CPU and GPU Performance, Battery Life
For our performance comparison today we are pitting the new ASUS MeMO Pad 7 (ME176C) against the Google Nexus 7 (Snapdragon S4 Pro + Adreno 330) and the NVIDIA Tegra Note 7 (Tegra 4), both of which are similarly priced 7-in Android tablets.
CPU Performance
Our first round of tests will focus on the Bay Trail quad-core processor with a collection of browser based tests (all of which were run with the latest version of Chrome) and MobileXPRT.
The Atom Z3745 processor wins all three of our browser-based tests though its biggest advantage is seen in Sunspider 1.0.2 where it holds a 60% lead over the Tegra Note 7 and a 72% lead over the Nexus 7.
MobileXPRT is a benchmark created to simulation functions like photo manipulation, facial recognition and slideshow creation from Principled Technologies. In the performance segment the Intel Atom Z3745 has another strong showing, doubling the performance of the Nexus 7 and keeping ahead of the Tegra 4 SoC by 13%.
GPU Performance
Graphics performance is being measured by a few tests including 3DMark, BasemarkX and GFXBench 3.0. Combined, these three applications should give us a good idea of how well the new Intel HD graphics configuration stands up to the competitors for SoC 3D graphics.
With a respectible score, the ASUS MeMO Pad 7 is able to perform better than the Adreno 330 graphics in the Nexus 7 but falls short of the power of the Tegra Note 7 tablet, powered by NVIDIA's Tegra 4 SoC. The Physics (CPU based) score of 3DMark does give the edge to Intel's part but that isn't nearly as heavily weighted as the Graphics portion keeping the Tegra Note 7 device ahead.
Our BasemarkX benchark actually has the Adreno and Intel HD Graphics solutions running at nearly the same performance levels while the NVIDIA Tegra 4 SoC keeps a strong lead.
GFXBench 3.0 (previous GLBenchmark) is the first to include a test for OpenGL ES 3.0 support, seen here in our Manhattan scores. The Tegra Note 7 and its SoC do not fully support OpenGL ES 3.0 so it doesn't have a result, but comparing the Atom Z3745 and the Adreno 330 paints a favorable light on Intel's solution with a 52% performance advantage.
The T-Rex test is a more traditional OpenGL ES 2.0 test and again we find the new Atom Z3745 falls between the performance of the Nexus 7 and the Tegra Note 7.
Battery Life
Benchmarks and performance are one thing, but perhaps the most important metric of a tablet of this size is battery life. Will the ASUS MeMO Pad 7 be able to keep up with you and a hectic work schedule?
Looks like the answer is yes! The Atom Z3745 was able to pull and impressive 9.5 hours of battery life in our PC Perspective WiFi-based browsing test which is a full hour and a half more than the Tegra Note 7. The Nexus 7 is still king of longevity though and was able to keep a two full hour advantage on the new MeMO Pad 7. That being said, with all three devices using essentially the same sized battery (15.0 – 15.17 Whr), the power efficiency of the Atom platform is a great step forward for Intel, truly competing in an area where it had struggled previously. There is still work to be done if Intel would like to catch the likes of the Nexus 7 (and ARM isn't sitting still)!
Never buy a tablet based on
Never buy a tablet based on specs. Specs are absolutely meaningless .The true worth of a a product is in its use. The ASUS transformer 700 is a classic case in point. I purchased this tablet based on specs which seemed excellent for the price. But oh what a mistake that was! The thing is a brick and was very irritating to use, even with simple web browsing or using simple apps.
Right there with ya. I bout
Right there with ya. I bout the Asus Transformer Infinity based on specs as well and it’s a slow piece of crap.
It is even more sunless to
It is even more sunless to buy on spec when there will be a large number of devices, on the market with new hardware, real soon now! If you are expecting performance, long battery lifetimes or other important properties it makes no sense to buy until the next generation of hardware has demonstrated how well they stack up against each other.