Category: TouchXPRT

An anniversary update

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 |

Open source?

By Bill Catchings

on July 14, 2016

We’re proud of the BenchmarkXPRT Development Community and its accomplishments over the last five years. We’re also thankful for the contributions the members of the community have made. One of the benefits of membership is access to the source code for all the XPRT performance tools. This has meant that the code is available to anyone willing to take the easy step of joining the community.

Behind our decision to use this model rather than a more traditional, open-source model was the need to control derivative works. The license agreement for the source allows members to modify the source, but not to claim that the results from that derivative code are XPRT results. For example, as a member, you may download the TouchXPRT source and modify the workloads for your specific purposes, but you can’t refer to the results as TouchXPRT results.

After much thought and discussion, we have come to believe that we can protect the benchmarks’ reputation within a traditional, open-source framework. While our original concerns are still valid, we think that the success and stature of the XPRTs is such that we can make it available via open source.

However, before we take this step, we want to hear the thoughts, concerns, and opinions of both our community members and the wider public.

Please note that if we do make the code open source, the other benefits of being a member—access to requests for comment, design documents, and community previews—will not change.

Please let us know that you think. Email us or contact us on Twitter.

Bill

Posted in BenchmarkXPRT, BenchmarkXPRT development community, Collaborative benchmark development, Open Source, TouchXPRT, What makes a good benchmark? |

Getting it right

By Eric Hale

on June 2, 2016

Back in April Bill announced that we are working on a cross-platform benchmark. We asked for your thoughts and comments, and you’ve been great! We really appreciate all the great ideas.

We’ve been using code from MobileXPRT and TouchXPRT as the basis for some experiments. In his post, Bill talked about the difficulty of porting applications. However, even though we have expertise in porting applications, it’s proving more difficult than we originally thought. Benchmarks are held to a higher standard than most applications. It’s not enough for the code to run reliably and efficiently, it must compare the different platforms fairly.

One thing we know for sure: getting it right is going to take a while. However, we owe it to you to make sure that the benchmark is reliable and fair on all platforms it supports. We will, of course, keep you informed as things progress.

In the meantime, keep sending your ideas!
Eric

Posted in Android, Application-based benchmarks, Benchmark metrics, Benchmarking, BenchmarkXPRT development community, Collaborative benchmark development, Future of performance evaluation, iOS, MobileXPRT, Performance benchmarking, TouchXPRT, WebXPRT, Windows 10 |

TouchXPRT 2016 source code is available

By Eric Hale

on April 26, 2016

We’re excited to announce that the TouchXPRT 2016 source code is now available to community members!

Download the TouchXPRT 2016 source here (login required).

Download the TouchXPRT 2016 build instructions here (login required).

We also posted links to both items on the TouchXPRT tab in the Members’ Area.

If you would like more information, please contact BenchmarkXPRTsupport@principledtechnologies.com.

Posted in BenchmarkXPRT, BenchmarkXPRT development community, TouchXPRT, TouchXPRT 2016, TouchXPRT release cycle, Windows 10 |

Quarterly review

By Eric Hale

on March 31, 2016

It’s been one of our busiest quarters ever! Here’s a quick review of what’s been happening:

The XPRTs were on the road a lot!

In January, I was at CES in Las Vegas.
In February, Mark was at MWC in Barcelona.
In March, we held the first ever XPRT Women Code-A-Thon in Seattle.

While I was at CES, I was lucky enough to be able to sit down and talk on-the-record with a couple of community members:

Brett Howse of AnandTech, who also wrote a clarification of some points from our conversation.
Patrick Chang, Senior System Engineer in the Tablet Performance group at Dell.

Many thanks to them for being so generous with their time and their insights.

We also gave folks a lot to look at:

TouchXPRT 2016: After solving a problem with TouchXPRT’s Create Slideshow test and releasing a new community preview, we released it to the general public.
Nebula Wolf: We sponsored a semester-long senior project at North Carolina State University, which resulted in a game-based workload. There’s a really cool video, and community members can play the game (login required).
XPRT Weekly Tech Spotlight: Every week we put a different device in the spotlight, giving its specs and testing it with the XPRTs.

That is a great start to the year, but we’re going to top it – Next week, we’ll kick off Q2 with one of our biggest announcements ever!

Eric

Posted in AnandTech, BenchmarkXPRT, Brett Howse, CES, Collaborative benchmark development, Community Preview, Dell, Mobile World Congress, Mobile World Congress, Nebula Wolf, North Carolina State University, Patrick Chang, TouchXPRT, TouchXPRT 2016, XPRT Women Code-a-Thon |

BenchmarkXPRT Development Community releases the “Exploring TouchXPRT 2016” white paper

By Eric Hale

on March 29, 2016

Durham, NC, March 28 – The BenchmarkXPRT Development Community, administered by Principled Technologies (PT), is pleased to announce the release of the “Exploring TouchXPRT 2016” white paper. The white paper discusses the details of the TouchXPRT 2016 benchmark, including the development process, new features, descriptions of its component tests and workloads, and how the benchmark calculates individual workload and overall scores. The paper also shows how to submit test results and automate testing.

Interested parties can download the white paper at www.BenchmarkXPRT.com/whitepapers.

To learn more about TouchXPRT and download the benchmark, please visit TouchXPRT.com.

To learn more about and join the BenchmarkXPRT Development Community, go to www.BenchmarkXPRT.com.

About Principled Technologies, Inc.
Principled Technologies, Inc. is a leading provider of technology marketing and learning & development services.

Principled Technologies, Inc. is located in Durham, North Carolina, USA. For more information, please visit www.principledtechnologies.com.

Company Contact
Eric Hale
Principled Technologies, Inc.
1007 Slater Road, Suite #300
Durham, NC 27703

Posted in Press Releases, TouchXPRT 2016, TouchXPRT Press Releases, White papers |

Category: TouchXPRT

An anniversary update

Open source?

Getting it right

TouchXPRT 2016 source code is available

Quarterly review

BenchmarkXPRT Development Community releases the “Exploring TouchXPRT 2016” white paper

Check out the other XPRTs: