Category: HDXPRT 2014

A bit of house cleaning at BenchmarkXPRT.com

on August 17, 2023

When we’ve released a new version of an XPRT benchmark app, it’s been our practice for many years to maintain a link to the previous version on the benchmark’s main page. For example, visitors can start on the WebXPRT 4 homepage at WebXPRT.com and follow links to access WebXPRT 3, WebXPRT 2015, and WebXPRT 2013. Historically, we’ve maintained these links because labs and tech reviewers usually take a while to introduce a new benchmark to their testing suite. Continued access to the older benchmarks also allows users to quickly compare new devices to old devices without retesting everything.

That being said, several of the XPRT pages currently contain links to benchmarks that we no longer actively support. Some of those benchmarks still function correctly, and testers occasionally use them, but a few no longer work on the latest versions of the operating systems or browsers that we designed them to test. While we want to continue to provide a way for longtime XPRT users to access legacy XPRTs, we also want to avoid potential confusion for new users. We believe our best way forward is to archive older tests in a separate part of the site.

In the coming weeks, we’ll be moving several legacy XPRT benchmarks to an archive section of the site. Once the new section is ready, we’ll link to it from the Extras drop-down menu at the top of BenchmarkXPRT.com. The benchmarks will still be available in the archive, but we will not actively support them or directly link to them from the homepages of active XPRTs.

During this process, we’ll move the following benchmarks to the archive section:

WebXPRT 2015 and 2013
CrXPRT 2015
HDXPRT 2014
TouchXPRT 2014
MobileXPRT 2015 and 2013

If you have any questions or concerns about the archive process or access to legacy XPRTs, please let us know!

Justin

Posted in benchmark, BenchmarkXPRT, CrXPRT, HDXPRT, HDXPRT 2014, History of benchmarking, MobileXPRT, MobileXPRT 2015, TouchXPRT, TouchXPRT 2014, WebXPRT, WebXPRT 2013, WebXPRT 2015, WebXPRT 4 | Tagged archive, benchmark, BenchmarkXPRT, BenchmarkXPRT Development Community, CrXPRT 2015, legacy, MobileXPRT, TouchXPRT, WebXPRT, WebXPRT 2013, WebXPRT 2015, WebXPRT 3, WebXPRT 4 |

A new HDXPRT 2014 build is available

By Justin Greene

on September 21, 2017

Today, we’re releasing a new build of HDXPRT 2014 (v1.3) that eliminates the need for workarounds when testing with the Windows 10 Creators Update. The new build is available for download at HDXPRT.com. Please note that the app package is 5.09 GB, so allow time and space for the download process.

This build contains the following changes:

– Updates the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable (x86) to version 14.10.25017
– Updates the version of CPU-Z to v1.8.01
– Deletes Bin\power_settings.exe, which was prompting errors in certain configurations

The changes do not affect results, so v1.3 scores are comparable to v1.2 scores.

The new build ran well during testing in our labs, but issues could emerge as Microsoft releases new Windows updates this fall. If you have any questions about HDXPRT or encounter any issues during testing, we encourage you to let us know.

We look forward to seeing your test results!

Justin

Posted in HDXPRT, HDXPRT 2014, HDXPRT development process, Windows 10, Windows 10 Creators Update |

HDXPRT: see how your Windows PC handles media tasks

By Justin Greene

on June 22, 2017

Over the last several weeks, we reminded readers of the capabilities and benefits of TouchXPRT, CrXPRT, and BatteryXPRT. This week, we’d like to highlight HDXPRT. HDXPRT, which stands for High Definition Experience & Performance Ratings Test, was the first benchmark published by the HDXPRT Development Community, which later became the BenchmarkXPRT Development Community. HDXPRT evaluates the performance of Windows devices while handling real-world media tasks such as photo editing, video conversion, and music editing, all while using real commercial applications, including Photoshop and iTunes. HDXPRT presents results that are relevant and easy to understand.

