OpenGL performance

I have been wondering how fast OpenGL actually runs. For example, on my desktop (P2 300mhz, basic 3D card) every OpenGL application I download runs rediculously slowly, 1 fps at best. However, when I run games (Half-Life: Team Fortress, any space combat-sim, Jedi Knight, etc.) they don’t run spectacularly, but they run well all the same. I do not know if any of the games mentioned above use OpenGL. Can somebody help me make sense of this comparison? Thanks! (I find it hard to believe that OpenGL’s performance sucks that much…)

For whatever reason (depends on the app’s setup code) it sounds like you’re getting software rendering only i.e. the apps aren’t using your 3D card. OpenGL should get the same if not better performance than DirectX.