Samsung Accused of Inflating Galaxy S4 Benchmarks

[exfileme]

Samsung responds to accusations of inflating benchmarks for the Galaxy S 4.

Samsung Accused of Inflating Galaxy S4 Benchmarks : Read more

 

[m32]

So? I don't really see the problem here. If they do this for other tasks (video playback & etc) and their chip can do it, why not? I think mobile devices are way too dependent on benchmarks anyway. No one seems to do the eye test anymore.

 

[srap]

So? I don't really see the problem here. If they do this for other tasks (video playback & etc) and their chip can do it, why not?

I would like to highlight this part for you:

The 532MHz max GPU frequency on the other hand is only available to these specific benchmarks.

 

[house70]

I would like to highlight this part for you:

The 532MHz max GPU frequency on the other hand is only available to these specific benchmarks.

I would like to highlight this part for you:
"Meanwhile, a maximum GPU frequency of 533MHz is applicable for running apps that are usually used in full-screen mode, such as the S Browser, Gallery, Camera, Video Player, and certain benchmarking apps, which also demand substantial performance."

Anyhow, a benchmark is supposed to push the hardware to its limit. If the limit is higher than what your hardware usually uses, that's only because certain programs don't push it to the limit, like a benchmark does.

I never check benchmark results when buying phones. Never. All I care about are battery size and some minimum specs.

 

[pacomac]

The S4 has never been a slouch in terms of CPU benchmarks, but the iPad was giving it a run for it's money in OpenGL benchmarks. Samsung obviously felt threatened otherwise they wouldn't be cheating in this way. Why would they need a list of benchmark programs listed in the apk unless they were making exceptions for these programs?

 

[sundragon]

1. Way to go Samsung, you make great hardware and you don't need to inflate your benchmarks.

2. Apple still spanks your GPU when it comes to same generation hardware - make better GPUs, it's not rocket science...

3. Using Franco Kernel, I can dynamically push my Nexus 7's GPU for specific games - It would be great if Samsung gave the users that ability but doing it behind your back and then only for specific apps (benchmarks) speaks volumes.

4. I would love to see the same people make the same excuses if Apple had done the same... Inflating benchmark results beyond what normal apps use deceitful.

 

[classzero]

Busted!

 

[wemakeourfuture]

house70
Anyhow, a benchmark is supposed to push the hardware to its limit. If the limit is higher than what your hardware usually uses, that's only because certain programs don't push it to the limit, like a benchmark does.

I never check benchmark results when buying phones. Never. All I care about are battery size and some minimum specs.

Do you understand what they're doing? They're essentially putting explicit instructions that when a benchmark is being done, inflate its GPU clock speed. Benchmarks are to get accurate results of its performance, Samsung is trying to fool it to give misleading results so its product has more marketing value.

A benchmark pushes the device to get its upper-bounds not be tricked into getting results that non-benchmark apps would get.

Whether you use the specs in your purchasing is one thing, but trying to fool results so stats are inflated for the sake of marketing is wrong in me eyes.

If Apple did this you it would have a 100 comments by now...

 

[cmi86]

Oh well it's a lot less scandalous than the crap apple pulls almost on a weekly basis..

 

[halcyon]

Sammy doesn't need to do this. The S4 is awesome and most already know that. It's just a phone anywho, why so serious? Besides, I'm sure Samsung is not the only one doing this.

 

[eiskrystal]

Unless i'm missing something i'm not seeing how it's cheating to show your full power on a test of your full power.

The Tegra 3 can switch on different cores depending on workload. Is that also cheating if all 4 cores fire up during a heavy test?

 

[eiskrystal]

Unless i'm missing something i'm not seeing how it's cheating to show your full power on a test of your full power.

The Tegra 3 can switch on different cores depending on workload. Is that also cheating if all 4 cores fire up during a heavy test?

 

[eiskrystal]

Unless i'm missing something i'm not seeing how it's cheating to show your full power on a test of your full power.

