Category: HDXPRT 2012 beta

As we get close to the release

on July 20, 2012

As we get close to the release of HDXPRT 2012, I wanted to let you know how it compares with the original design specification. You’ll find the complete list of differences below.

In any software project, there are differences between the original design and the final product. Generally, things have stayed pretty close with HDXPRT 2012. A number of these changes were discussed on the HDXPRT blog. We’ve noted in parentheses the title and date of the relevant blog entry.

We’re looking forward to the release of HDXPRT2012. We can’t wait to hear what you do with it!

Eric

HDXPRT does not support 32-bit operating systems. (“Bye, bye 32 bits?” March 2, 2011)
Because of difficulties with scripting, Picassa is not part of HDXPRT 2012. (“Change is inevitable,” April 27, 2012)
Audacity 2.0 with Windows 7 debuted after we released the design document, so we are using that version rather than Audacity 1.3.14beta in HDXPRT 2012. (“Change is inevitable,” April 27, 2012)
We removed the video playback tests from HDXPRT 2012. (“More HDXPRT 2012 changes,” May 11, 2012) Consequently, Adobe Flash Player 11, which was only used in the playback tests, is not part of HDXPRT 2012.
Simplified Chinese is not supported.
The specs for the calibration system are below. The design spec had recommended changing to Intel Pentium G860.
- Processor: Intel E6800, 3.3 GHz
- Graphics: Intel G45 Express Chipset
- Memory: 4 GB
- Hard disk: 1 TB HDD
- OS: Windows 7 Ultimate Service Pack 1
During testing, we were able to reduce the minimum requirements from those in the Design Document. The current minimum requirements are as follows:
Processor: Intel dual-core 2.0GHz processor or equivalent
Memory: 2 GB
Free disk space: 40 GB
Video display settings: 1,024 x 768, 24-bit color
DVD ROM to install HDXPRT
Microsoft Windows 7, 64-bit (Language: US English)

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Counting down

By Eric Hale

on July 6, 2012

We’ve been hard at work since the end of the beta period, driving toward the release of HDXPRT 2012. Things are looking good. The RTM is coming soon, so we thought we’d share the next few milestones with you.

RTM candidate: 7/13/12. At this point, we stop development. There are no feature changes after this point.
HDXPRT 2012 launch: 7/27/12. Having tested the RTM and manufactured the DVDs, we mail the benchmark to the community members. This is when the press release goes out. It’s also when we publish the HDXPRT 2012 white paper. Unlike the design document, this paper will explain HDXPRT 2012 to the general public.
Webinar: 8/3/28 – We talk about HDXPRT 2012 and take your questions.
First scaling paper: 8/31/12. As with HDXPRT 2011, we will be publishing a set of scaling studies. The first will test several modern desktop processors, looking at factors such as varying the amount of RAM, comparing HDDs to SSDs, and comparing internal graphics to a couple of popular graphics cards.
Second scaling paper: 9/28/12. In this paper, we expand on the testing we did in the first scaling paper.

We will release an update of HDXPRT 2012 that supports Windows 8 and includes bug fixes within a month of Windows 8 launch.

We’re very excited about the release of HDXPRT 2012, and look forward to seeing what you do with it!

Eric

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Posted in Application-based benchmarks, Collaborative benchmark development, HDXPRT, HDXPRT 2012, HDXPRT 2012 beta, HDXPRT development process, HDXPRT release cycle |

Keep them coming

By Eric Hale

on June 22, 2012

At the beginning of June we mailed out the HDXPRT 2012 beta to the members of the Development community. This has been an exciting week, as the feedback has started coming in. We want to thank everyone who’s been using the benchmark.

We really appreciate the results you’ve been sending. Obviously, we can’t test every possible configuration in our lab, and it’s very reassuring to see good results coming from configurations we haven’t tried.

Of course it is a beta, and there are still wrinkles to iron out. The error logs we’ve been getting may not be gratifying, but they are enormously helpful. The more problems we see now, the better we can make the release version of HDXPRT 2012.

