Choosing Student Use Computers for SMC F Building,
Performance and Power Usage Test Results
02/14/12
The F building at the Superstition Mountain Campus of Central Arizona College will be home to upwards of 100
student use computers which will be deployed using VDI technologies. To choose the computers that will be
used at that location many factors were considered, including performance, electricity consumption,
acquisition cost, total cost of ownership and versatility. This paper explains the testing and results based on
those criteria.
We tested four computing devices using the Performance Test 7.0 Benchmark tests. These four computers
are:




Acer Veriton N282G - Chosen as a baseline, this is the computer that was chosen for use at the
Aravaipa Campus after renovations
Dell Optiplex 780 - Chosen as a baseline, this is the current student computer used at other campuses
WYSE C00X - Chosen because this is the current VDI solution being used at the Signal Peak Campus in
the M building
Asus Eee Box 1021 - Chosen as a possible alternative to the WYSE terminal
Standard Benchmark
The tests used were part of benchmarking software available online. These benchmarks measure all-around
performance of the computer, not just multimedia. The overall rating is determined by a weighted calculation
where CPU, memory, and disk I/O ratings are considered more relevant. Figure 1 shows the results of the
baseline tests.
Benchmark Test Results
3000.0
2500.0
2000.0
1500.0
1000.0
Asus Eee Box 1021
500.0
Acer Veriton N282G
0.0
CPU
2D
Graphics
3D
Graphics
Memory
Disk
Total
Rating
Asus Eee Box 1021
835.3
234.7
258.9
388.0
968.0
559.6
Acer Veriton N282G
776.0
97.2
124.0
428.7
534.2
394.7
Dell Optiplex 780
2491.0
549.6
235.3
1108.5
678.1
1120.0
Wyse C00X
554.9
168.7
0
366.3
447.2
385.8
1
Dell Optiplex 780
Wyse C00X
Figure 1
As would be expected with a more expensive and larger sized computer, the Dell Optiplex 780 scored the
highest on these tests. Coming in second is the Asus Eee Box 1021.
Video Benchmark
For the second round of tests, a YouTube video was playing in the back ground on each computer during the
tests to simulate multitasking. The same video was played on each computer. The results can be seen in
Figure 2.
Test Results with Video
2500.0
2000.0
1500.0
1000.0
Asus Eee Box 1021
500.0
Acer Veriton N282G
Dell Optiplex 780
0.0
CPU
2D
3D
Memory
Graphics Graphics
Disk
Total
Rating
Asus Eee Box 1021
597.5
223.9
239.4
370.2
1117.5
502.8
Acer Veriton N282G
677.2
56.7
90.6
390.0
527.4
297.4
Dell Optiplex 780
2136.3
543.9
232.8
1033.7
728.8
1060.6
Wyse C00X
214.4
127.3
0
262.0
308.7
187.1
Wyse C00X
Figure 2
Again, the Dell Optiplex 780 and Asus Eee Box 1021 came in first and second with only minimal loss of score.
However, the Acer Veriton N282G and the WYSE C00X had significant changes in score due to their lack of
processing power and video acceleration.
Power Usage and Cost
The estimated purchase cost for each computer is as follows:




Asus Eee Box 1021- $350
Acer Veriton N282G- $400
Dell Optiplex 780- $800
WYSE C00X- $300
The cost of a device is not only the purchasing cost, but the cost of ownership. A large part of the ownership
costs is power usage. Figure 3 shows a comparison of the four computers and their power usage while idling
and while under a load. Three quarters or more of the computers lifespan will be spent in the idle state.
2
Power Usage (Watts)
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Asus Eee Box 1021
Acer Veriton N282G
Idle
Load
Asus Eee Box 1021
12
22
Acer Veriton N282G
20
31
Dell Optiplex 780
56
81
Wyse C00X
9
9
Dell Optiplex 780
Wyse C00X
Figure 3
The Dell Optiplex 780 is by far the largest consumer of electricity of the four computers. The WYSE terminal is
the lightest user.
Lifetime Cost
Estimating an average lifespan of 5 years, 75% idle usage, and an electricity cost of $0.087 per kWh, Figure 4
shows the estimated cost of ownership for each computer over its lifetime; while Figure 5 shows the
performance per dollar based on the baseline test scores divided by the cost of ownership. Note: maintenance
and technical support have been omitted from cost of ownership calculations because there is wide range of
potential savings or costs depending on the final implementation strategy .
Cost of Ownership
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
Asus Eee Box 1021
Acer Veriton N282G
Purchase
Cost
Electricity
Cost
Total
Asus Eee Box 1021
300
55.25
355.25
Acer Veriton N282G
400
87.215
487.215
Dell Optiplex 780
800
237.2
1037.2
Wyse C00X
300
34.3
334.3
Figure 4
3
Dell Optiplex 780
Wyse C00X
Performance per Dollar
1.8
1.6
1.4
1.2
Asus Eee Box 1021
1
Acer Veriton N282G
0.8
Dell Optiplex 780
0.6
Wyse C00X
0.4
0.2
0
Standard
Video
Figure 5
Based on these tests, the Asus Eee Box 1021 gives the highest performance per cost. It is also small enough to
mount onto a monitor and can be used either as a full computer or as a VDI station, which makes the system
versatile enough to adapt to various situations.
4