UL Benchmarks has just added two new benchmarks to the PCMark 10 Professional Edition suite.
The first is the battery life test that is highly anticipated while the second is a new Microsoft Office-based test.
Battery life is one of the most important factors when selecting a laptop, but it is difficult to measure and compare battery life because it depends on how the device is used.
PCMark 10 introduces a new approach to benchmarking the life of the battery, or rather the use profiles.
The new test integrated in PCMark 10 offers a broader view of battery life instead of producing a final score by producing five different profiles, each associated with a common usage scenario.
The scenario of the Modern Office measures battery life for typical work activities like word processing, web browsing and video conferencing.
The Applications scenario measures battery life for work tasks using applications from Microsoft Office.
The video scenario measures battery life by continuously playing a video in full screen mode until the battery is low.
The Game scenario uses a constant and heavy load to find the lowest battery life limit.
The Idle scenario measures battery life to find the highest battery life limit for idle time between tasks.
By comparing the battery life profiles, you will gain a better understanding of the device's strengths in use, helping users find the models best suited to their personal needs.
The second test introduced, called PCMark 10 Applications, is a new Microsoft Office-based test that helps measure the PC's practical and real performance for a modern workstation.
The Word test covers typical word processing tasks performed in a private or state office and measures the PC's performance when a document is opened, edited and saved.
In two typical scenarios, a simple and light one and a heavier one for experienced users, the Excel test measures PC performance for spreadsheet activities.
When editing a rich image presentation, the PowerPoint test measures the performance of the PC.
The Edge test finally measures the performance of using the browser for activities commonly performed on home and office PCs such as browsing websites, using social media, shopping online, viewing maps and watching videos.
You can also use this benchmark to test the latest ARM architecture and Windows OS 10-equipped "Always Connected" PCs with results comparable to traditional x86 device scores.
For PCMark 10 Professional Edition customers with a valid annual license, both benchmarks are already available as a free upgrade.