There's really nothing useful about this tip, but it's still pretty cool. There's a utility built into Windows Vista used for benchmarking your system called the System Assessment Tool. What most people don't know is that you can call this utility from the command line and view some cool 3D benchmarks.

You should be able to use a regular command prompt, but you'd have best luck using an administrator mode command prompt. (right-click and choose Run as Administrator). You should also note that it will temporarily disable Aero before running the test, but don't worry, it will re-enable it after.

Here's some mini screenshot examples for your enjoyment, the real thing will run fullscreen. Try the command right above each one to see it on your own computer. 

winsat d3d -texshader -totalobj 15

winsat d3d -objs C(20) -texshader -totalobj 50

winsat d3d -totalobj 20 -objs C(20) -totaltex 10 -texpobj C(1) -alushader -noalpha -v -time 10

winsat d3d -totalobj 20 -objs C(20) -totaltex 10 -texpobj C(10) -alushader -v -time 10

You can adjust the commands on the prompt if you want to try to get different combinations.

Note: For more Windows Vista Tips, Tricks & Tweaks.