performance metrics Archives

AppWizard

July 31, 2026

Ambitious gamer turns fanless Subway menu PCs into gaming rigs — passive Intel Core i3 units manage just 15 fps in GTA V and 25 fps in Minecraft

Garkus repurposed three Advantech DS-081 mini PCs, previously used by Subway, which are powered by Intel Core i3 6100U processors with Intel HD Graphics 520 and originally had 4GB of RAM, later upgraded to 8GB. The mini PCs were designed for continuous operation in temperatures from 0 to 40°C (32 to 104°F) and initially ran Windows in kiosk mode. Garkus tested various operating systems, including Bazzite Linux and macOS Monterey. He successfully ran Peggle but struggled with Grand Theft Auto V, which averaged around 15 fps and experienced long load times and crashes. Testing Mario Kart Wii emulation and Minecraft yielded inconsistent results, with Minecraft hovering around 25 fps. Garkus concluded that the mini PCs are better suited for emulating older consoles, particularly up to the PlayStation 2 and original Xbox era, recommending lighter games and lower settings for a smoother experience.

Tech Optimizer

July 30, 2026

EDB Says Postgres AI Tops Enterprise AI Data Platform Benchmarks

EnterpriseDB (EDB) has released benchmark results for its EDB Postgres AI (EDB PG AI), showing superior performance compared to various AI data platforms, including vector databases and managed Postgres platforms. The independent testing by McKnight Consulting Group indicated that EDB PG AI outperformed competitors in all evaluated metrics, including query speed, accuracy, and cost efficiency. Key findings include: - EDB PG AI achieved a median query latency of 50 milliseconds at 50 million vectors, making it the fastest platform tested, 80 times faster than Databricks and 21 times faster than MongoDB Atlas. - It demonstrated the highest accuracy for core vector search with a recall rate of 0.911, outperforming MongoDB by 26% and Databricks by 17%. - In a concurrent agent loop test, EDB PG AI completed tasks in 27 milliseconds, significantly faster than MongoDB Atlas (699 milliseconds) and Databricks (5.1 seconds). - EDB PG AI provided 76 times better price performance than Databricks and 34 times better than MongoDB. - The platform integrates vectors, structured data, and analytics within a single operational database, enhancing efficiency and reducing the risk of data inconsistency. The benchmark study assessed the performance of EDB PG AI against Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL, Databricks, Crunchy Bridge, MongoDB Atlas, and open source PostgreSQL, all standardized on equivalent enterprise hardware.

Tech Optimizer

July 29, 2026

EDB Postgres® AI Outperforms Vector Databases, Lakehouses, and Document Stores for Agentic AI on Speed, Accuracy, and Cost

EDB Postgres AI is a pioneering solution that integrates intelligence and data on a unified sovereign foundation, eliminating the need for ETL processes, data duplication, and separate vector stores. Independent benchmarks show that EDB Postgres AI outperforms competing platforms in speed, accuracy, and cost-effectiveness. A study by McKnight Consulting Group indicates that EDB Postgres AI excels in key performance metrics, including query latency, accuracy, cost, and data freshness, outperforming specialized vector databases and other managed Postgres platforms. EDB Postgres AI achieves median query latencies of 50 milliseconds at a scale of 50 million vectors, making it 80x faster than Databricks, 21x faster than MongoDB Atlas, and up to 2x faster than alternatives like Aurora and Crunchy Bridge. It also delivers the highest recall rates for core vector searches, surpassing competitors like MongoDB and Databricks. In tests involving concurrent retrievals, EDB Postgres AI completed a three-arm agent loop in 27 milliseconds, significantly faster than other platforms. In terms of cost efficiency, EDB Postgres AI offers 76x better price performance than Databricks, 34x better than MongoDB, and 23%–28% better than the nearest managed Postgres competitors when considering query speed. The architecture of EDB Postgres AI allows for the integration of vector, filtered, and full-text retrieval in a single query path, ensuring real-time data access and eliminating the need for separate systems.

Winsage

July 28, 2026

Windows 11 ruined my old laptop, but this lightweight Linux distro brought it back to life

An early 2019 Acer Aspire laptop, previously slow and deemed obsolete after updating to Windows 11, was transformed by installing Zorin OS Lite. The laptop, equipped with 4GB of RAM and an Intel Core i3-8145U processor, experienced significant performance improvements, including faster boot times and quicker application launches. The user found the transition to Zorin OS Lite seamless, with familiar keyboard shortcuts and a smooth interface. Performance metrics showed a Speedometer score increase from 5.68 on Windows 11 to 12.0 on Zorin OS Lite, and the system utilized less RAM while idle. The laptop regained functionality, suitable for travel and quick tasks, and the user felt encouraged to explore more complex Linux distributions.

AppWizard

July 26, 2026

Halo: Campaign Evolved Looks Worse Than Master Chief Collection on Steam Deck and Xbox Ally

Halo: Campaign Evolved has been released for early access. It features impressive visuals on high-end PCs and current consoles but struggles on lower-end hardware, particularly handheld devices like the Steam Deck. The game requires an Intel Core i7-10700K and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super, which are beyond the capabilities of the Steam Deck and base Xbox Ally. On the Xbox Ally, the game runs at 1280x720 resolution with Very Low settings and achieves around 30 fps, occasionally dipping into the mid-20s. Despite being technically playable, the visual quality is poor, with bland textures and a lack of environmental detail. In contrast, the Master Chief Collection runs at 65-70 fps on the Xbox Ally and offers superior visual fidelity. The Steam page claims Campaign Evolved is Steam Deck Verified, although performance is lacking compared to other titles. For those wanting to experience the original Halo campaign on the Steam Deck, the Master Chief Collection is recommended.

AppWizard

July 25, 2026

Forget Ultra settings, Halo: Campaign Evolved looks nearly as good with everything set to Low

During testing of Halo: Campaign Evolved, a notable performance dip of around 20% was observed when transitioning from Low to Ultra settings, averaging nearly 200 fps on high-end hardware. On an RTX 4070 Super rig, maintaining 60 fps at 1440p without upscaling is affected by these settings. Performance metrics for the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X at 1080p with Very Low settings and FSR Medium upscaling showed: - FSR Low: 49 Avg FPS, 39 1% Low FPS - FSR Medium: 43 Avg FPS, 34 1% Low FPS - FSR Ultra: 33 Avg FPS, 27 1% Low FPS - FSR Native: 22 Avg FPS, 19 1% Low FPS - TSR Low: 33 Avg FPS, 30 1% Low FPS - TSR Medium: 32 Avg FPS, 28 1% Low FPS - TSR Ultra: 31 Avg FPS, 26 1% Low FPS - TSR Native: 20 Avg FPS, 14 1% Low FPS For Low settings, the performance metrics were: - FSR Low: 32 Avg FPS, 27 1% Low FPS - FSR Medium: 26 Avg FPS, 22 1% Low FPS - FSR Ultra: 23 Avg FPS, 27 1% Low FPS - FSR Native: 16 Avg FPS, 14 1% Low FPS - TSR Low: 29 Avg FPS, 23 1% Low FPS - TSR Medium: 29 Avg FPS, 25 1% Low FPS - TSR Ultra: 29 Avg FPS, 25 1% Low FPS - TSR Native: 16 Avg FPS, 14 1% Low FPS For Medium settings, the performance results were: - FSR Low: 28 Avg FPS, 24 1% Low FPS - FSR Medium: 24 Avg FPS, 23 1% Low FPS - FSR Ultra: 21 Avg FPS, 18 1% Low FPS - FSR Native: 14 Avg FPS, 12 1% Low FPS - TSR Low: 29 Avg FPS, 24 1% Low FPS - TSR Medium: 28 Avg FPS, 25 1% Low FPS - TSR Ultra: 27 Avg FPS, 24 1% Low FPS - TSR Native: 15 Avg FPS, 14 1% Low FPS It is recommended to use Low settings for better performance and to disable motion blur for an improved gameplay experience.

Winsage

July 21, 2026

Samsung’s new GAIA PC chip challenges Microsoft’s Copilot+ program — and why I can only see that as a positive for the AI PC industry

NVIDIA announced the RTX Spark at Computex 2026, prompting Samsung to develop custom silicon for AI-driven PCs, marking its return to the PC silicon market since the Exynos 5 Dual in 2012. The new silicon, named GAIA, is being created by Samsung's System LSI unit as a companion Neural Processing Unit (NPU) to enhance performance by offloading AI tasks. GAIA is expected to utilize a 4nm process and may explore processing-in-memory (PIM) capabilities with specialized DRAM. Samples of GAIA have been sent to Lenovo China and HP USA for evaluation. Many details about GAIA, including performance metrics and pricing, remain undisclosed. Microsoft has not commented on GAIA's implications for its Copilot+ program, which has a minimum threshold of 40 TOPS for integrated NPUs.

AppWizard

July 19, 2026

Proton got so good I keep forgetting which of my games were even built for Windows

Linux gaming has gained popularity, especially after the release of Valve's Steam Deck, which shows that many PC games can run well on Linux despite not being designed for it. Proton, Valve's compatibility layer, allows Windows games to run efficiently on Linux without developer intervention. Most games lack specific Linux versions, but many Windows titles, including Elden Ring and Horizon: Zero Dawn Remastered, perform better on Linux through Proton, achieving frame rates up to 75% higher. Shadow of the Tomb Raider, which has a native Linux version, shows similar performance to those relying on Proton. Microsoft is reportedly using SteamOS as a benchmark to improve Windows gaming performance, indicating a shift towards aligning with Linux capabilities. Overall, gaming on Linux has become more accessible and enjoyable, often outperforming Windows.

Winsage

July 14, 2026

Microsoft’s powerful new Snapdragon X2 Surface PCs are here, and they’re more than a spec bump

The upgraded Surface Pro and Surface Laptop have been launched, featuring Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 processors, which enhance performance and battery life. The Surface Pro shows a 53% increase in graphics performance, while the Surface Laptop has a 58% boost. Best Buy offers various configurations, including different colors and storage options. The Snapdragon X2 chips are efficient and competitive with Apple's M4 Pro and M3 Pro. The new Surface Pro offers OLED or LCD display options, and the 15-inch Surface Laptop has a screen with 262 PPI. Both devices incorporate haptic technology, with the Surface Laptop featuring a haptic trackpad and the Surface Pro supporting haptic feedback with the Surface Slim Pen.

BetaBeacon

July 14, 2026

The best app for Linux handhelds is now on Android

The Starboard app is an unofficial PortMaster client for Android that allows users to easily install and play games that have been ported to Linux. The app runs games via a Debian-based Linux runtime on Android and offers a community-driven review system to help users determine if a game will work on their device before installation. The app categorizes games as "ready to run" or "setup required" and offers additional settings for troubleshooting specific games. Users can download Starboard via GitHub or Obtainium and it is recommended for Android handheld users looking for a large repository of free titles.