Choosing the Right Client Computing Platform For Public Sector - Intel

There are better measures for energy efficiency than
Peak Power and idle tdP
A key factor in determining the TCO of IT assets is ascertaining
the energy efficiency of the client computing system. To do
this, organizations should adopt metrics that take into account
performance and the energy consumed over the course of an
average working day.
Why peak power and idle TDP not the correct metrics
Why the ‘Performance/Watt’ Metric should NOT be used
Example
10
8
6
4
2
0
Performance result Power in Watts
6
A 250%
faster
B 60%
4
lower
CPU A CPU B CPU A CPU B
CPU A Performance =10, Power = 5
Performance/Watt = 2
• Masks the individual importance of performance and power
• Places equal importance on both performances and power in all cases
2
0
CPU B Performance =4, Power = 2
Performance/Watt = 2
Two metrics commonly used – peak power and Idle Thermal Design
Power (TDP) – are not sufficiently accurate in measuring energy
efficiency.
diSPElling COmmOn CliEnt COmPuting miSCOnCEPtiOnS
Why a standalone ‘idle power’ metric is not ideal for the
desktop client
Car analogy: Vehicle gas mileage is dependent
on various driving conditions - city driving, highway
driving. Basing gas mileage while ilding
does not convey sufficient
relevant information.
Using idle alone is analogous
to measuring gas mileage while
sitting at a Stop Light all day long
Energy efficiency metrics should convey performance & energy consumed over the course of an average day
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