– Find software paths by comparing performance of some commands and extensions to the equivalent done through the software driver. Allow the application to query whether a software path will be used or not.
– Amount of fast texture RAM. Since amount of local memory on card and texture compression may be enabled, consider this “cached” RAM compared to having to go to AGP or system memory. Also find the size of AGP aperture and benchmark AGP transfer rate and system memory speed. Application can decide how to manage its textures accordingly.
– Find fill rate and triangle rate. Application can decide level of detail.
– Find maximum multitexturing level. (Fill rate should decrease drastically when this is exceeded.)
This may violate OpenGL's transparency, but it is already violated when hardware rendered graphics do not match software rendered graphics pixel for pixel.