Chromebook geekbench/benchmarks

[GunsMadeAmericaFree]

For the first time in recent memory, I was looking over benchmark comparisons between some different chromebook models:

Celeron N4020 Geekbench 4.1 multi core 3,404 points

Ryzen 3 5400U Geekbench 4.1 multi core 16,261 points


Is this for real? When I looked a few years ago, it seemed like most of the models had performance within about 25% of each other.
This is easily more than 4.5X the performance of the touchscreen chromebook that I purchased last year.

When did performance of the various models start to diverge so much????

 

[WelshBloke]

For the first time in recent memory, I was looking over benchmark comparisons between some different chromebook models:

Celeron N4020 Geekbench 4.1 multi core 3,404 points

Ryzen 3 5400U Geekbench 4.1 multi core 16,261 points


Is this for real? When I looked a few years ago, it seemed like most of the models had performance within about 25% of each other.
This is easily more than 4.5X the performance of the touchscreen chromebook that I purchased last year.

When did performance of the various models start to diverge so much????

I mean look at the processors in those two Chromebooks. That performance difference is what you'd expect!
There's nothing magic about ChromeOS that makes the hardware irrelevant.

 

[GunsMadeAmericaFree]

I thought that all of the Chromebooks (as opposed to 'windows' laptops) were focused on long battery life, and essentially (therefore) relatively low performance.

When did they start focusing on battery life less, and performance more, like a more traditional laptop?

 

[WelshBloke]

I thought that all of the Chromebooks (as opposed to 'windows' laptops) were focused on long battery life, and essentially (therefore) relatively low performance.

When did they start focusing on battery life less, and performance more, like a more traditional laptop?

IIRC Google has made some pretty powerful Chromebooks right from the start. The pixelbook had an i7 (maybe?) years ago.
Powerful Chromebooks are obviously more expensive because of the components and a lot of people just want cheap options for their kids at school.

 

[igor_kavinski]

Is this for real?

One of those CPUs is a skinny guy who rarely gets out of his basement. The other is rarely out of the gym

I don't think Google specifically restricted anyone from using powerful CPUs. Most OEMs used Intel's anemic CPUs because that would help them make more profits (weak CPU, least expensive cooling solution etc.) with the least amount of engineering efforts.

 

[GunsMadeAmericaFree]

One of those CPUs is a skinny guy who rarely gets out of his basement. The other is rarely out of the gym

I don't think Google specifically restricted anyone from using powerful CPUs. Most OEMs used Intel's anemic CPUs because that would help them make more profits (weak CPU, least expensive cooling solution etc.) with the least amount of engineering efforts.

I think it would be interesting if the Chromebook had a slide setting where you could set it to use all of the powerful cores when plugged in, then switch to only power sipping cores when using the battery. Is this an option?

 

[igor_kavinski]

I think it would be interesting if the Chromebook had a slide setting where you could set it to use all of the powerful cores when plugged in, then switch to only power sipping cores when using the battery. Is this an option?

Don't think that's possible on an x86 CPU. On a Qualcomm or Mediatek powered Chromebook, this is automatic and you don't have to select any slider. The OS will do its best to conserve battery power while giving you the best performance. The utilization of hybrid cores on the ARM side is light years ahead of whatever Intel can muster. AMD may have a better chance at coming close since they actually had a team working on their own ARM CPU.

 

[burninatortech4]

The 5400U is a very strong chip (closely equivalent to a i7-7700K at 28W - assuming a fast set of SODIMM's). I'm using one right now. Nothing about Chrome OS will change that.

The last time I looked at the AMD Chromebook models (current generation) all of the sub $500 US units were Dali (3015Ce or 3050Ce). How much did the 5400U unit cost?

 

[albi56r]

It seems Chromebook is no longer exclusive for lower-end users. Chromebook with better hardware will cost higher.

Chrome Book has some simple features that are not available with Windows laptops. For example, how will you check the CPU temperature on a Windows laptop?

We can check the BIOS for the system temperature on a Windows laptop.
How to Check CPU Temperature on Windows Laptops?

If your laptop shows overheating, it will either shut down or restart automatically.
How Do I Fix Laptop Overheating problem?

 

[GunsMadeAmericaFree]

It seems Chromebook is no longer exclusive for lower-end users. Chromebook with better hardware will cost higher.

That makes sense, I guess. However, doesn't it negate a bit the benefits most folks think of a Chromebook having over a Windows laptop?

 

[VirtualLarry]

Chromebooks are e-waste garbage. Don't waste your time or money. Google sure is milking the public schools, though.

 

[WelshBloke]

Chromebooks are e-waste garbage. Don't waste your time or money. Google sure is milking the public schools, though.

Why do you think that? If you use Google docs and chrome as part of your work flow they are pretty good. They are certainly more robust on the software side than windows laptops.
My daughters school has gone through phases of using Chromebooks and windows laptops and the Chromebooks are just so easy to manage. Anything goes wrong software wise you just reset them and they are good to go again in minutes with all the kids work on them. Windows laptops not so much

 

[VirtualLarry]

Google should take steps to ensure that Chromebooks don't just become instant ewaste on EOL date, due to being cut off from updates after 3 years. It's bad enough for phones, but laptops (Chromebooks) too? That's a heck of a lot of ewaste generated just by a poor policy decision.

 

[WelshBloke]

Google should take steps to ensure that Chromebooks don't just become instant ewaste on EOL date, due to being cut off from updates after 3 years. It's bad enough for phones, but laptops (Chromebooks) too? That's a heck of a lot of ewaste generated just by a poor policy decision.

You can just install Linux or Chrome OS flex. It's not like the Chromebook shuts down and stops working.

 

[GunsMadeAmericaFree]

Chromebooks are e-waste garbage. Don't waste your time or money. Google sure is milking the public schools, though.

That being said, the touchscreen 15" chromebok that I got for about $115 runs AMAZINGLY better than the Ipad my son's school went with for them to do their classroom work. He has problems with the school's ipad so often that he ends up doing a lot of the work on the chromebook. I often find myself wishing it had full Linux Mint on it instead, but I'm not going to mess with it.

 

[mikeymikec]

Don't think that's possible on an x86 CPU.

Of course it's possible. The OS handles the scheduling of threads and directs them according to however Intel/AMD advise. The OS is also aware of the laptop's overall power state. Therefore there's no reason why say an Intel 12/13 series CPU could have only its E cores utilised because of whatever overall system power supply conditions have been chosen. This isn't a remotely new thing either; Windows Vista's scheduler had to be designed to properly handle core parking in the first i7 CPUs and for it to do that it had to understand the difference between an SMT logical CPU and an actual physical CPU, otherwise it would try to park a 'CPU core' that could not be parked.

 

[WelshBloke]

That being said, the touchscreen 15" chromebok that I got for about $115 runs AMAZINGLY better than the Ipad my son's school went with for them to do their classroom work. He has problems with the school's ipad so often that he ends up doing a lot of the work on the chromebook. I often find myself wishing it had full Linux Mint on it instead, but I'm not going to mess with it.

I find that chrome OS runs better that Linux on weak hardware. It's definitely not as versatile but it's bullet proof and light weight.