Three Vectors of Performance

Personal computing has evolved over the past two decades from integer-intensive applications like spreadsheets, word processing, and two-dimensional graphics to rich multimedia, communications, and 3D graphics. During the same time frame, the computer industry has continued to use benchmarks heavily weighted towards integer measurements as the metric for overall PC performance. Changes in the Intel architecture, most recently the addition of the 57 MMX™ technology instructions, are helping to drive the huge software shift towards multimedia and communications rich applications for the home and for business. Although many traditional benchmarks have been revised to better reflect today's PC workload or usage model, they tend to only measure one component of performance such as integer. When processor or system performance is represented by a single benchmark, consumers may be mislead by a performance number that does not accurately reflect how the system performs under multiple usage patterns. A more valuable measure of performance for all users is a combination of benchmarks that best represent the most common PC usage patterns. The following information outlines three "vectors" of performance that Intel suggests give a clear, comprehensive measure of CPU performance that should assist the growing number of PC consumers. The vectors are: Integer Performance, Floating-Point Performance, and Multimedia Performance.

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