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TEST METHODOLOGY
Test Setup:
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Testbed device listing.
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Measurement and Analysis Tools
H.264/VC-1 Video Test Suite
H.264 and VC-1 are codecs commonly used in high definition movie videos on
the web (like Quicktime movie trailers and the like) and also in Blu-ray discs.
To play these clips, we use Cyberlink PowerDVD.
1080p | 24fps | ~10mbps |
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1080p | 24fps | ~8mbps |
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1080p | 24fps | ~33mbps |
Blu-ray: Disturbia is a short section (chapter
4) of the Blu-ray version of Disturbia, the motion picture, played
directly off the Blu-ray disc. It is encoded with H.264/AVC.
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1080p | 24fps | ~36mbps |
Blu-ray: Becoming Jane is a short section
(chapter 7) of the Blu-ray version of Becoming Jane, the motion
picture, played directly off the Blu-ray disc. It is encoded with
VC-1.
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x264/MKV Video Test Clip
MKV (Matroska) is a very popular online multimedia container
used for high definition content, usually using x264 (a free, open source
H.264 encoder) for video. The clips were taken from two longer videos —
the most demanding one minute portions were used. To play them we use Media
Player Classic Home Cinema which by default utilizes DXVA (DirectX Video
Acceleration) with supported GPUs. For graphics chips that do not support
hardware acceleration for either codec, the software decoder CoreAVC is
used to render using CPU power alone.
1080p | 24fps | ~14mbps |
x264: Spaceship is a 1080p x264 clip encoded from
the Blu-ray version of an animated short film. It features a hapless
robot trying to repair a lamp on a spaceship.
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1080p | 24fps | ~22mbps |
x264: Crash is a 1080p x264 clip encoded from the
Blu-ray version of an science fiction film. It features the aftermath
of a helicopter crash.
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Flash Video Test Clip
Many users watch media online in Adobe's Flash format on sites
like Hulu and YouTube. Now that the latest version of Flash supports
GPU acceleration, only slower systems like those powered by a single core
Atom without a proper GPU struggle with Flash in HD. Our test clip is a
HD movie trailer from YouTube played in Firefox.
720p | 25fps | ~2mbps |
Flash: Iron
Man Trailer #1 is the first trailer from the feature film
of the same name. It's a YouTube HD video, though technically it
is not quite 720p.
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Estimating DC Power
The following power efficiency figures were obtained for the
Seasonic SS-400ET used in our test system:
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Seasonic SS-400ET Test Results
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DC Output (W)
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21.2
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41.6
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60.2
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81.9
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104.7
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124.1
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145.2
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AC Input (W)
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32.0
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58.0
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78.0
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102.0
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128.0
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150.0
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175.0
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Efficiency
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66.3%
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71.7%
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77.1%
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80.3%
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81.8%
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82.8%
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83.0%
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This data is enough to give us a very good estimate of DC demand in our test
system. We extrapolate the DC power output from the measured AC power input
based on this data. We won't go through the math; it's easy enough to figure
out for yourself if you really want to.
Testing Procedures
If available, the latest motherboard BIOS is installed prior to testing and
256MB is allocated to the integrated graphics core, if applicable. Certain services/features
like Indexing, Superfetch, System Restore, and Windows Defender are disabled
to prevent them from causing spikes in CPU/HDD usage. We also make note if energy
saving features like Cool'n'Quiet/SpeedStep or S3 suspend-to-RAM do not function
properly.
Our main test procedure is designed to determine the overall system power consumption
at various states (measured using a Seasonic Power Angel). To stress CPUs we
use either Prime95 (large FFTs setting) or CPUBurn depending on which produces
higher system power consumption. To stress the IGP, we use FurMark, an OpenGL
benchmarking and stability testing utility. Power consumption during playback
of high definition video is also recorded.
Our video test suite features a variety of high definition video clips. If
the video (and/or audio) skips or freezes, we conclude the board's IGP (in conjunction
with the processor) is inadequate to decompress the clip properly. High CPU
usage is indicative of poor video decoding ability on the part of the integrated
graphics subsystem.
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