What is Google Octane?

How can Google Octane help you find the right Laptop?

Chromebook and ultraportable computers are becoming more reliable and more versatile than ever before. The sleek and stylish exteriors are nearly the standard these days, but it can sometimes be deceiving. Even after reviewing a computer’s specifications, the speed of actual web browsing can be off.

One of the ways you can avoid purchasing an under performing laptop is by running/checking speed tests to see if the web browsing speed is where you want it. With Google Octane, the result is a fast, simple, and clear metric that you can use to compare with other laptops, especially Chromebooks.

What is Google Octane?

This specialized benchmark test targets one of the most taxing and common areas used by the web browser: Javascript, or js for short – js controls lots of different tasks and functions found on web pages: tool bars, menus, animations, ads, games, and more.

It has risen in usage by web designers over the years, too, thanks to the popularity of HTML5 as a standard for videos and applications.

Google Octane is your cutting edge Javascript benchmark. Other competing benchmark programs only test a limited scope and are not updated as often as Google.

Here’s a look at the technical tests that Octane covers:

  • Box2DWeb: A test that focuses on the power to draw 2D graphics that are often used by web animations and games that use realistic physics calculations.
  • Mandreel: A 3D version of Javascript that is used to power various games and 3-dimensional interactivity on various websites (for example, interactive data models and compilations).
  • PDF.js: This is a test that will show how effective your browser is at displaying PDF documents without the assistance of additional plug-ins.
  • GB Emulator: This test is named after the popular game console to demonstrate the ability to run complex 3D graphics within a browser, which in-turn can measure how well your browser can run apps on websites such as Facebook or with Google’s app store.
  • CodeLoad: Another test that helps determine how fast your browser can load web-based apps on websites like Facebook, where additional widgets are called upon for additional tasks.

That is just a portion of what Octane tests – in total there are 13 factors which are scored and tallied for a final average that you can use to compare with various models of laptops and Chromebooks.

For more information, read the official Google Octane benchmark list.

How Accurate is Google Octane?

While it is the most comprehensive and modern Javascript benchmark out there, there is no exact science for determining how well your browser will perform on any given machine. There will always be unforeseen variables and factors that can be missed by a benchmark score, but Octane is constantly being updated and adopted by the industry as the standard for developers and web designers to use as their guide for a smooth and user-friendly browsing experience.

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