The molecular dynamics (MD) simulation technique has been employed to investigate the thermodynamic properties and transport coefficients of the neat liquid dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). The fluid has been studied at temperatures in the range 298-353 K and at a pressure equal to 1 atm. The simulations employed a nine-site potential model, which is presented for the first time here, and all the available non-polarizable models. The performance of each model is tested using the same statistical mechanical ensemble and simulation method under the same conditions, revealing its weaknesses and strengths. Thermodynamic properties, microscopic structure and dynamic properties, such as transport coefficients, rotational and single-dipole correlation times have been calculated and compared with available experimental results. Estimations of transport coefficients from various theoretical and empirical models are tested against experimental and MD results. Translational and rotational dynamics suggest the existence of the cage effect and agree with the Stokes-Einstein-Debye relation. The dipole relaxation times calculated are discussed in terms of simple and useful approximations, such as the Glarum-Powles and Fatuzzo-Mason models. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.