defense at the Browser level, add in a good Firewall and AV software, and you got a pretty damn good set up.
 

ares1214

Splendid
I agree with that part, Firefox has some insanely useful add ons. The only thing is, if it isnt on a ssd, ive just showed its definitely the slowest of chrome, opera, safari, and maxthon 3. This was also vanilla FF, with a lot more add ons, it gets even slower. Ive had it like that, and i was honestly starting to notice pages take their sweet time loading. Also keep in mind this wasnt necessarily meant to find the best browser, thats different for everyone, but it was meant to find the overall fastest.
 

iqvl

Distinguished
Apr 17, 2010
244
0
18,710
Firefox+(Addons: No scrip, Adblock Plus, Flash Block, Flash Got & Tab Mix Plus) = BEST Internet Browser

p.s. I had used Maxthon for 3 years before I moved to Firefox in 2005.
 

ares1214

Splendid
You do realize that Maxthon in 2002 is a LOT different than 2010, any browser would be, so its not really fair to use that as a comparison. Firefox may be the BEST browser in your opinion, but it definitely isnt the fastest. All those addons bog it down too, but it is generally worth it. Firefox 4 seems to be faster, but still not as fast as the others. This test wasnt really designed for best browser, thats all opinion, just fastest.
 

seedcorn

Distinguished
Sep 5, 2007
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Discussions of browser speed seem somewhat pointless to me. As a practical matter, how many users really perceive a noticeable difference in speed between different browsers? In recent months, I've used IE, Firefox, Opera, and Chrome, and still use each of them since I have three computers and have gotten into this mode of using different browsers just so that I can comment on them when discussing browsers with someone, especially to members of a computer users group to which I belong.

In the final analysis, I suspect browser features, availability of plug-ins/add-ons/extensions, and the UI are more significant factors in a browsers popularity than raw speed.
 

ares1214

Splendid
IE 8 is terrible. No redeeming factor about it really. And this is why i recommend you download and try each browser. For me, i only really like a speed dial, URL bar that can be used as a search bar, and some form of popup blocker. Besides that, i like as little as possible clogging it up. For me, chrome was great. I was under the impression Chrome was the fastest, and it matched all those perfectly. Then i felt like getting all the major browsers, Maxthon 2.5 caught my eye, REALLY liked the expandability and add ons like firefox, and wasnt terribly disappointed in speed. Maxthon 3 came out, and i try it, LOVE how chrome like it is, just a little better, but missed all the addons of 2.5 (its still technically a beta, they come later :D )I didnt know wether to use Opera, Chrome, or M3, so i decided to run this test just to see sheer speed. I was extremely surprised Maxthon 3 won, posted it, and here we are. While you are right, people choose their browser based on features and UI, it just so happened i liked M3 UI and features, and considering its the fastest, hey why not?! :lol: I really do encourage you to download all the major browsers in this, and update them regularly, and even run some of these tests for yourself! Dont take my word for it! :lol: