Numbers are only useful if the test setup behaves itself.

For low-power hardware, the number that matters most is usually wall power: the whole box, measured at the plug. Component estimates are useful background, but they are not the headline.

Thermals and noise are fussier. Room temperature, placement, fan behaviour, and distance from the meter can all change the result, so those conditions need to be stated when they matter.

Baseline rules

The basic rules are simple:

• Idle counts as a workload.
• Change one meaningful thing at a time, unless the article is clearly comparing complete scenarios.
• Record the room, placement, hardware state, and tool used when they affect the result.
• Put caveats beside the number, not in a footnote nobody will read.

Noisy data stays labelled

A single neat reading is not a benchmark. If the result is noisy, early, or only useful as a rough guide, the article should say that plainly. Some tests are useful for deciding what to measure next and still not good enough to publish as a claim.

Evidence classes

The site uses three plain labels: publication-grade, directional, and exploratory.

Publication-grade means the setup is controlled enough to support the public claim. Directional means useful, but not precise enough for a strong comparison. Exploratory means internal learning only.