Ubuntu 12.04 Desktops W510 Testing for a future article on Phoronix.com of different desktop environments. From Ubuntu 12.04 LTS and the Ubuntu precise repository testing of KDE, LXDE, Openbox, Unity, Unity 2D, and Xfce. Installed from package repository and all were left at default settings! Looking mainly at idle, OpenGL performance, and power consumption. Unity 5.8.0: Processor: Intel Core i7 720Q @ 1.47GHz (8 Cores), Motherboard: LENOVO 4318CTO, Chipset: Intel Core DMI, Memory: 4096MB, Disk: 160GB INTEL SSDSA2M160, Graphics: NVIDIA Quadro FX 880M 1024MB (550/790MHz), Audio: Conexant CX20585, Network: Intel 82577LM Gigabit Connection + Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 OS: Ubuntu 12.04, Kernel: 3.2.0-22-generic-pae (i686), Desktop: Unity 5.8.0, Display Server: X Server 1.11.3, Display Driver: NVIDIA 295.33, OpenGL: 3.3.0 NVIDIA, Compiler: GCC 4.6, File-System: ext4, Screen Resolution: 1600x900 Unity 2D 5.8.0: Processor: Intel Core i7 720Q @ 1.47GHz (8 Cores), Motherboard: LENOVO 4318CTO, Chipset: Intel Core DMI, Memory: 4096MB, Disk: 160GB INTEL SSDSA2M160, Graphics: NVIDIA Quadro FX 880M 1024MB (550/790MHz), Audio: Conexant CX20585, Network: Intel 82577LM Gigabit Connection + Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 OS: Ubuntu 12.04, Kernel: 3.2.0-22-generic-pae (i686), Desktop: Unity 2D 5.8.0, Display Server: X Server 1.11.3, Display Driver: NVIDIA 295.33, OpenGL: 3.3.0 NVIDIA, Compiler: GCC 4.6, File-System: ext4, Screen Resolution: 1600x900 KDE 4.8.2: Processor: Intel Core i7 720Q @ 1.47GHz (8 Cores), Motherboard: LENOVO 4318CTO, Chipset: Intel Core DMI, Memory: 4096MB, Disk: 160GB INTEL SSDSA2M160, Graphics: NVIDIA Quadro FX 880M 1024MB (550/790MHz), Audio: Conexant CX20585, Network: Intel 82577LM Gigabit Connection + Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 OS: Ubuntu 12.04, Kernel: 3.2.0-22-generic-pae (i686), Desktop: KDE 4.8.2, Display Server: X Server 1.11.3, Display Driver: NVIDIA 295.33, OpenGL: 3.3.0 NVIDIA, Compiler: GCC 4.6, File-System: ext4, Screen Resolution: 1600x900 Xfce 4.8: Processor: Intel Core i7 720Q @ 1.47GHz (8 Cores), Motherboard: LENOVO 4318CTO, Chipset: Intel Core DMI, Memory: 4096MB, Disk: 160GB INTEL SSDSA2M160, Graphics: NVIDIA Quadro FX 880M 1024MB (550/790MHz), Audio: Conexant CX20585, Network: Intel 82577LM Gigabit Connection + Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 OS: Ubuntu 12.04, Kernel: 3.2.0-22-generic-pae (i686), Desktop: Xfce 4.8, Display Server: X Server 1.11.3, Display Driver: NVIDIA 295.33, OpenGL: 3.3.0 NVIDIA, Compiler: GCC 4.6, File-System: ext4, Screen Resolution: 1600x900 LXDE 0.5: Processor: Intel Core i7 720Q @ 1.47GHz (8 Cores), Motherboard: LENOVO 4318CTO, Chipset: Intel Core DMI, Memory: 4096MB, Disk: 160GB INTEL SSDSA2M160, Graphics: NVIDIA Quadro FX 880M 1024MB (550/790MHz), Audio: Conexant CX20585, Network: Intel 82577LM Gigabit Connection + Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 OS: Ubuntu 12.04, Kernel: 3.2.0-22-generic-pae (i686), Desktop: LXDE 0.5.8, Display Server: X Server 1.11.3, Display Driver: NVIDIA 295.33, OpenGL: 3.3.0 NVIDIA, Compiler: GCC 4.6, File-System: ext4, Screen Resolution: 1600x900 Openbox 3.5.0: Processor: Intel Core i7 720Q @ 1.47GHz (8 Cores), Motherboard: LENOVO 4318CTO, Chipset: Intel Core DMI, Memory: 4096MB, Disk: 160GB INTEL SSDSA2M160, Graphics: NVIDIA Quadro FX 880M 1024MB (550/790MHz), Audio: Conexant CX20585, Network: Intel 82577LM Gigabit Connection + Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 OS: Ubuntu 12.04, Kernel: 3.2.0-22-generic-pae (i686), Desktop: Openbox 3.5.0, Display Server: X Server 1.11.3, Display Driver: NVIDIA 295.33, OpenGL: 3.3.0 NVIDIA, Compiler: GCC 4.6, File-System: ext4, Screen Resolution: 1600x900 Timed Idle System Power Consumption Monitor Milliwatts < Lower Is Better Unity 5.8.0 .... MIN: 17948 AVG: 18556 MAX: 20736 Unity 2D 5.8.0 . MIN: 18473 AVG: 21406 MAX: 29061 KDE 4.8.2 ...... MIN: 18278 AVG: 21957 MAX: 31530 Xfce 4.8 ....... MIN: 18608 AVG: 21567 MAX: 28559 LXDE 0.5 ....... MIN: 18078 AVG: 21104 MAX: 28278 Openbox 3.5.0 .. MIN: 18629 AVG: 21022 MAX: 26344 OpenArena 0.8.5 Resolution: 1600 x 900 Frames Per Second > Higher Is Better Unity 5.8.0 .... 