4 ms·

Can we just go back to numbers where higher is always better?

rincebrain 4y ago
Well, if we have 32 cores at 2 GHz, and 48 cores at 1.5 GHz, from the same chip architecture, which is better? For some workloads, it's one; for others, it's the other. A one-dimensional performance axis is hard in practice.
- MBCook 4y ago
  You could use a synthetic benchmark. Create your own Geekbench like thing and use those numbers. Intel-$singlecore-$multicore So an Intel-6-12 had twice the single core performance of the Intel-3-48 but is much worse in multicore. Yeah, things are WAY more complicated. But at least it gives you a chance without memorizing spec sheets first. Higher numbers are always better. No redefining. This year’s 5 can’t be better than last year’s 20 in performance. I don’t follow Intel/AMD chips anymore. If I wanted to buy a computer I’d have to learn it all from scratch. This would give me a nice leg up.
  - bubblethink 4y ago
    >Intel-$singlecore-$multicore There will be power specs, and igpu specs, and ecc, and so on. It's hard to capture succinctly.
    - Dylan16807 3y ago
      Gpu can be a third number. Power doesn't need to be in the model number. Neither does ecc, also all cpus should have such an easy to implement feature.
  - ddtaylor 4y ago
    For the most part the transistor count (or something akin to it) is usually increasing, even if the die space is larger.
- atmavatar 4y ago
  For some reason, that comparison reminds me of: "If you were plowing a field, which would you rather use? Two strong oxen or 1024 chickens?" -Seymour Cray
opportune 4y ago
You can’t preserve ordering mapping permutations of a high-dimensional space (specs: clock rate, power, cores, cache, pipelining/vectorization, etc) with another high dimensional space (benchmarks, workloads, and scenarios) to a single number. It’s possible even for a chip with superior numerical specs across the board from another chip to perform worse due to lack of support for specialized instructions or differences in thermals.
- ddtaylor 4y ago
  Almost every other industry makes some kind of attempt to do exactly that because consumers want simple choices.

Well, if we have 32 cores at 2 GHz, and 48 cores at 1.5 GHz, from the same chip architecture, which is better? For some workloads, it's one; for others, it's the other. A one-dimensional performance axis is hard in practice.

MBCook 4y ago
You could use a synthetic benchmark. Create your own Geekbench like thing and use those numbers. Intel-$singlecore-$multicore So an Intel-6-12 had twice the single core performance of the Intel-3-48 but is much worse in multicore. Yeah, things are WAY more complicated. But at least it gives you a chance without memorizing spec sheets first. Higher numbers are always better. No redefining. This year’s 5 can’t be better than last year’s 20 in performance. I don’t follow Intel/AMD chips anymore. If I wanted to buy a computer I’d have to learn it all from scratch. This would give me a nice leg up.
- bubblethink 4y ago
  >Intel-$singlecore-$multicore There will be power specs, and igpu specs, and ecc, and so on. It's hard to capture succinctly.
  - Dylan16807 3y ago
    Gpu can be a third number. Power doesn't need to be in the model number. Neither does ecc, also all cpus should have such an easy to implement feature.
- ddtaylor 4y ago
  For the most part the transistor count (or something akin to it) is usually increasing, even if the die space is larger.
atmavatar 4y ago
For some reason, that comparison reminds me of: "If you were plowing a field, which would you rather use? Two strong oxen or 1024 chickens?" -Seymour Cray

opportune 4y ago

You can’t preserve ordering mapping permutations of a high-dimensional space (specs: clock rate, power, cores, cache, pipelining/vectorization, etc) with another high dimensional space (benchmarks, workloads, and scenarios) to a single number. It’s possible even for a chip with superior numerical specs across the board from another chip to perform worse due to lack of support for specialized instructions or differences in thermals.

ddtaylor 4y ago
Almost every other industry makes some kind of attempt to do exactly that because consumers want simple choices.