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competitive analysis

n-series HDX Ready soc thin clientsUser experience and performance analysis versus Dell Wyse SoC thin clients for the Citrix virtual desktop ecosystem

Executive summarySelecting the right thin client device for Citrix desktop virtualization environments can be challenging given the array of available offerings, one that is the most cost effective, easy to use and to manage, future-proofed, reliable and energy efficient. We understand that challenge and have taken the time to conduct real-world testing with meaningful results in side-by-side comparisons of NComputing HDX Ready SoC thin clients against thin clients from other vendors such as Dell Wyse to help save time and provide confidence when deciding on the right thin client solution for your environment.

In this report, the NComputing N-series N500 was evaluated for user experience and performance against the Dell Wyse T50, T10 and Xenith C00X clients. All of the devices were evaluated for system efficiency, CPU consumption, memory consumption, performance, and Quality of Experience (QoE) for three types of expected workloads:

• Real-world, everyday desktop tasks using MS Office tools (Word, Excel and PowerPoint)

• Start-up, restart and shut-down tasks

• Streaming Flash video and MP4 playback of video clips stored locally and on a network drive

Tests were designed to conduct a fair, repeatable comparison between Citrix

virtual desktop solutions, using both XenDesktop and XenApp environments.

While the N-series and Dell Wyse solutions delivered what might be considered comparable results on everyday desktop tasks, there are significant notable differences that factor into overall price/performance and long-term invest protection. As a rule, the N-series had lower CPU and memory utilization in all tests and without the need to buy additional software to provide an optimized multimedia experience - the Dell Wyse solutions require the purchase of Wyse TCX Suite to boost video performance to acceptable levels for multimedia applications and is an additional investment that must be considered in cost analysis.

Key findings for N-series Lower CPU usage & higher available resources for future enhancements: In MS Office productivity tests, N500 had lower CPU utilization. For NComputing N500, the average CPU utilization was 15% and maximum CPU utilization of 25% versus Dell Wyse T50, which had an average CPU utilization of 22% and maximum of 36% , Dell Wyse T10 and Xenith C00X had an average CPU utilization of 18% and maximum of 27%, during MS Excel and MS PowerPoint benchmarking.

Simpler to manage: NComputing’s device management software, vSpace Management Center, a web-based application remotely accessible using any browser, is simpler to understand and makes maintenance of devices easier versus Wyse Device Manager (WDM). WDM is a thick software application and must be installed locally on any device being used for remote management – it can only be accessed through RDP and is more complicated in terms of typical device maintenance tasks.

No additional software needed to enhance the multimedia performance: In subjective video quality tests comparing the playback experience of the same video clip in three different formats - full 1080p, 720p, and standard format - the N500 can directly interact with XenDesktop/ XenApp server and utilize the HDX protocol to provide excellent, optimized video performance with lower CPU / memory resources, whereas Dell Wyse devices need additional software called “WYSE TCX Suite,” a paid and licensed application to enhance the video performance to acceptable levels.

Device boot-up and user login: While the N500 did have a longer average cold boot/initial power up to login screen cycle (60 sec.) than the Dell Wyse thin clients (avg. 35 sec.), the N500 took an average of 10-15 sec. to login to establish a Citrix Desktop VM session as opposed to the Dell Wyse thin clients (approx. 15 - 20 sec.) – a process that occurs multiple times daily for each user as opposed to the one time start up process each day.

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FeatuRes & cRiteRia n500 Wyse t50 Wyse t10 Wyse XenitH c00X

pRice

MSRP $186 $239 $349 $280

ease oF use

Installation kit included Yes Yes Yes Yes

Auto discovery Yes Yes Yes Yes

useR eXpeRience

System boot time 60 ~ 70 sec. 30 ~ 35 sec. 30 ~ 35 sec. 35 ~ 40 sec.

Session connect 10 ~ 15 sec. 15 ~ 20 sec. 15 ~ 20 sec. 15 ~ 20 sec.

Device conFiguRation anD compatibility

Processor Numo 3, ARM Cortex A9, 600MHz (Dual Core)

Marvell Armada PXA 510, 1.0 GHz(Single core)

Marvell Armada PXA 510, 1.0 GHz (Single core)

C7 VIA EDEN Processor 1.0GHz(Single core)

Memory 512 MB 1 GB 1 GB 512 MB

Network 10/100/1000Base-T 10/100/1000Base-T 10/100/1000Base-T 10/100/1000Base-T

Power consumption (working) (idle)

>5W >2W

~7.2W ~2W

~7.2W ~2W

~7.2W ~2W

Network Wi-Fi Yes (model N500w) Yes (optional + cost)

Yes (optional + cost)

Yes (optional + cost)

USB web-cams, headsets and printers.

