Categories to be used with ECMA-383
Measuring the energy consumption of personal computing products
3rd edition (December 2010)
The three sets of categories listed below are to be used in conjunction with ECMA-383 3rd edition.This standard also provides the terms, definitions and specifications for the unit under test (UUT).
The procedure for maintenance of the categories is provided by ECMA-389 (procedure for the registration of categories for ECMA-383 3rd edition).
The tables below provide the latest categories that shall be used with ECMA-383 3rd edition.
Guidance on use of categories
Traceability
In order to trace a category declared through the implementation of ECMA-383 3rd edition the categories listed below include a date extension. This extension shall be reported in the test results derived from the implementation of ECMA-383 3rd edition.
Selecting a category
To be placed in a given category the UUT shall meet all the requirements of the following category attributes:
- Number of Cores
- Number of Channels of memory
- Screen size (notebook computers only)
- Graphics subsystem attributes (integrated graphics or discrete graphics subsystem)
In the case of any overlap (e.g. a UUT complying with the above category attributes of two adjacent categories) the UUT shall be placed in the lower of the two categories.
Out of scope UUT
UUT is out of scope if it exceeds the upper limit (as defined in the category) of any of the following category attributes:
- Number of cores
- Number of memory channels
- FB_BW of the discrete graphics subsystem
When to use adders
Graphics
Graphics features in a UUT above the base graphics attribute defined in the categories are treated as adders.
For example a Notebook UUT with 4 cores, 3 channels of memory and 2GB of base memory will fall into NB3 category. Any optional dGfx included in the UUT shall be treated as an adder.
For such a UUT the product shall be tested as shipped. The appropriate G1 – G7 TEC adder shall then be added to the category TEC target. The measured TEC value shall then be compared with the adjusted category TEC target to check for compliance.
Base memory
The attributes defined in “selecting a category” above determine the category. If the base memory included in the UUT exceeds that of the selected category, the additional base memory shall be treated as an adder.
For example: A Desktop UUT with 2 cores, 1 channel of memory and 2 GB of base memory will fall into DT0 with the additional 1GB of base memory treated as an adder.
Other adders
Other adders (such as TV cards) shall be handled in a similar manner to the above.
Categories
Ultra Low Energy Category
Any product with annualised energy consumption below 20kWh
Notebook Categories
| NB 0 – Nov 09 | NB 1 – Nov 09 | NB 2 – Nov 09 | NB 3 – Nov 09 | NB4 – Nov 09 | |
| Market | Netbook | Thin / Low-end | Mainstream | Performance | High-end |
| Cores | cores ≤ 2
(less than or equal to 2 cores) |
cores ≤ 2
(less than or equal to 2 cores) |
cores = 2
(2 cores) |
2 < cores ≤ 4
(more than 2 and less than or equal to 4 cores) |
2 < cores ≤ 4
(more than 2 and less than or equal to 4 cores) |
| Channels of memory | ch mem < 4
(any number of channels less than 4) |
ch mem < 4
(any number of channels less than 4) |
2 ≤ ch mem < 4
(more than or equal to 2 channels of memory and less than 4) |
2 ≤ ch mem < 4
(more than or equal to 2 channels of memory and less than 4) |
2 ≤ ch mem < 4
(more than or equal to 2 channels of memory and less than 4) |
| Screen size | screen size ≤ 11.6”
(screen size less than or equal to 11.6”) |
11.6” < Screen size ≤ 13.3”
(screen size greater than 11.6” and less than or equal to 13.3”) |
Any screen size | Any Screen size | Any screen size |
| Base Memory | 1GB | 2GB | 2GB | 2GB | 4GB |
| Base Graphics | iGfx
(integrated graphics) |
iGfx
(integrated graphics) |
iGfx
(integrated graphics) |
iGfx
(integrated graphics) |
dGfx = G1
(discrete graphics = G1) |
| Graphics Adders | dGfx ≤ G4
(less than or equal to G4) |
dGfx ≤ G4
(less than or equal to G4) |
dGfx ≤ G4
(less than or equal to G4) |
dGfx ≤ G4
(less than or equal to G4) |
G1 < dGfx ≤ G4
(greater than G1 and less than or equal to G4) |
Desktop Categories
| Category | DT 0 – Nov 09 | DT 1 – Nov 09 | DT 2 – Nov 09 | DT 3 – Nov 09 |
| Market | Entry | Mainstream | Performance | High-end |
| Cores | cores ≤ 2
(less than or equal to 2 cores) |
cores ≤ 2
(less than or equal to 2 cores) |
2 < cores < 6
(more than 2 cores and less than 6) |
2 < cores < 6
(more than 2 cores and less than 6) |
| Channels of memory | ch mem = 1
(1 Channel of memory) |
ch mem = 2
(2 Channels of memory) |
2 ≤ ch mem < 4
(more than or equal to 2 channels of memory and less than 4) |
2 ≤ ch mem < 4
(more than or equal to 2 channels of memory and less than 4) |
| Base memory | 1GB | 2GB | 2GB | 4GB |
| Base Graphics | iGfx
(integrated graphics) |
iGfx
(integrated graphics) |
iGfx
(integrated graphics) |
dGfx = G1
(discrete graphics = G1) |
| Graphics Adders | dGfx ≤ G4
(less than or equal to G4) |
dGfx ≤ G4
(less than or equal to G4) |
dGfx ≤ G4
(less than or equal to G4) |
G1 < dGfx ≤ G4
(greater than G1 and less than or equal to G4) |
Discrete graphics Frame Buffer BandWidth (FB_BW)
Discrete graphics definition
A graphics processor with a local memory controller interface and a local graphics specific memory.
