OpenGL is graphics acceleration software that comes installed on most newer (made after 2002) computers. It works in conjunction with compatible graphics hardware to facilitate the display of OpenGL program images and animation. If you aren't sure whether your computer supports OpenGL acceleration, I have provided a test program you can run. Click the "Download" button below to download it. When your browser prompts you to run or save the program, choose save and save it to your desktop. After the download is complete, double-click the opengl_test icon on your desktop to start the program. After a few seconds, the frames per second is reported in the title bar at the top of the program window. The reported value should be at least 8 or 9 frames per second. If the value is much less than that, your computer probably doesn't support OpenGL acceleration. Note that for slower computers, moving your mouse cursor over the test program window may artificially cause the reported frames per second to be less than 8. If the test program reports a low value of frames per second, the best approach is to download, install, and try the screen saver in question to see if it will work on your computer.

Note that for optimum display of the OpenGL screen savers found on this site, you should have your desktop configured for either 16 bit (ok) or 32 bit (better) color.

The OpenGL screen savers which appear on this site were developed using a Radeon 7200 64MB AGP graphics card manufactured by ATI.