Yes Yes Yes Yes

Display support Dual display (VGA & DVI) (Adapter sold separately)

Dual display (VGA & DVI) (Splitter cable sold separately)

Dual display (VGA & DVI) (Splitter cable sold separately)

Dual display (VGA & DVI) (Splitter cable sold separately)

Device soFtWaRe

Management software vSpace Management Center

Wyse Device Manager

Wyse Device Manager

Wyse Device Manager

Device administration Yes Yes Yes

Device firmware OS Linux (Debian) Ubuntu Linux Wyse Thin OS Wyse Zero

Multimedia software not needed $35 License for Wyse TCX Suite

$35 License for Wyse TCX Suite

$35 License for Wyse TCX Suite

Web-hosted yes No No No

Device profile management

yes No No No

Device health monitoring Yes Yes Yes Yes

Asset management Yes Yes Yes Yes

Easy device upgrade (firmware / config)

yes Yes (from local FTP server)

Yes (from local FTP server)

Yes (from local FTP server)

Device Groups Yes Yes Yes Yes

Server Groups yes No No No

secuRity

Secure tunnel (HTTPs) Yes Yes Yes Yes

Hardware encryption Yes Yes Yes Yes

Hardware security (Kingston security)

Yes Yes Yes Yes

suppoRt

Premium Support included (1 year) No (purchase) No (purchase) No (purchase)

Future Upgrades With premium support

Limited Limited Limited

Hardware Support 3 Year Warranty 3 Year Warranty 3 Year Warranty 3 Year Warranty

When selecting a thin client for a Citrix virtual desktop environment, IT administrators should consider criteria that provides a comprehensive view of the total cost of ownership for virtual computing deployments.

The criteria should include:

• Ease of use• User experience • Security • Device Performance• Device management• Return on investment

We applied this criteria when evaluating NComputing’s HDX Ready SoC-based N500* versus Dell Wyse HDX Ready T50, T10 and Xenith C00X.

We conducted multiple tests from an enterprise user view, using applications such as:

• MS Office Word, Excel and PowerPoint

• Adobe PDF Reader 11

• Windows Media Player 12 with K-Lite Codec pack

Additionally, each platform was verified for expansion options as well as support for dual display, USB web cams, legacy connectivity options and video quality over webcast.

All virtual machines connected to these thin clients were running Window 7 Professional SP1 in 1080P capable, multi-monitor configurations with playback scenarios of high-definition video in MP4 and WMV formats.

Background

The N-series includes the N400 entry-level device, designed for productivity workers with light multimedia needs who do not need dual screen or wireless LAN options. Its list price is about 1/3 less than the N500, offering even greater cost savings for users who fit that profile.

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Software Performance

PowerPoint®

This test simulates a user presenting high resolution imagery embedded in a slide using PowerPoint 2010 automated slide show option. This test starts with opening a PowerPoint slide show that contains photos, diagrams, animations and backgrounds with color gradients. The slide show displays each slide for 3 seconds.

Excel®

This test was performed in a dual-monitor environment and simulates a user working with Excel 2010 and performing various actions, such as opening an Excel sheet, resizing the Excel window to full screen, selecting all cells, scrolling down and up using the arrow keys and mouse wheel and closing the Excel sheet.

Test Results:

N500 had the lowest average CPU utilization (13%) and maximum CPU utilization (25%). The Dell Wyse T50 had 19% average CPU utilization and 29% maximum CPU utilization. The Dell Wyse T10 and Xenith C00X had 15% average CPU utilization and 28% maximum CPU utilization.

Test Results:

N500 had the lowest average CPU utilization (18%) and maximum CPU utilization (35%). The Dell Wyse T50 had 29% average CPU utilization and 59% maximum CPU utilization. The Dell Wyse T10 and Xenith C00X had 28% average CPU utilization and 54% maximum CPU utilization.

Microsoft Office System Performance: Microsoft Office productivity testing was conducted to determine the relative performance of each thin client solution. Workloads were designed to stress screen redraw with complex images, gradients and textures. To demonstrate the performance differences between solutions evaluated, we used scrolling through slide shows and spreadsheets as the typical office worker use cases.

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Xenith C00XWyse T10Wyse T50N500

Microsoft Excel® CPU Utilization

CPU Avg CPU Max

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Xenith C00XWyse T10Wyse T50N500

Microsoft PowerPoint® CPU Utilization

CPU Avg CPU Max

Microsoft, Excel, PowerPoint and Windows Media Player are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.

Windows Media Player® 11

This test was run with dual-monitor configurations. Video playback was done in various formats (WMV and MP4) over Citrix HDX protocol. The video file utilized was recorded at 720P and 30 fps from an animated movie. Duration of video was 2 minutes and 37 sec.

Test Results:

On average, N500 provided lower resource utilization across all media formats with an average CPU utilization of 18% and maximum of 25%, versus Dell Wyse T50, which was scaling at average CPU utilization of 56% and Max at 90%. Dell Wyse T10 and Xenith C00X had slightly better performance with an average CPU utilization at 25% and maximum at 35%.

In tests to verify the quality of the End User Video Experience, the N500 delivered clean and smooth video where audio and video were in sync and no choppiness was observed. Dell Wyse thin clients (T50) require an additional software component, the Wyse TCX Suite, otherwise the video will be choppy and audio/video will lose synchronization.

