What is benchmarking?
Reading reviews of technology online can be a little overwhelming if you’re unfamiliar with the terminology, which is why we will explain the term benchmarking.
Benchmarking is a term you will have encountered if you’ve read a laptop or phone review in the last few years. To make it easier to understand what benchmarking means and why we use benchmarking tools to review products, make sure you keep reading.
What is benchmarking?
A benchmark is a series of simulated tests that are used to evaluate different aspects of a device’s performance. The benchmark will then evaluate the device’s performance, resulting in a numerical score. These numbers can then be compared, with higher scores correlating to better performance.
Each benchmark has a different focus; some benchmarks offer insights about the device’s general productivty performance, while others can report on how well it will handle video games.
The most common machine that can be benchmarked is a laptop or computer, but phones can also be benchmarked since they have a processor.
Benchmarking is mostly used by engineers or product reviewers who use them to collect data and offer direct comparisons between devices.
What type of computer benchmarks are there?
There are multiple computer benchmark programs that are available, however, not all of them will suit a specific use case. Some may not work on your specific system, but there are usually different benchmarks that can be used for several different systems.
For example, at Trusted Reviews we use different benchmarks to test different types of devices and their performance. When we review a laptop we run generalist tests, like Geekbench 5 to get insights into the CPU performance, with 3DMark gauging the graphical performance. Finally, PCMark 10’s battery test can give an idea of how much stamina it has.
Benchmarking performance on phones
Many benchmark apps can also be installed on mobile phones. They help you benchmark the performance of your phone. This is especially important if you buy a new phone or if your phone is slow and you want to know if it’s normal or if it’s broken.
There are many apps you can install on your phone. They help you benchmark your phone’s performance. You can find apps that provide you with information about how your phone is performing and how you can improve it.
For example, if your phone is running slow, you can benchmark it and see what’s the problem. You can also see how other people are using their phones and how the apps are performing. You can find apps that provide detailed benchmarking results. You can compare your phone to other models to see which one has better performance.
The limitations of benchmarking data
Benchmarking data is a great way to directly compare different devices, but it does have its limits. In the past, companies have been caught ‘gaming’ benchmarks; this can be done in a variety of ways, like forcing the device to focus just on running the benchmark test when its software detects it is running, artificially raising the score in the process.
Benchmarks also don’t usually detect stability issues or software bugs. This is why we always back up our synthetic benchmark tests with real-world use, to ensure the data collected mirrors our experience actually using the device.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.