* What is Benchmarking?Benchmarking is a performance test of hardware and/or software. The process evaluates and compares devices or systems. Processors are frequently benchmarked, in the hopes of coming up with a single number that can capture the value of the CPU and let it be easily compared to others.* Why Can Benchmarking Be Useful?The value of benchmarking is that it allows us to compare hardware and/or software. The problem with it is that there are so many ways to do it, and the answers different benchmarks give about the same processors aren't always consistent.* Benchmarking Types and What Area They Are Aimed At?1. Linpack - A linear algebra software package; also a benchm ...view middle of the document...
Results are expressed in kilo-whetstones-per-second or KWIPS. Whetstone I tests 32-bit, and Whetstone II tests 64-bit operations.* What are MIPS?MIPS stands for Million Instructions Per Second, it's a meaningful measure only among versions of the same processors configured with identical peripherals and software. MIPS can be the execution speed of a computer. For instance, 5 MIPS is 5,000,000 instructions per second. Modern personal computers often perform at 100 MIPS. MIPS rates are not uniform. Some are averages while some are peak performances. In addition, it takes more instructions on some machines to perform the same function (RISC vs. CISC, mainframe vs. micro). Because of this, MIPS are sometimes called "MisInformation to Promote Sales." The MIPS rate is just one factor in overall performance. Bus and channel speed and bandwidth, memory speed, memory management techniques and system software also affect total throughput.* How Good Are They? Do They Mislead?No matter what benchmark you ultimately decide on, there's...