We originally distributed HDXPRT on installation DVDs, but HDXPRT 2014, the latest version, is available for download from HDXPRT.com. HDXPRT 2014 is for systems running Windows 8.1 and later. The benchmark takes about 10 minutes to install, and a run takes less than two hours.

HDXPRT is a useful tool for anyone who wants to evaluate the real-world, content-creation capabilities of a Windows PC. To see test results from a variety of systems, go to HDXPRT.com and click View Results, where you’ll find scores from many different Windows devices.

If you’d like to run HDXPRT:

Simply download HDXPRT from HDXPRT.com. The HDXPRT user manual provides information on minimum system requirements, as well as step-by-step instructions for how to configure your system and kick off a test. Testers running HDXPRT on Windows 10 Creators Update builds should consult the tech support note posted on HDXPRT.com.

If you’d like to dig into the details:

Check out the Exploring HDXPRT 2014 white paper. In it, we discuss the benchmark’s three test scenarios in detail and show how we calculate the results.

If you’d like to dig even deeper, the HDXPRT source code is available to members of the BenchmarkXPRT Development Community, so consider joining today. Membership is free for members of any company or organization with an interest in benchmarks, and there are no obligations after joining.

If you haven’t used HDXPRT before, give it a shot and let us know what you think!

On another note, Bill will be attending Mobile World Congress in Shanghai next week. Let us know if you’d like to meet up and discuss the XPRTs or how to get your device in the XPRT Spotlight.

Justin

Posted in BenchmarkXPRT development community, HDXPRT, HDXPRT 2012, HDXPRT 2014, HDXPRT capabilities, HDXPRT development process, HDXPRT source code, Let us know your thoughts, Performance benchmarking, Source code, White papers, Windows 10, Windows 8.1, XPRT Weekly Tech Spotlight |

Looking under the hood

By Justin Greene

on April 6, 2017

In the next couple of weeks, we’ll publish the source code and build instructions for the latest HDXPRT 2014 and BatteryXPRT 2014 builds. Access to XPRT source code is one of the benefits of BenchmarkXPRT Development Community membership. For readers who may not know, this a good time to revisit the reasons we make the source code available.

The primary reason is transparency; we want the XPRTs to be as open as possible. As part of our community model for software development, the source code is available to anyone who joins the community. Closed-source benchmark development can lead some people to infer that a benchmark is biased in some way. Our approach makes it impossible to hide any biases.

Another reason we publish source code is to encourage collaborative development and innovation. Community members are involved in XPRT development from the beginning, helping to identify emerging technologies in need of reliable benchmarking tools, suggesting potential workloads and improvements, reviewing design documents, and offering all sorts of general feedback.

Simply put, if you’re interested in benchmarking and the BenchmarkXPRT Development Community, then we’re interested in what you have to say! Community input helps us at every step of the process, and ultimately helps us to create benchmarking tools that are as reliable and relevant as possible.

If you’d like to review XPRT source code, but haven’t yet joined the community, we encourage you to go ahead and join! It’s easy, and if you work for a company or organization with an interest in benchmarking, you can join the community for free. Simply fill out the form with your company e-mail address and click the option to be considered for a free membership. We’ll contact you to verify the address is real and then activate your membership.

If you have any other questions about community membership or XPRT source code, feel free to contact us. We look forward to hearing from you!

Justin

Posted in BatteryXPRT 2014 for Android, Benchmarking, BenchmarkXPRT, BenchmarkXPRT development community, Collaborative benchmark development, HDXPRT, HDXPRT 2014, Open Source, Source code |

A new HDXPRT 2014 build is available

By Justin Greene

on February 9, 2017

Last fall, we identified a way to run HDXPRT 2014, originally developed for Windows 8, on Windows 10. The method involved overwriting the HDXPRT CPU-Z files with newer versions and performing a few additional pre-test configuration steps. You can read more details about those steps here.

Today, we’re releasing a new build of HDXPRT 2014 (v1.2) that eliminates the need to overwrite the CPU-Z files. The new build is available for download at HDXPRT.com. Please note that the app package is 5.08 GB, so allow time and space for the download process.

