EEP Defined

Both desktop and mobile platforms obviously benefit from increased performance and capability, but the criteria and effects of increased energy efficiency differ for each platform. Mobile clients already deliver the lowest PC energy costs and are the preferred choice for users who are highly focused on energy costs. Mobile platforms benefit from EEP in a different way, too: battery life. When electricity is not readily available, as in working outdoors, in conference rooms, airports, or airplanes, energy-efficient processors deliver the required level of performance and capability for longer periods.

For the desktop PC, energy efficiency mainly translates into the energy cost required to deliver a specified level of performance and capability. EEP shouldn’t be confused with Thermal Design Power (TDP), which is the thermally-relevant power-draw of processor used to design PC platforms. TDP plays a crucial role in system design, determining elements of the cost and form factor of the PC, but conveys neither performance nor the energy cost at that performance level.

Energy efficiency will likely come into greater focus as an element when comparing PCs, and it is essential that the industry develop a meaningful and broadly adoptable metric that enhances the purchasing decision process. Energy efficiency and EEP pose some unique measurement challenges, however. While there are standard practices that have wide industry acceptance for gauging performance, such as SYSmark*, SPEC* CPU, and notebook-specific tests such as MobileMark* for battery life, there is no standard methodology for evaluating client performance coupled with its associated energy cost. This white paper outlines a proposed methodology for evaluating both the performance and AC energy efficiency of the client platform that may serve as an interim solution until an industry consortium-developed solution becomes available. In addition to this proposed methodology, Intel will fully participate with industry standards organizations to develop a consortium-based approach to this area of platform evaluation.