Discrete graphics groups
The value of the adders shall be determined based on the FB_BW (measured in GB/s) and divided into 7 distinct groups specific to desktops and notebooks:
| Desktop Graphics Group | Definition (GB/s) |
| G1 | FB_BW ≤ 16 |
| G2 | 16< FB_BW ≤ 32 |
| G3 | 32 <FB_BW ≤ 64 |
| G4 | 64 <FB_BW ≤ 96 |
| G5 | 96 <FB_BW ≤ 128 |
| G6 | FB_BW > 128 (< 192-bit) |
| G7 | FB_BW > 128 (≥ 192-bit) |
| Notebook Graphics Group | Definition (GB/s) |
| G1 | FB_BW ≤ 16 |
| G2 | 16< FB_BW ≤ 32 |
| G3 | 32 <FB_BW ≤ 64 |
| G4 | 64 <FB_BW ≤ 96 |
| G5 | 96 <FB_BW ≤ 128 |
| G6 | FB_BW > 128 (< 192-bit) |
| G7 | FB_BW > 128 (≥ 192-bit) |
How to calculate the FB_BW
Frame Buffer Bandwidth = (Data Rate * Data Width) / (8 * 1000)
Where:
- Frame Buffer Bandwidth is expressed in GB/sec
- Data Rate is the effective memory data frequency in MHz
- Data width is the memory frame buffer width
- 8 converts the calculation into Bytes
- 1000 converts Mega into Giga
The table below shows how to calculate FB_BW for a range of memory types. Once the FB_BW has been determined the user will select the appropriate group (G1 – G5) the graphics subsystem falls into.
| Memory Type | Clock (MHz) | Data Rate (Mbit/s) | FB_BW Calculation Examples: FB_BW = (Data Rate * Data Width) /(8*1000) (GB/s) | ||||||||||
| CMD/ ADDR | DATA | Based on CMD/ ADDR Clock | Based on DATA clock | Data Width | FB_BW | Group | Data Width | FB_BW | Group | Data Width | FD_BW | Group | |
| DDR2 | 400 | 400 | 2*400 | 2*400 | 64 | 6.4 | G1 | 128 | 12.8 | G1 | 256 | 25.6 | G2 |
| DDR3 | 800 | 800 | 2*800 | 2*800 | 64 | 12.8 | G1 | 128 | 25.6 | G2 | 256 | 51.2 | G3 |
| GDDR3 | 800 | 800 | 2*800 | 2*800 | 64 | 12.8 | G1 | 128 | 25.6 | G2 | 256 | 51.2 | G3 |
| GDDR5 | 800 | 1600 | 4*800 | 2*1600 | 64 | 25.6 | G2 | 128 | 51.2 | G3 | 256 | 102.4 | G4 |
Guidance on setting discrete graphics adders and category TEC limits
Industry should characterise and provide idle power data for dGfx (G1 – G7) based on a significant sample size of currently shipping discrete graphics cards. Users of the data, such as regulators and voluntary agreement owners, should use the industry data-set to establish the TEC adder for the G1 – G7 discrete graphics groups.
To establish a given computer category TEC target with iGfx or dGfx – industry should report measured system TEC values together (if shipped with discrete graphics) with the type of dGfx (G1 – G7). The user of the data should then subtract the appropriate dGfx TEC adder from the product in order to establish the TEC criteria for a given category without adders applied.
The above procedure should be used for any other adder that may be applied such as TV cards.