We also updated the HDXPRT 2014 User Manual to reflect changes in pre-test system configuration and to include the settings we recommend for newer builds of Windows 10.

The changes in the new build do not affect results, so v1.2 scores are comparable to v1.1 scores on the same system.

The new build ran well during testing in our labs, but issues could emerge as Microsoft releases new Windows updates. If you have any questions about HDXPRT or encounter any issues during testing, we encourage you to let us know.

We look forward to seeing your test results!

Justin

Posted in Application-based benchmarks, Collaborative benchmark development, HDXPRT, HDXPRT 2014, Performance benchmarking, Windows 10 |

An anniversary update

By Justin Greene

on July 21, 2016

The Windows 10 Anniversary Update release is scheduled for August 2, and we’ve been running the XPRTs on the Windows Insider preview builds. While we can’t publish performance data from developer builds, we’re happy to say that WebXPRT and TouchXPRT run well on the Anniversary Update.

The story for HDXPRT 2014 is more complicated. Back in May, we reported that it would not run on more recent versions of Windows. However, we’ve identified steps that enable HDXPRT to run on the current stable Windows 10 build, as well as the latest Anniversary Update preview. It’s running well, but it’s possible that testers will encounter other issues as Microsoft releases new builds.

We have included the steps below. We’re considering an update to HDXPRT 2014 that will incorporate these changes. If you have any comments or suggestions related to HDXPRT, please let us know.

Justin

Summary
In addition to the normal system configuration requirements for HDXPRT, testers must also overwrite HDXPRT’s CPU-Z files with newer versions and change the default browser from Microsoft Edge to Internet Explorer. After configuring the system for HDXPRT testing, testers may encounter errors related to administrative privileges when attempting to launch Microsoft Edge. Returning User Account Control settings to their default pre-configuration state resolves the problem.

Process
1. Install the latest version of CPU-Z.
      a. Open any browser and download the latest version of CPU-Z for Windows
          (currently CPU-Z 1.76).
      b. Install CPU-Z on the system, using the default settings and installation path.
2. Install the HDXPRT 2014 benchmark using the default installation process. Reboot the system
    after installation.
3. Copy all the files from the C:\Program Files\CPUID\CPU-Z\ directory to the C:\Program Files
    (x86)\HDXPRT\bin, and overwrite the existing CPU-Z files.
4. Change the default browser from Microsoft Edge to Internet Explorer:
      a. Open the Windows Settings app and select System/Default apps.
      b. Under Web browser, click the Edge icon, and select Internet Explorer from the list.
      c. At the Before you switch window, click Switch anyway.
      d. Close the Settings app.
5. Adjust SmartScreen and security settings:
      a. Open Internet Explorer.
      b. Go to Settings/Internet options/Security, and make the following changes for the Internet
           and Trusted Sites zones:
            i. Select Custom Level.
            ii. Disable SmartScreen Filter.
            iii. Under Launching applications and unsafe files, click Enable (not Secure).
            iv. Click OK, and click Apply. If a warning message appears, click Yes.
6. Restart the system.
7. Open HDXPRT and run the benchmark normally.

If, after installing HDXPRT, you encounter an error related to administrative permissions when trying to open Microsoft Edge, return User Account Controls to the default setting, and restart the system. The default User Account Control setting is the third notch from the bottom: “Notify me only when apps try to makes changes to my computer.”

Posted in BenchmarkXPRT development community, Collaborative benchmark development, HDXPRT, HDXPRT 2014, Performance benchmarking, TouchXPRT, Uncategorized, WebXPRT 2015, Windows 10, Windows 10 Anniversary Update |

Category: HDXPRT 2014

A bit of house cleaning at BenchmarkXPRT.com

A new HDXPRT 2014 build is available

HDXPRT: see how your Windows PC handles media tasks

If you’d like to run HDXPRT:

If you’d like to dig into the details:

Looking under the hood

A new HDXPRT 2014 build is available

An anniversary update

Check out the other XPRTs: