iPAQ 3970 Speed Comparison: Windows Mobile 2003 vs. Pocket PC 2002

[Jason Dunn]

http://www.pdagold.com/articles/detail.asp?a=89

This article over at PDAGOLD makes for a nice follow-up to my article. They took an iPAQ 3970, and ran Spb Benchmark on it. They then updgraded the device to Windows Mobile 2003, and ran Spb Benchmark again. Go check out the results!

[Jason Dunn]

http://www.pdagold.com/articles/detail.asp?a=89

This article over at PDAGOLD makes for a nice follow-up to my article. They took an iPAQ 3970, and ran Spb Benchmark on it. They then updgraded the device to Windows Mobile 2003, and ran Spb Benchmark again. Go check out the results!

[QYV]

Are the 3900s only PXA 250 Xscales? I just scanned the article and couldn't find any indication of whether the test version was a 250 or 255 chip (which is a fairly important of the comparison, potentially).

[petvas]

The 3900 series has the PXA250 processor. A 3970 running WM2003 is on par with a 5555. I know that because I used to have both! Now I only have my 5555...

[corphack]

So OS upgrades significantly improves the performance of obsoleted iPAQ models... If only HP would ship their upgrade for some of the newer models, such as the 5455 (its only 2 months late).

[mbeatle]

I don't understand the dramatic change in "CPU speed". The test labeled "CPU Index" is described as "Integrated index that describes Pocket PC's CPU speed". Isn't the CPU running at the same speed before and after the software change?

[manywhere]

Originally Posted by mbeatle

I don't understand the dramatic change in "CPU speed". The test labeled "CPU Index" is described as "Integrated index that describes Pocket PC's CPU speed". Isn't the CPU running at the same speed before and after the software change?

Anyone who's had Theory of Knowledge (in IB) will say: Define speed... :rotfl:

I know, I know, it's :nonono: material but I couldn't help it... ops:

[Gremmie]

Originally Posted by mbeatle

I don't understand the dramatic change in "CPU speed". The test labeled "CPU Index" is described as "Integrated index that describes Pocket PC's CPU speed". Isn't the CPU running at the same speed before and after the software change?

The processor is still running at the same speed; however it fluxuates in efficiency. The XScale processor runs ARM5 code, something PPCOS 2002 was not built for, and therefore since PPCOS 2003 is optimized for ARM5 code, the iPAQ runs faster.

:iamwithstupid: He's right, AMD has fought about the idea of CPU Speed, so lately everyone has focused benchmarks on an index, which is effected by speed (MHz), effieciency (operations performed per cycle), and other factores (bus speed [i.e. PX255], cache).

[freitasm]

Originally Posted by corphack

So OS upgrades significantly improves the performance of obsoleted iPAQ models... If only HP would ship their upgrade for some of the newer models, such as the 5455 (its only 2 months late).

Agree. This would be good if users could actually uypgrade. HP keep pushing back the dates of this release :evil: .

[sponge]

Anyone have any PocketQuake benchmarks? I find the actual framerates more useful than a bunch of synthesized tests.