How to determine/compare the performance of CPUs

[Cinn]

Hi,

I've recently been looking to upgrade my PC so that I can play new gen games. I'm still quite new to all the innards of a computer, but I think I'm slowly starting to get to grips with it.

My main problem currently is knowing how to predict performance. More specifically how to compare processors, and knowing to go for cores vs speed or a healthy balance of both?

For instance I saw what I thought was a really good CPU, with a high speed, but it's only a dual core. Would I be better off getting a quad core but with a lower speed? Or is it not always that easy to tell? (which is what I suspect)

 

[sam1275tom]

Use Passmark.
www.passmark.com

 

[SilverSeal]

Comparing clock frequencies is very tricky. Generally speaking a processor on a desktop will perform much more per cycle than a laptop computer which again will perform much, much more per cycle than a smartphone. I don't dare to say more. Others might be able to go into more detail.

As far as I know, the vast majority of games to this date, uses 1-4 threads only (some dual-core processors have 4 threads due to hyper-threading), so I would say there is quite a difference between a non-hyperthreaded dual-core processor compared to a hyper-threaded dual-core processor as far as intense gaming goes if the games in question can utilize it. A quad-core processor with 4 threads will then again be better than an equivalent hyper-threaded dual-core.

In the future we might see many games that uses even more threads in which a hyper-threaded quad-core (so 8 threads) will be a big advantage, but we are not really there yet but if you intend to play high intensive games even 3-4 years from now with your build a hyper-threaded quad-core might be a good investment.

Moderate processors and GPUs in desktops will usually outperform even the top-notch processors and GPUs in laptops. Overall you will get the best performances from a desktop computer that uses an Intel i5,i7 or AMD FX83**-series processor accompanied by a powerful GPU/GPUs and preferably a hard-drive with SSD which the games are stored in.

 

[CompuTronix]

Use Passmark.
www.passmark.com

Good answer!