The Tegra 3 can switch on different cores depending on workload. Is that also cheating if all 4 cores fire up during a heavy test?

 

[eiskrystal]

Given how awkward and buggy reading and making comments is, I can only assume Toms doesn't want us to do it.

 

[sundragon]

Oh well it's a lot less scandalous than the crap apple pulls almost on a weekly basis..

Wow dude, you should wipe your mouth and nose a bit more before being a Samsung apologist...

 

[rwinches]

Tricky wordsmithing by AnandTech.
Tom's will often run performance tests that make sure all cores run at their max.
480 normal max 533 turbo max big deal.
How many benchmarks and programs used in reviews are geared for Intel?
A phone purchase is based on features like the cool enhanced OLED displays in the S4

 

[sundragon]

Tricky wordsmithing by AnandTech.
Tom's will often run performance tests that make sure all cores run at their max.
480 normal max 533 turbo max big deal.
How many benchmarks and programs used in reviews are geared for Intel?
A phone purchase is based on features like the cool enhanced OLED displays in the S4

Deceiving your customers is not acceptable (Period)

I don't understand how people can apologize for a company that actively tries to be deceitful? Again, if this were Apple, you'd be all up in arms. Double standards, much?

And every test geared for Intel gets called out! There was recently one where Intel made the benchmark skew the new Atom's performance/power to look better than ARM A15. They got called out on it.

 

[wh3resmycar]

benchmarks don't matter in a smartphone.... as if you'd be able to switch graphics.. buy the damn phone for its features

 

[dejavu117]

Silly Samsung, Tricks are for kids!

 

[wemakeourfuture]

wh3resmycar
benchmarks don't matter in a smartphone.... as if you'd be able to switch graphics.. buy the damn phone for its features

I agree for most customers, so why would Samsung go out of its way to fool benchmarks to give higher results than expected by the apps the end users would use?

 

[wemakeourfuture]

eiskrystal

Unless i'm missing something i'm not seeing how it's cheating to show your full power on a test of your full power.

The Tegra 3 can switch on different cores depending on workload. Is that also cheating if all 4 cores fire up during a heavy test?

You are missing something. There's a difference between having architecture that boosts based on resource intensive cases compared to having explicit instructions to only produce higher results when benchmarking software is being used.

There's CPU's that boost the clock speed when needed, this is an architecture design to improve performance. Then you have Samsung that says lets boost clock speed when a benchmark is being performed so results are inflated and not a true representation of the hardware performance.

 

[wemakeourfuture]

eiskrystal

Unless i'm missing something i'm not seeing how it's cheating to show your full power on a test of your full power.

The Tegra 3 can switch on different cores depending on workload. Is that also cheating if all 4 cores fire up during a heavy test?

You are missing something. There's a difference between having architecture that boosts based on resource intensive cases compared to having explicit instructions to only produce higher results when benchmarking software is being used.

There's CPU's that boost the clock speed when needed, this is an architecture design to improve performance. Then you have Samsung that says lets boost clock speed when a benchmark is being performed so results are inflated and not a true representation of the hardware performance.

 

[eiskrystal]

Well, it depends. If the point of your benchmarking is to find out the phone's top speed then forcing it into its higher speed mode IS what you want to do.

It may be that the phone won't automatically push itself because it doesn't recognise the benchmarking tool as needing full power and they put in code to force it into that mode.

 

[jaber2]

I don't care if they do, as long as my results are better than others, so if you own anything other than S4 you are using something that does lower benchmark than my S4

 

[renz496]

this only affect S IV with exynos inside isn't it? when talking about exynos it is a bit bumpy for Samsung. i believe they want their exynos chip to play on the same league as qualcomm snapdragon but so far their best chip still can't compete with snapdragon best chip (snapdragon 800). not sure how will the updated version of exynos going to change things but at least they must want to show you how good their exynos are hence leading to this 'cheating' in benchmark score. this is based on my conspiracy theory at best but that's how i look at it.