So would two processors running at 2.5GHZ (just a random frequency I’ve chosen) but one from 10 years ago and one from this year be equivalent in processor power. Does this measurement mean they are the same in raw power?
###### 2.5GHZ (Old Processor) = 2.5GHZ (New Processor)?
Or is it because of new architecture that the newer one is faster and in that case newer is always better due to more cores etc.
In that case doesn’t it make it confusing to use gigahertz to measure the speed of newer processor in comparison to previous generations?
Sorry for the long question, it’s just always bothered me and confused me on how to choose the best processor.
In: 5
You’ve answered your own question. Newer processors do more PER CLOCK TICK than the old ones do. So even if you get 2.5 Billion ticks per second, each tick does more in the new processor.
There’s too much clever stuff to mention, but as an example say you had a piece of code (microcode really) that said “If X = Y, then do this, otherwise do this other thing” the newer processor might actually do BOTH things, while it is simultaneously retrieving the value of X and Y. So on on the first tick, it might start the code to fetch X, fetch Y, fetch address of instructions if true, fetch address of instructions if false. Then the next tick it compares X with Y while continuing with both branches, then on the third tick, based on if X=Y it switches code flow to the instructions you already started if X=Y and discards the other path.
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