CPU benchmarks are crucial in determining whether your processor can run the games and applications you like. Here’s what you need to get started.1 Show
CPU benchmarks are crucial in determining whether your processor can run the games and applications you like. Here’s what you need to get started.1
There are several ways to judge the relative performance of CPUs. Comparing their listed specifications is a good place to start: A CPU with a higher core count and faster clock speed will generally outperform its siblings in the same product generation. But what if you want to compare a top-of-the-line CPU from a few years ago to a midrange one that came out this year? Or what if you need to estimate the speed gains a new CPU can provide for a specific game or application? That’s where CPU benchmarks come in.
What Are CPU Benchmarks?Benchmarks allow for easy comparison between multiple CPUs by scoring their performance on a standardized series of tests, and they are useful in many instances:
CPU Benchmarking Tests & ToolsCPU reviewers rely on a range of different CPU benchmark tests to evaluate CPUs. These fall into two categories: Synthetic and real-world. Synthetic benchmarks Use synthetic benchmarks when looking for a quick, general comparison between CPUs. Synthetic tests simulate many different tasks: 3D rendering, file compression, web browsing, floating-point calculations, and so on. After measuring CPU performance levels at each task, the numbers are weighted and combined into a single score. The scores are “synthetic” because the tests used to calculate them are simulations. Rather than testing the processor’s performance in a specific application (say, a 3D creativity suite or game), they simulate the workload an application may place on a CPU under different circumstances. In other words, synthetic benchmarks are not an exact predictor of performance. Instead they are widely used to compare the relative performance of CPUs. For example:
Each of these applications feature a database of scores ranking many CPUs, making it easy to compare the relative power of processors at a glance.
Real-world benchmarks Use real-world benchmarks when you have specific plans in mind for your PC and need an accurate indication of performance for particular applications. These tests are performed by giving real programs heavy workloads and then measuring the time it takes to complete. As a result, they provide a reliable preview of system performance when using the same settings. Some commonly used applications for real-world benchmarking include:
In-game benchmark tools are another type of real-world test. These are non-interactive scenes that are available in some games. Use in-game benchmarks to check the CPU’s effect on FPS (frames per second) during regular gameplay and also while streaming. These tests provide a repeatable test environment. As long as your system configuration remains the same, the benchmarks give an accurate reading of the in-game performance you’ll get.
What Your Benchmarking Stats MeanNow that you know about the various kinds of benchmarking tests, let’s look at how to read the scores. In synthetic tests, the scoring system will vary by program. Scores are often measured in “marks” (or another program-specific term). A higher-performance CPU is one that scores higher, though it’s important to remember different CPUs are designed for different purposes; not all are gaming-focused. Use a test that reflects the way you plan on using your CPU. Real-world tests, on the other hand, use a range of different measurements.
Because some processors excel at certain types of CPU benchmark tests, it’s best to check several benchmarks instead of relying on a single number. Synthetic and real-world benchmarks can complement one another. Check synthetic benchmarks for a big-picture view of the strengths of a specific CPU. Then use real-world benchmarks to get a better sense of how the CPU will perform in day to day use. Use both to fully understand the capabilities of a CPU. When shopping for a CPU for gaming, for instance, use benchmark scores to evaluate a CPU’s general level of performance. Once you’ve found a few likely candidates, look up their FPS and frame times for some recent titles. (Or if you’re buying a CPU in anticipation of a game that hasn’t come out yet, you can look at some benchmarks for games built using the same engine and extrapolate.)
Single- Vs. Multi-Core ScoresBenchmarks are often split into single-core and multi-core scores. Single-core scores are more relevant for games and applications that are lightly threaded, meaning they rely on a single core to process many — but not all — instructions. Multi-core scores are more relevant for games and applications that are heavily threaded, meaning they distribute their instructions between multiple cores. How can you tell if a game is lightly or heavily threaded?
Although quite a few popular games including Fortnite2 are lightly threaded, more games are utilizing more cores. Heavily threaded games such as Assassin’s Creed Origins3 and Battlefield V4 can scale up to stress multiple cores. They will potentially have a higher FPS on a CPU with multiple cores.
System ConfigurationsWhile CPU benchmarks are important, every component plays a role in system performance.
See our article on how to prevent bottlenecks to learn more about balancing your system.
Improving Your Benchmark Scores
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