Microsoft Surface with Windows RT Review
Performance: Web-based Testing
Test Methodology: Unfortunately, this page may seem a bit barren if you're used to digesting page upon page of performance benchmarks in our typical articles. The fact of the matter is, there aren't many ways of benchmarking performance on a Windows RT device currently, other than a couple of web browser-based metrics. We're certain this will change over time, but for now browser-based tests and manual timings are it as far as Windows RT benchmarks go.
And of course Android and iOS-based benchmarks are a no-go on Windows RT as well. With that in mind, we can still run a couple of basic tests, like SunSpider and Rightware BrowserMark to quantify performance somwhat.
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SunSpider compares JavaScript processing performance across platforms and various web browser types that utilize JavaScript for web application implementation and development. "This includes tests to generate a tagcloud from JSON input, a 3D raytracer, cryptography tests, code decompression, and many more examples... they mostly represent real performance problems that developers have encountered." Rightware's BrowserMark runs through an array of tests that evaluate the rendering performance of the platform and browser being tested.
Whether using the Modern UI / Windows 8 version (a.k.a. Metro version) of Internet Explorer 10 or the desktop edition, the Microsoft Surface tablet finishes near the top of the charts in the SunSpider benchmark. It's interesting to note that Modern UI version of the browser slightly outperforms is desktop counterpart here.
Things take a turn for the worse in Rightware's BrowserMark, where Surface significantly trails competing offerings, regardless of which version of the browser is used.
