High-level energy consumption model of embedded graphic processors

Embedded graphic processing unit (GPU) is an indispensable component in enabling real-time rendering and graphic applications on mobile devices. However, embedded GPU consumes a considerable energy [1] which is critical for battery-operated devices. To understand the energy consumption of a graphic application, conventional approaches suggested the energy model based on hardware performance counters. However, those low-level energy models are mainly derived from GPUs of desktop computers, and they cannot be applied to embedded GPUs directly and the low-level models are less intuitive from a programmer's point of view. In this study, we consider a high-level energy consumption model for embedded graphic processors, and then we can estimate energy consumption of a graphic application based on graphic attributes of a scene. We conduct a number of experiments on real platforms to validate the proposed model. Our experimental results demonstrate that an average energy estimation error rate of 7.30% can be achieved.