Samsung defends benchmark boosting, saying it boosts other apps, too

But the fact remains: benchmarks get boosted, most games don’t.

Credit: Florence Ion

Well, that was fast. Samsung today responded to reports that the international version of its Galaxy S 4 smartphone artificially boosted scores in some benchmarks. AnandTech found that the international versions of the phone would run the phone’s GPU at 533MHz for certain popular benchmarks while limiting actual games to a slightly lower 480MHz. Samsung essentially argues that the report has it backward—that the 533MHz speed is supported by a variety of apps other than benchmarks, and that the phone lowers that speed to 480MHz for games to prevent heat and longevity problems.

Under ordinary conditions, the Galaxy S 4 has been designed to allow a maximum GPU frequency of 533MHz. However, the maximum GPU frequency is lowered to 480MHz for certain gaming apps that may cause an overload, when they are used for a prolonged period of time in full-screen mode. Meanwhile, a maximum GPU frequency of 533MHz is applicable for running apps that are usually used in full-screen mode, such as the S Browser, Gallery, Camera, Video Player, and certain benchmarking apps, which also demand substantial performance.

The maximum GPU frequencies for the Galaxy S 4 have been varied to provide optimal user experience for our customers, and were not intended to improve certain benchmark results.

AnandTech then did some more of its characteristically thorough sleuthing, examining the GPU clock speed for each of the applications mentioned. Of the four it tested—S Browser, Gallery, Camera, and the Video Player—only the camera app scaled the GPU clock speed up to 533MHz. Even then, it was only for brief periods of heavy activity. The other apps all used a much lower 266MHz frequency. So far, the benchmarking apps are the only ones that cause the GPU to ramp up to 533MHz and stay there, while games (and other benchmarks that aren’t given access to the boost mode, like GFXBench 2.7) are limited to 480MHz.

The Camera app can make the GPU run at 533MHz sometimes, but so far only benchmarking apps are offered a sustained clock speed of 533MHz. Credit: AnandTech

Generally, we agree with AnandTech’s conclusions here: Samsung’s reasoning for lowering the GPU clock speed for certain games makes sense from a hardware perspective, since the higher clock speed will generate more heat and lower your battery life in exchange for a very modest increase in performance. However, the decision to include certain common Android benchmarks in the list of apps that can use this boosted 533MHz mode still strikes us as disingenuous. At the very least, we’d like to see the benchmarking apps limited to the same 480MHz frequency offered to actual Android games running on the phone.

Finally, a point of clarification here: as of right now, the international version of the Galaxy S 4 with Samsung’s Exynos 5 Octa system-on-a-chip (SoC) is the only one that’s doing this. The Snapdragon-equipped US version of the phone that many of our North American readers will be using isn’t exhibiting the same behavior.