Google on Tuesday released a new JavaScript benchmark suite, dubbed Octane, intended to help boost browser speed measurements.

In December 2010, Google overhauled V8, Chrome's JavaScript engine, so that it ran complex JavaScript programs up to twice as fast as before. Google said today that Octane extends V8 with five new benchmarks created from full, well-known Web apps and libraries.

"A high score in the new benchmarks directly translates to better and smoother performance in similar web applications," Google said in a blog post.

Google also said Octane includes a more easily understood interface that adapts to the size of the device you're using.

The news tests include Box2DWeb, Mandreel, Pdf.js, GB Emulator, and CodeLoad.

• Box2DWeb runs a JavaScript port of a popular 2D physics engine.
• Mandreel translates the original C++ source code for the 3D Bullet Engine to JavaScript by Onan Games' Mandreel compiler, which Google said is used in many Web-based games.
• Pdf.js is based on Mozilla's PDF reader and measures how fast the browser decodes a sample PDF document.
• GB Emulator is derived from an open source emulator of a famous game console running a 3D demo, Google said.
• CodeLoad is derived from open source libraries like Closure, and jQuery.

Octane is now available on googlecode.com.

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