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Xenith C00XWyse T10Wyse T50N500

Windows Media Player® CPU Utilization

CPU Avg CPU Max

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Performance vs. PriceWe found that the N500 thin client provides very comparable performance for productivity tools to Dell Wyse thin clients. The price point for N500 is 20 ~ 40% less than Dell Wyse thin client and the N500 ships with mounting accessories (VESA Kit). Users may have to purchase additional software components for Dell Wyse thin clients to obtain a multimedia experience similar to the N500.

In addition to performance at lower price, N500 provides a broad set of features and functions (see table on page 2).

Future Proof N-series thin clients are equipped with an integrated firmware package, which means the Citrix receiver is packaged with the N-series device firmware, making it easily upgradable and robust for any future releases of the Citrix ICA receiver. For Dell Wyse thin clients, the administrator must download the appropriate firmware/image file required for the device type as Dell Wyse devices run on multiple flavors of OS (ex. Thin OS, Ubuntu, zero OS, etc) , making it less uniform and more prone to potential compatibility and support issues.

Energy Savings Since N500 only consumes 5W of power, it can result in significant power savings for the organization. We calculated the energy savings by using (Time x Power x Money) formula and standard electricity rates in USA ($0.13 per unit); the results are:

n500 Wyse t50 Wyse t10 XenitH c00X

eneRgy

Power consumption < 5W 7.2W 7.2W 7.2W

Electricity cost (per unit) $0.13 $0.13 $0.13 $0.13

Hours utilized 8 8 8 8

Idle hours 16 16 16 16

1 day expense $0.10 $0.17 $0.17 $0.17

3 years energy cost $109.50 $186.15 $186.15 $186.15

Adobe Reader®

This test simulates a user working with Adobe Reader 11 and taking actions such as open a PDF file with rich content, scroll down/up using the arrow keys and mouse wheel, observe any choppiness vs. a smooth scroll and finally, save and close the file, and shut down Adobe Reader.

Test Results:

N500 had average CPU utilization of 18% and maximum CPU utilization of 35%, while Dell Wyse T50 had 32% average CPU utilization and 50% maximum CPU utilization. The Dell Wyse T10 and Xenith C00X had 28% average CPU utilization and 45% maximum CPU utilization.

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Xenith C00XWyse T10Wyse T50N500

Adobe Reader® CPU Utilization

CPU Avg CPU Max

Software Performance (continued)

Adobe Reader is a trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated.

Return on Investment

5 of 53979 Freedom Circle, Suite 600, Santa Clara, CA 95054 | Phone: 1-408-380-8400 | Fax: 1-408-380-8401 | ncomputing.com

© Copyright 2013. NComputing, Inc. All rights reserved. NComputing is the property of NComputing. Other trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners. Preliminary beta specifications subject to change without notice. Performance may vary, depending on the configuration of the shared computer

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Testing Setup and Methodology

Comparison Criteria Testing was conducted on functionally-equivalent NComputing and Dell Wyse thin client’s side-by-side. We determined the system performance as a subjective comparison of these systems, user experience, video quality and device manageability.

In order to create a customer environment, we used a Gigabyte Ethernet Switch attached to a domain where Active Directory was used to authenticate users.

The server infrastructure was running XenServer 6.0.2 on a Supermicro Blade Server, equipped with:

• Intel Dual Core Xeon E31220 @ 3.10 GHz

• 32 GB RAM 1 GB Network Interface Card (Broadcom NetXtream II 4 Port)

• XenDesktop 5.6 was used as main VM desktop provider, and XenApp 6.5 was used to publish the application to end users.

All the virtual machines were running Windows 7 Professional SP1 as their base image connected to two 22” HD 1920x1200 displays, on which all the test where performed.

Five Reasons for Choosing N-series SoC Thin Clients Compared to Dell Wyse Thin Clients1. Best value: Compared to other venders in the market and with an average price between $186 -

$205 (depending on model), NComputing offers the lowest cost HDX Ready thin clients that deliver uncompromising and optimized performance developed specifically for Citrix HDX technology.

2. Performance wins: Because of the off-loading and intelligent use of NComputing’s own NUMO3 SoC components,and technology, performance is dramatically improved compared to other vendor’s offerings. All the HDX features are seamlessly delivered leaving significantly more processor headroom for added multitasking capabilities and rich media applications.

3. The N-series is future proofed: Taking advantage of the additional headroom provided by the N-series NUMO 3 SoC based design and capacity, standard codecs such as H.264, MPEG-4, and VC1 along with hardware encryption are processed directly on the NUMO chip, reducing processing time and saving server resources. The Citrix Receiver is prepackaged in the device firmware, making receiver upgrades fast and easily manageable with NComputing’s web-based vSpace Management Center solution for centralized, remote management.

4. Lower energy costs: With power consumption at < 5 Watt, N-series can offer drastic savings to energy bill.

5. Smaller form factor and mounting kit: Each N-series device is shipped with a VESA mounting kit that attaches to the back of the monitor, leaving a clean and clutter free work desk for end users and is not an additionally purchased item.