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Samsung Again Caught Inflating Benchmarking Scores, Phil Schiller Calls 'Shenanigans'

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Like it did with its Galaxy S 4 smartphone, Samsung has once again been caught artificially increasing CPU speeds on its Galaxy Note 3 phone when benchmark apps are running, reports Ars Technica.

Samsung uses special code inside its operating system to identify benchmarking apps by name to boost CPU clock speeds and prevent CPU cores from entering low-power modes. As a result, Ars discovered, Galaxy Note 3 benchmarks report CPU performance roughly 20 percent faster than most apps will experience on the device.

note3benchmarks.png
The difference is remarkable. In Geekbench's multicore test, the Note 3's benchmark mode gives the device a 20 percent boost over its "natural" score. With the benchmark boosting logic stripped away, the Note 3 drops down to LG G2 levels, which is where we initially expected the score to be given the identical SoCs. This big of a boost means that the Note 3 is not just messing with the CPU idle levels; significantly more oomph is unlocked when the device runs a benchmark.
Click to expand...
Apple executive Phil Schiller -- senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing and the most prolific tweeter amongst Apple's senior staff -- linked to the Ars article in a tweet, saying only "shenanigans".

Article Link: Samsung Again Caught Inflating Benchmarking Scores, Phil Schiller Calls 'Shenanigans'
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2013/10/01/samsung-again-caught-inflating-benchmarking-scores-phil-schiller-calls-shenanigans/
What? Multi billion dollar corporations lying? I have never heard such blasphemy!
 
Samsung is a joke lol. Apple will always be the superior company. If only there was a way to make others see this...like to baptize them or something.
 
This is pretty hilarious actually. Why not just always run the CPU this way :rolleyes:

EDIT: it wasn't clear, but I was trying to give an air of sarcasm off here. Didn't work. Sorry all ��
 
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But the cores did produce those results, but they just aren't in line with the unwritten rule of what a benchmark should be testing for? Got it.
 
Does this seem more of a feature only to me?
When a particularly demanding task, like a benchmark, is executed, the CPU releases more power. I call this "efficiency".
And these numbers came out from the CPU's calculating power, not from nowhere.. how is this fake?
 
it's things like this which make me realise why I never buy samsung anything :cool:
 
gpat said:
Does this seem more of a feature only to me?
When a particularly demanding task, like a benchmark, is executed, the CPU releases more power. I call this "efficiency".
And these numbers came out from the CPU's calculating power, not from nowhere.. how is this fake?
Click to expand...

I have a feeling this was taken into account, rather than just blantantly neglected.
 
gpat said:
Does this seem more of a feature only to me?
When a particularly demanding task, like a benchmark, is executed, the CPU releases more power. I call this "efficiency".
And these numbers come out from the CPU's calculating power, not from nowhere.. how is this fake?
Click to expand...

Because its only unlocking the power for these benchmarks. You don't get to experience that power in everyday use.

Its analogous to a governor on a car. Yes, the engine can take you to 200mph but if the governor only lets you hit 130mph then you can never use that extra 70mph.
 
Fresh Pie said:
Phil is ****ing awesome!
Click to expand...

Yes he's quite good at whoa is me, we're the victims.

It's just business, man up and quit whining Apple. If you're still sad look at the billions you have. With Apple greed knows no limits.
 
gpat said:
Does this seem more of a feature only to me?
When a particularly demanding task, like a benchmark, is executed, the CPU releases more power. I call this "efficiency".
And these numbers came out from the CPU's calculating power, not from nowhere.. how is this fake?
Click to expand...

Exactly.

But since the unwritten rule of benchmarking is to test the "normal activity" of the device, they are somehow distorted.

I don't know about you, but when I notice the need for power it's because it's lagging or stuttering. That's higher intensity stuff where - wait for it - I'll wait all possible power dedicated to completing the task. I'd rather know what the phone is capable of, rather than someone else's definition of normal usage.
 
What's the point? The majority of their customers don't even look at benchmark scores.
 
TTile said:
Because its only unlocking the power for these benchmarks. You don't get to experience that power in everyday use.

Its analogous to a governor on a car. Yes, the engine can take you to 200mph but if the governor only lets you hit 130mph then you can never use that extra 70mph.
Click to expand...

Unless you plug in your Note 3.
 
gpat said:
Does this seem more of a feature only to me?
When a particularly demanding task, like a benchmark, is executed, the CPU releases more power. I call this "efficiency".
And these numbers came out from the CPU's calculating power, not from nowhere.. how is this fake?
Click to expand...

what if you're using that high power mode only for benchmarks? is it still efficiency?

this isnt intel turbo mode. this is only samsung trying to 'win'. its like its lead by teenage geeks - like google
 
gpat said:
Does this seem more of a feature only to me?
When a particularly demanding task, like a benchmark, is executed, the CPU releases more power. I call this "efficiency".
And these numbers came out from the CPU's calculating power, not from nowhere.. how is this fake?
Click to expand...

It's not a feature if it's completely useless. The only time the CPU ups the power is when using a benchmark app, nothing else. Samsung is just using what you call a "feature" to make potential customers believe that the phone is more powerful than it really is.
 
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