Test System Specs And Benchmark Suite
Test System Specs
Starting at the lowest end of the price ladder, we have a fellow Android-based device. While it recently disappeared from the market, just last month you could purchase LG's Optimus Slider for only $50. Though this entry-level burner sports slightly lower system specs than the Kaser, along with an older version of Android (v2.3, or “Gingerbread”), it does come with a screen. Plus, you could purchase two for the price of one Net'sPC2.
| LG Optimus Slider System Specs | |
|---|---|
| Operating System | Google Android 2.3 "Gingerbread" |
| SoC | Qualcomm Snapdragon S1 |
| CPU Core | Qualcomm MSM7627 (single-core) @ 800 MHz |
| GPU Core | Qualcomm Adreno 200 |
| Memory | 512 MB RAM |
| Storage | 512 MB (<256 MB usable) |
| Display | 3.2" Capacitive LCD @ 320x480 |
| Price | $50 (recently discontinued) |
Moving up the price ladder, we have a circa-2007 Athlon X2-based office PC. This system is indicative of the lowliest PCs in operation today that are still capable of running modern benchmarks. As far as price goes, you could purchase an entire setup from this era for around $100, give or take, so it’s about the same cost as the Kaser Net'sPC2 YF810-8G...that is, if you don’t already own a similar system.
| Vista-era Home/Office PC System Specs | |
|---|---|
| Operating System | Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium (64-bit) |
| CPU | AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ @ 2.0 GHz (dual-core) |
| Motherboard | Biostar NF61S-M2 TE |
| Memory | 2 GB DDR2 @ 800 MHz (1 x 2 GB) |
| Graphics | Nvidia GeForce 6100 (integrated) |
| Storage | Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500 GB SATA 3Gb/s, 7200 RPM, 16 MB Cache |
| Price | ~$100 (used) |
Also at $100, we have the Kaser Net'sPC2 YF810-8G. Keep in mind that the Kaser does not include a display, so tack on the cost of a monitor or TV to connect it to.
| Kaser Net's2PC YF810-8G System Specs | |
|---|---|
| Operating System | Google Android 4.0.4 "Ice Cream Sandwich" |
| SoC | Allwinner A10 |
| CPU Core | ARM Cortex-A8 @ 1.0 GHz (single-core) |
| GPU Core | ARM Mali-400 MP |
| Memory | 512 MB DDR3 @ 800 MHz |
| Storage | 8 GB 25nm Asynchronous NAND Flash |
| Price | $100 |
We have two complete systems at the $200 price point: another Android-based device and a first-gen netbook. Doubling down on the Kaser’s $100 price tag gets you either the award-winning Google Nexus 7 or a used Dell Mini 10v. While early netbooks can be had for cheaper, due to the fact that this model is uniquely capable of running OS X, the first-gen Dell Mini 10v is holding its value quite well on the used market.
| Google Nexus 7 | |
|---|---|
| Operating System | Google Android 4.2.2 "Jelly Bean" |
| SoC | Nvidia Tegra 3 T30L |
| CPU Core | ARM Cortex-A9 @ 1.2 GHz (quad-core) |
| GPU Core | Nvidia ULP GeForce @ 416 MHz |
| Memory | 1 GB DDR3 @ 1333 MHz |
| Storage | 8 GB |
| Display | 7" Capacitive IPS LCD @ 1280x800 |
| Price | $200 |
Once again, keep in mind that, unlike the Kaser, both the Nexus 7 and Dell Mini 10v include a screen in their price tags.
| Dell Inspiron Mini 10v (1011) System Specs | |
|---|---|
| Operating System | Microsoft Windows 7 Starter (32-bit) |
| CPU | Intel Atom N270 @ 1.6 GHz (single-core) |
| Memory | 1 GB DDR2 @ 533 MHz |
| Graphics | Intel GMA 950 (integrated) |
| Storage | 160 GB 5,400 RPM HDD |
| Display | 10.1" LCD @ 1024x600 |
| Price | ~$200 (used) |
Apple’s iconic iPad also makes an appearance in order to provide a common frame of reference. We chose the iPad 2 because its performance numbers are nearly identical to the iPad 3 and iPad Mini, leaving even more room for comparison.
| Apple iPad 2 System Specs | |
|---|---|
| Operating System | Apple iOS 6.1.3 |
| SoC | Apple A5 |
| CPU Core | ARM Cortex-A9 @ 1.0 GHz (dual-core) |
| GPU Core | PowerVR SGX545MP2 (dual-core) |
| Memory | 512 MB LP-DDR2 @ 1066 MHz |
| Storage | 16 GB |
| Display | 9.7" XGA LCD @ 1024x768 |
| Price | $400 |
Finally, at the high-end of the price spectrum we have a roughly $1,000 mid-high range enthusiast PC. At ten times the cost of the Kaser, our Web Browser Grand Prix test system will serve to show the real performance divide between the traditional PC and its would-be usurpers on common ground: Web browsing.
| Web Browser Grand Prix Test System Specs | |
|---|---|
| Operating System | Microsoft Windows 8 (64-bit) |
| CPU | Intel Core i5-2500K @ 3.3 GHz (quad-core) |
| Motherboard | Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD3 (F10 BIOS) |
| Memory | 8 GB Crucial DDR3 @ 1,333 MT/s (2 x 4 GB) |
| Graphics | Asus GeForce GTX 560 Ti 1 GB GDDR5 (PCIe 2.0 x16) |
| Storage | Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500 GB SATA 3Gb/s, 7,200 RPM, 16 MB Cache |
| Price | ~$1,000 |
So, that’s an Android burner at half the cost of the Kaser, a PC that you likely already own valued at ~$100, the Nexus 7 and a first-gen netbook at twice the price, the iPad 2/3/Mini between three and five times the cost, and a $1,000 modern desktop PC.
Benchmark Suite
As somewhat of a cross-over device, we had to go with fully cross-platform tests in order to compare the Kaser to that x86 box already attached to your desktop monitor.
| System Benchmarks | Primate Labs Geekbench v2.4.3 |
|---|---|
| Graphics Benchmarks | FutureMark 3DMark v1.0 |
| Kishonti GFXBench v2.7 | |
| Web Benchmarks | EEMBC BrowsingBench |
| Rightware BrowserMark v2.0 | |
| Futuremark Peacekeeper v2.0 | |
| Principled Technologies WebXPRT 2013 | |
| Impact HTML5 Benchmark |
Without further ado, let’s get testing!
