11. Benchmark Tests

Battery life and computer performance were measured with three test suites: MobileMark 2005, SYSmark 2004 SE and FutureMark PCMark05.

The MobileMark 2005 benchmarks test the behavior of a mobile computer running solely on battery power. There are four separate battery life tests: office productivity, read and search, DVD playback, and wireless web browsing. Every test uses real-world applications and runs from the time when the battery is fully charged and the power supply is disconnected from the test machine, to the point when the battery is fully discharged and the PC shuts itself off. Test results are written to a log file.

In addition, MobileMark 2005 constantly keeps tabs on two performance values during execution of the office productivity test: it calculates an overall performance value, and an average response time for the completion of all activities that occur during the test. The overall performance value builds upon the average response time measured, but is expressed in relation to a standard reference system outfitted with average components, whose value is set at 100 points.

The SYSmark 2004 SE benchmark tests focus exclusively on performance, without taking battery life into consideration - the tests require the computer to be connected to the wall socket. Like MobileMark 2005, SYSmark 2004 SE makes use of real-world applications for its benchmark tests, which use automated scripts to simulate typical user behavior.

The SYSmark 2004 SE tests are organized into two benchmark scenarios: Internet content creation and office productivity. The Internet content creation comprises three test groups: 3D content, 2D content and web publication. The office productivity scenario is also split in three test groups: communication (e-mail, calendar, and web browsing), document creation, and data analysis.

As with the MobileMark 2005 overall performance rating, all SYSmark 2004 SE ratings are based on response time relative to the performance of a 100-point reference system with standard equipment. Note that the office productivity values of MobileMark 2005 and SYSmark 2004 SE cannot be compared with each other.

Like SYSmark 2004 SE, PCMark05 puts all its emphasis on brute performance, assuming that the test units are plugged into a wall socket. PCMark05 includes an overall system test suite, along with tests for individual system components, including the CPU, RAM, graphics and hard disks. If one part of the test suite does not run or fails during execution, an overall PCMark score will not be computed.

Point scores for PCMark scale in a range from 1,200 to 5,500 points. Both the lower and upper ends of this scale are based on results obtained from actual reference systems. It is possible for a test system to score less than 1,200 or more than 5,500 points, if it is slower or faster than the reference systems used.