One of our members asked about the terms of use for HDXPRT 2012. For the final version, the terms will be the same as for HDXPRT 2011—it is free for download and you are free to publish results. The beta, however, is only available to community members. You cannot publish the results from the beta because things could still change. (If you haven’t joined the community yet, click this link <a href=”http://hdxprt.com/includes/join_us_2.php”>Register for HDXPRT</a>)

If you have questions, please do send them. We’ll get you an answer, and post the answers on the forum.

The comment period ends June 29th, so there’s still a week left. Please send compliments, complaints, results, errors—anything you think would make for a better benchmark. We take every comment seriously, and appreciate them more than we can say.

Eric

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Posted in HDXPRT 2012 beta, HDXPRT Development Community benefits, Let us know your thoughts |

HDXPRT 2012 and Windows 8 follow-up

By Eric Hale

on June 15, 2012

We’re hoping you will help us test the HDXPRT 2012 beta on your latest systems under Windows 8.

As Bill discussed a couple weeks ago, the beta of HDXPRT 2012 has some problems with Windows 8 and consequently will not install. However, with the latest version of Windows 8 Consumer Preview, some of the issues seem to be better. Using some command-line options, you can get around the installation restrictions. That is what we have been doing in our lab. The complete details of how to install and run the beta on the Windows 8 Consumer Preview are in this forum post (login required).

(Don’t worry, we hate hidden options as well, and there should not be any in the shipping version!)

Please let us know what you find out on your systems, either in the forum or via email. We have encountered some crashes in apps and we’d like to know what you find. We provide some instructions for running individual workloads in case you need to work around such an issue. We are also interested in hearing if you see any performance differences between Windows 7 and Windows 8 that don’t make sense to you. While the Consumer Preview license does not allow the publishing of performance results, we still need to start the process of understanding what is going on with Windows 8.

Thank you so much for your efforts to make HDXPRT 2012 as good as possible!

Eric

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HDXPRT 2012 and Windows 8 follow-up

By Bill Catchings

on June 8, 2012

HDXPRT 2012 and Windows 8 follow-up

As I discussed a couple weeks ago, the beta of HDXPRT 2012 has some problems with Windows 8 and consequently will not install. However, with the latest version of Windows 8 Consumer Preview, some of the issues seem to be better. Using some command-line options, you can get around the installation restrictions. That is what we have been doing in our lab. (Don’t worry, we hate hidden options as well, and there should not be any in the shipping version!) We’re hoping you can help us test the HDXPRT 2012 beta on your latest systems under Windows 8.

The complete details of how to install and run the beta on the Windows 8 Consumer Preview are in this forum post. (login required) Please let us know what you find out on your systems, either in the forum or via email. We have encountered some crashes in apps and we’d like to know what you find. We provide some instructions for running individual workloads in case you need to work around such an issue. We are also interested in hearing if you see any performance differences between Windows 7 and Windows 8 that don’t make sense to you. While the Consumer Preview license does not allow the publishing of performance results, we still need to start the process of understanding what is going on with Windows 8.

As always, thanks for your efforts to make HDXPRT 2012 as good as possible!

Bill

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Now it’s your turn

By Bill Catchings

on June 1, 2012

We mailed the DVDs for the HDXPRT 2012 this week. Kudos to the development and test teams. Thanks to all of the community members who confirmed their addresses. You should receive the DVDs soon. Now the fun begins.

The comment period for the beta goes through June 29. Your feedback is essential. Please install the benchmark, run it, and let us know what you think. If you have questions, we’ll answer them as quickly as possible. If you find a problem, we want to fix it. If there’s something you don’t like, we want to know. If there’s something you do like, we’d like to know that too.

If you don’t receive your DVDs next week, please contact us and we’ll make sure you get your copy ASAP. Unfortunately, the HDXPRT 2012 beta is not available for download. As we explained in an earlier blog post, the benchmark is approximately 10 GB.

Remember, the end of the comment period is June 29. Please help us make HDXPRT 2012 the best possible benchmark.

Eric

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Category: HDXPRT 2012 beta

As we get close to the release

Counting down

Keep them coming

HDXPRT 2012 and Windows 8 follow-up

HDXPRT 2012 and Windows 8 follow-up

Now it’s your turn

Check out the other XPRTs: