Samsung caught inflating benchmarks on the Galaxy Note 3, again

[Scorpus]

Back in July, AnandTech discovered that Samsung had included a portion of code in the Galaxy S4, called the "BenchmarkBooster", that unfairly optimized the phone for benchmarking applications. With the release of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, the company has been caught inflating benchmarks once again through special optimization code.

Ars Technica ran some benchmarks on the Galaxy Note 3 while monitoring the device's CPU, and discovered each core ran at the maximum 2.3 GHz regardless of the load the system was under. Similar to what was observed in the Galaxy S4, a file was detecting when benchmarks were being run, overriding the CPU's normal clock speed throttling, and forcing the CPU to run at full speed.

The boosting code is used exclusively for benchmarks, including Geekbench, GFXBench, Quadrant, AnTuTu and Linpack, and reporedly causes an artificial benchmark increases of around 20%. Stealth versions of the applications, where the package name is changed so the app can't be detected, aren't affected by the boost.

For typical users, the benchmark boosting code doesn't inhibit the usability of the smartphone, however it's frustrating for reviewers and performance enthusiasts that like to compare their device to others on the market. If a benchmark gives the Galaxy Note 3 a 20% advantage over another Snapdragon 800-powered device, such as the LG G2, you would assume it's 20% more powerful in games; but with benchmarks being artificially inflated, this isn't the case.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/54198-samsung-caught-inflating-benchmarks-on-the-galaxy-note-3-again.html

 

[Guest]

And that's innovation, children.

 

[PC nerd]

Y U do dis?

You're making yourselves look like total mongs.

 

[Squuiid]

Typical Samsung:
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013...rking-adjustments-inflate-scores-by-up-to-20/

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/09/27/samsung_galaxy_regionlocking_saga_gets_murky/

 

[Guest]

Are we surprised?

NOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

You go Samsung. I hope they pulled the same trick on my phone then I can fool my mates into thinking my Galaxy Y is almost as good as their HTC One's etc. at a mere fraction of the price of theirs. That would be a gas.

 

[OneSpeed]

Let get real here Apple users aka "Guests". Who ever buys a phone based on benchmarks? If you said you did, you are lying. People will buy their products based on the apps, their loyalties to a company (apple user put your name in here), look and feel, user interface, price, colors, accessories, and the list will go on. But for users who buy on benchmarks????? --> are either lying or your just stupid. I mean, c'mon...

 

[Guest]

And buying and posting great reviews on the net?

 

[Guest]

Well atleast Samsung isn't stealing money from customers, unlike Apple.

 

[Trillionsin]

Actually I do look up the benchmark for the phones... but I take that in with a grain of salt... or however the phrase goes. I do not buy phones based on the apps. Only loyalties to a company is that of a superior high quality product.... mainly the hardware such as processor and memory. Open you eyes man, I wont call you stupid, but you sure as hell sound ignorant.

 

[Trillionsin]

Actually I do look up the benchmark for the phones... but I take that in with a grain of salt... or however the phrase goes. I do not buy phones based on the apps. Only loyalties to a company is that of a superior high quality product.... mainly the hardware such as processor and memory. Open you eyes man, I wont call you stupid, but you sure as hell sound ignorant.

This was in reply to OneSpeed. Funny name, one track mind... at one speed. herderherder

 

[OneSpeed]

Actually I do look up the benchmark for the phones... but I take that in with a grain of salt... or however the phrase goes. I do not buy phones based on the apps. Only loyalties to a company is that of a superior high quality product.... mainly the hardware such as processor and memory. Open you eyes man, I wont call you stupid, but you sure as hell sound ignorant.

This was in reply to OneSpeed. Funny name, one track mind... at one speed. herderherder

Right,

If you don't buy a smart phone based on benchmarks, then you'll find this article's argument moot as well. As for the components of "a company is that of a superior high quality product", guess where their A7 CPU's comes from - Samsung, ironic. I'm not calling you stupid for using an iPhone, but really, a CPU from Samsung in an iPhone? Really??? BTW, memory from SK Hynix, another Korean company associated with Samsung. Superior in every way...lol

 

[Trillionsin]

Actually I do look up the benchmark for the phones... but I take that in with a grain of salt... or however the phrase goes. I do not buy phones based on the apps. Only loyalties to a company is that of a superior high quality product.... mainly the hardware such as processor and memory. Open you eyes man, I wont call you stupid, but you sure as hell sound ignorant.

This was in reply to OneSpeed. Funny name, one track mind... at one speed. herderherder

Right,

If you don't buy a smart phone based on benchmarks, then you'll find this article's argument moot as well. As for the components of "a company is that of a superior high quality product", guess where their A7 CPU's comes from - Samsung, ironic. I'm not calling you stupid for using an iPhone, but really, a CPU from Samsung in an iPhone? Really??? BTW, memory from SK Hynix, another Korean company associated with Samsung. Superior in every way...lol

On a side note, I will never buy an iPhone... or another Apple device for that matter... did you really think I was saying Apple was a superior company? lmfao!

 

[OneSpeed]

Actually I do look up the benchmark for the phones... but I take that in with a grain of salt... or however the phrase goes. I do not buy phones based on the apps. Only loyalties to a company is that of a superior high quality product.... mainly the hardware such as processor and memory. Open you eyes man, I wont call you stupid, but you sure as hell sound ignorant.

This was in reply to OneSpeed. Funny name, one track mind... at one speed. herderherder

Right,

If you don't buy a smart phone based on benchmarks, then you'll find this article's argument moot as well. As for the components of "a company is that of a superior high quality product", guess where their A7 CPU's comes from - Samsung, ironic. I'm not calling you stupid for using an iPhone, but really, a CPU from Samsung in an iPhone? Really??? BTW, memory from SK Hynix, another Korean company associated with Samsung. Superior in every way...lol

On a side note, I will never buy an iPhone... or another Apple device for that matter... did you really think I was saying Apple was a superior company? lmfao!

Yes. Can spot a Apple fan-boy a mile away. Must hurt bad for you to say otherwise. Keep up the good work.

 

[Trillionsin]

Yes. Can spot a Apple fan-boy a mile away. Must hurt bad for you to say otherwise. Keep up the good work.

*face-palm*

 

[Jad Chaar]

I feel bad for Samsung because everyone is also doing it but they are taking most of the smack for it.

 

[Darth Shiv]

They are a major market share holder.

We should just be using stealth versions of the benchmark tools if that is the way around it.

 

[Trillionsin]

I suppose it's probably just my opinion, but I didnt think benchmarks were every to really be taken so seriously... but then again maybe somewhere what I thought I read as a fact was indeed just another poor fools misguided opinion.

 

[Paul Kershner]

I'd like to add a comment about Samsung's, Galaxy Note 10.1. I purchased one and with everything it came to like $550.00. Some where in that range. It's a nice tablet, but the thing that I really hate is the way it runs all these apps at once, and you have no idea what apps it's running in the background. All the apps have to have rights to your info, network, everything! If I'd have known this when I bought it I'd would have gone to the APPLE store and bought their tablet instead at least with theirs you can find out what's running and turn it the hell off if you wish, and your info isn't going out to the entire planet. I like having control over my computing but with this tablet control is the last thing you get. What were they thinking at Samsung when they came up with IOS I have to be honest I don't know what the tablet can do or what it's capabilities are. All I know is what I've learned from fixing my brothers "Samsung" II, 7' tablet. Which I've done several times. The bottom line to me is that there isn't enough control over your personal and computing data for the user. What is Samsung going to do if people start suing them because their product allowed for identity theft?

 

[St1ckM4n]

Tl;dr - people who know nothing about the difference between a smartphone and a PC are surprised that a benchmark is flawed (as it always has been on mobile).

 

[Trillionsin]

Really? Techspot censored the word I d I o t ?

Looks like he's a bit older...(if he is who he has as his aviator, no offense) and just a matter of time before he learns that you need to hit the third button from the left, it's a touch button, and it shows you all the things that are currently running. It looks like two windows... then you swipe left to close each one. Or you can download a task manager

TheGCU, I see you are new. I really hope that Techspot removes you, not just censors some of your words, if you keep posting comments that just bash people instead of having, even if slightly, a remotely helpful word in it. This is where people post their comments, you choose to read them at your free will.

Also, let me state that I didnt read through his entire post, and just picked out one thing that I read that he was having a problem with.... maybe you can help him with the rest.