178.60 |========================================== Unity 2D 5.8.0 . 184.00 |=========================================== KDE 4.8.2 ...... 139.03 |================================= Xfce 4.8 ....... 213.93 |================================================== LXDE 0.5 ....... 229.23 |====================================================== Openbox 3.5.0 .. 226.37 |===================================================== OpenArena 0.8.5 System Power Consumption Monitor Milliwatts < Lower Is Better Unity 5.8.0 .... MIN: 21311 AVG: 44688 MAX: 51133 Unity 2D 5.8.0 . MIN: 18898 AVG: 44451 MAX: 51536 KDE 4.8.2 ...... MIN: 20859 AVG: 42972 MAX: 48878 Xfce 4.8 ....... MIN: 20279 AVG: 41914 MAX: 47537 LXDE 0.5 ....... MIN: 19504 AVG: 42026 MAX: 47945 Openbox 3.5.0 .. MIN: 19976 AVG: 41725 MAX: 47726 Nexuiz 2.5.2 Resolution: 1600 x 900 - HDR: No - Sound: Off Frames Per Second > Higher Is Better Unity 5.8.0 .... 43.45 |========================================= Unity 2D 5.8.0 . 50.25 |=============================================== KDE 4.8.2 ...... 47.21 |============================================ Xfce 4.8 ....... 58.27 |====================================================== LXDE 0.5 ....... 58.96 |======================================================= Openbox 3.5.0 .. 58.85 |======================================================= Nexuiz 2.5.2 System Power Consumption Monitor Milliwatts < Lower Is Better Unity 5.8.0 .... MIN: 39763 AVG: 49971 MAX: 54687 Unity 2D 5.8.0 . MIN: 38849 AVG: 47063 MAX: 52097 KDE 4.8.2 ...... MIN: 33490 AVG: 48453 MAX: 53925 Xfce 4.8 ....... MIN: 38010 AVG: 46685 MAX: 51818 LXDE 0.5 ....... MIN: 38256 AVG: 45864 MAX: 51321 Openbox 3.5.0 .. MIN: 38510 AVG: 46714 MAX: 51452 Lightsmark 2008 Resolution: 1600 x 900 Frames Per Second > Higher Is Better Unity 5.8.0 .... 75.47 |=================================== Unity 2D 5.8.0 . 86.28 |======================================== KDE 4.8.2 ...... 79.87 |===================================== Xfce 4.8 ....... 112.90 |==================================================== LXDE 0.5 ....... 117.78 |====================================================== Openbox 3.5.0 .. 117.39 |====================================================== Lightsmark 2008 System Power Consumption Monitor Milliwatts < Lower Is Better Unity 5.8.0 .... MIN: 36071 AVG: 53087 MAX: 59978 Unity 2D 5.8.0 . MIN: 34922 AVG: 53252 MAX: 61544 KDE 4.8.2 ...... MIN: 36180 AVG: 53693 MAX: 60906 Xfce 4.8 ....... MIN: 36878 AVG: 54460 MAX: 64912 LXDE 0.5 ....... MIN: 34547 AVG: 54524 MAX: 65185 Openbox 3.5.0 .. MIN: 36153 AVG: 54549 MAX: 65038 C-Ray 1.1 Total Time Seconds < Lower Is Better Unity 5.8.0 .... 189.28 |====================================================== Unity 2D 5.8.0 . 189.18 |====================================================== KDE 4.8.2 ...... 189.37 |====================================================== Xfce 4.8 ....... 189.13 |====================================================== LXDE 0.5 ....... 188.97 |====================================================== Openbox 3.5.0 .. 189.20 |====================================================== C-Ray 1.1 System Power Consumption Monitor Milliwatts < Lower Is Better Unity 5.8.0 .... MIN: 40679 AVG: 54716 MAX: 55470 Unity 2D 5.8.0 . MIN: 37967 AVG: 54900 MAX: 55689 KDE 4.8.2 ...... MIN: 38225 AVG: 55161 MAX: 57108 Xfce 4.8 ....... MIN: 38765 AVG: 54642 MAX: 55927 LXDE 0.5 ....... MIN: 39253 AVG: 54918 MAX: 56624 Openbox 3.5.0 .. MIN: 37248 AVG: 55105 MAX: 55951 System Power Consumption Monitor Phoronix Test Suite System Monitoring Milliwatts Unity 5.8.0 .... MIN: 17948 AVG: 49485 MAX: 59978 Unity 2D 5.8.0 . MIN: 18473 AVG: 49728 MAX: 61544 KDE 4.8.2 ...... MIN: 18278 AVG: 50789 MAX: 60906 Xfce 4.8 ....... MIN: 18608 AVG: 49896 MAX: 64912 LXDE 0.5 ....... MIN: 18078 AVG: 49993 MAX: 65185 Openbox 3.5.0 .. MIN: 18355 AVG: 50087 MAX: 65038