Category: HDXPRT

MobileXPRT: evaluate the performance of your Android device

on July 27, 2017

We recently discussed the capabilities and benefits of TouchXPRT, CrXPRT, BatteryXPRT, and HDXPRT. This week, we’re focusing on MobileXPRT, an app that evaluates how well an Android device handles everyday tasks. Like the other XPRT family benchmarks, MobileXPRT is easy to use. It takes less than 15 minutes to run on most devices, runs relatable workloads, and delivers reliable, objective, and easy-to-understand results.

MobileXPRT includes five performance scenarios (Apply Photo Effects, Create Photo Collages, Create Slideshow, Encrypt Personal Content, and Detect Faces to Organize Photos). By default, the benchmark runs all five tasks and reports individual workload scores and an overall performance score.

MobileXPRT 2015 is the latest version of the app, supporting both 32-bit and 64-bit hardware running Android 4.4 or higher. To test systems running older versions of Android, or to test 32-bit performance on a 64-bit system, you can use MobileXPRT 2013. The results of the two versions are comparable.

MobileXPRT is a useful tool for anyone who wants to compare the performance capabilities of Android phones or tablets. To see test results from a variety of systems, go to MobileXPRT.com and click View Results, where you’ll find scores from many different Android devices.

If you’d like to run MobileXPRT:

Simply download MobileXPRT from MobileXPRT.com or the Google Play Store. The full installer package on MobileXPRT.com, containing both app and test data, is 243 MB. You may also use this link to download the 18 MB MobileXPRT app file, which will download the test data during installation. The MobileXPRT user manual provides instructions for configuring your device and kicking off a test.

If you’d like to dig into the details:

Check out the Exploring MobileXPRT 2015 white paper. In it, we discuss the MobileXPRT development process and details of the individual performance scenarios. We also explain exactly how the benchmark calculates results.

If you’d like to dig even deeper, the MobileXPRT 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 MobileXPRT before, give it a shot and let us know what you think!

Justin

Posted in Android, BatteryXPRT 2014 for Android, CrXPRT, HDXPRT, Mobile devices, MobileXPRT, MobileXPRT 2015, Performance benchmarking, TouchXPRT, WebXPRT |

Planning the next version of HDXPRT

By Justin Greene

on July 20, 2017

A few weeks ago, we wrote about the capabilities and benefits of HDXPRT. This week, we want to share some initial ideas for the next version of HDXPRT, and invite you to send us any comments or suggestions you may have.

The first step towards a new HDXPRT will be updating the benchmark’s workloads to increase their value in the years to come. Primarily, this will involve updating application content, such as photos and videos, to more contemporary file resolutions and sizes. We think 4K-related workloads will increase the benchmark’s relevance, but aren’t sure whether 4K playback tests are necessary. What do you think?

The next step will be to update versions of the real-world trial applications included in the benchmark, including Adobe Photoshop Elements, Apple iTunes, Audacity, CyberLink MediaEspresso, and HandBrake. Are there other any applications you feel would be a good addition to HDXPRT’s editing photos, editing music, or converting videos test scenarios?

We’re also planning to update the UI to improve the look and feel of the benchmark and simplify navigation and functionality.

Last but not least, we’ll work to fix known problems, such as the hardware acceleration settings issue in MediaEspresso, and eliminate the need for workarounds when running HDXPRT on the Windows 10 Creators Update.

Do you have feedback on these ideas or suggestions for applications or test scenarios that we should consider for HDXPRT? Are there existing features we should remove? Are there elements of the UI that you find especially useful or would like to see improved? Please let us know. We want to hear from you and make sure that HDXPRT continues to meet your needs.

Justin

Posted in 4K, BenchmarkXPRT, Collaborative benchmark development, Future of performance evaluation, HDXPRT, HDXPRT capabilities, HDXPRT development process, HDXPRT release cycle, Let us know your thoughts, Performance benchmarking, What makes a good benchmark?, Windows 10 |

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 |

Thinking ahead to WebXPRT 2017

By Justin Greene

on April 13, 2017

A few months ago, Bill discussed our intention to update WebXPRT this year. Today, we want to share some initial ideas for WebXPRT 2017 and ask for your input.

Updates to the workloads provide an opportunity to increase the relevance and value of WebXPRT in the years to come. Here are a few of the ideas we’re considering:

For the Photo Enhancement workload, we can increase the data sizes of pictures. We can also experiment with additional types of photo enhancement such as background/foreground subtraction, collage creation, or panoramic/360-degree image viewing.
For the Organize Album workload, we can explore machine learning workloads by incorporating open source JavaScript libraries into web-based inferencing tests.
For the Local Notes workload, we’re investigating the possibility of leveraging natural-brain libraries for language processing functions.
For a new workload, we’re investigating the possibility of using online 3D modeling applications such as Tinkercad.

For the UI, we’re considering improvements to features like the in-test progress bars and individual subtest selection. We’re also planning to update the UI to make it visually distinct from older versions.

Throughout this process, we want to be careful to maintain the features that have made WebXPRT our most popular tool, with more than 141,000 runs to date. We’re committed to making sure that it runs quickly and simply in most browsers and produces results that are useful for comparing web browsing performance across a wide variety of devices.

Do you have feedback on these ideas or suggestions for browser technologies or test scenarios that we should consider for WebXPRT 2017? Are there existing features we should ditch? Are there elements of the UI that you find especially useful or would like to see improved? Please let us know. We want to hear from you and make sure that we’re crafting a performance tool that continues to meet your needs.

Justin

Posted in BenchmarkXPRT development community, Browser-based benchmarks, Collaborative benchmark development, Future of performance evaluation, Let us know your thoughts, Machine learning, Performance benchmarking, WebXPRT, WebXPRT 2017, What makes a good benchmark? |

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 |

Category: HDXPRT

MobileXPRT: evaluate the performance of your Android device

If you’d like to run MobileXPRT:

If you’d like to dig into the details:

Planning the next version of HDXPRT

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:

Thinking ahead to WebXPRT 2017

Looking under the hood

A new HDXPRT 2014 build is available

Check out the other XPRTs: