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Benchmarks

CPU benchmark

The CPU benchmark measures your processor's computational performance across single-core and multi-core workloads. The test produces two scores: a multi-core score reflecting parallel performance across all cores, and a single-threaded score reflecting per-core speed.

What the CPU test measures

The CPU benchmark runs a series of computational workloads designed to exercise different aspects of processor performance. Each workload runs for a fixed duration, and Novabench measures how much work the processor completes in that time.

Workload types

The test includes several categories of computation, selected to cover both arithmetically intensive workloads and memory-throughput-heavy workloads:

  • Integer operations: scalar integer multiply-add operations, representative of logic, data manipulation, and general application workloads
  • Floating-point operations: scalar fused multiply-add (FMA) chains that measure per-core decimal math throughput, relevant to scientific computing, media encoding, and 3D calculations
  • SIMD (vectorized floating-point): vectorized FMA operations that measure peak floating-point throughput in GFLOPS. Novabench tests both standard-width SIMD SSE on x64 and NEON on ARM (128-bit) for cross-platform comparison. It also tests the peak instruction set using AVX2 (256-bit) on supported processors for informational purposes.
  • Hash (BLAKE3): hashing random data using the BLAKE3 cryptographic hash function. This is a memory-throughput-heavy workload where performance depends on how efficiently the CPU can stream data through its cache hierarchy to the execution units, rather than on pure arithmetic speed.
  • Compression (gzip): parallel gzip compression of sample data, an arithmetically intensive workload that exercises the CPU's ability to find and encode patterns under tight computational loops. In multi-threaded mode, compression work is distributed across all available cores.

Each workload type runs in both single-threaded and multi-threaded modes. The single-threaded tests use a single core with processor affinity set to ensure consistent measurements. The multi-threaded tests distribute work across all available cores.

How the score is calculated

Novabench combines the results from all workload types into a single CPU score using a weighted geometric mean. This approach ensures that no single workload type dominates the score. A processor that excels at one type of operation but lags in another produces a balanced score that reflects overall capability rather than a narrow strength.

The multi-core score and single-threaded score are reported separately, so you can see both parallel throughput and per-core speed at a glance.

Single-core vs. multi-core

The distinction between single-core and multi-core performance matters because different software uses processors differently.

Single-core performance

Single-core speed determines how fast your processor handles tasks that cannot be split across multiple cores.

Multi-core performance

Multi-core performance reflects how well your processor handles parallel workloads. Applications like video editing, 3D rendering, software compilation, and scientific simulation distribute work across multiple cores. A processor with many cores and strong multi-threaded performance completes these tasks faster.

Sensor data during the test

On Plus, Novabench collects sensor data while the CPU benchmark runs. Sensor readings include:

  • Temperature: CPU core temperature over the duration of the test
  • Power draw: watts consumed by the processor during each workload phase
  • Clock speed: processor frequency, showing whether the CPU maintained its boost clock or throttled under sustained load

Sensor data appears alongside your CPU results on the results screen. A temperature spike combined with a clock speed drop is a clear sign of thermal throttling, which directly reduces your score. See sensor monitoring for more on long-term sensor tracking.

Factors affecting CPU scores

Several variables influence your CPU benchmark results beyond the processor hardware itself.

Power and thermal conditions

  • Power plan: on laptops, power-saving modes limit processor speed. Plug in the power adapter and use Balanced or High Performance mode (Windows) or disable Low Power Mode (macOS) before benchmarking.
  • Thermal headroom: processors boost to higher clock speeds when temperatures allow. Inadequate cooling, blocked vents, or high ambient temperatures cause the CPU to throttle, reducing scores. Desktop systems with aftermarket coolers typically score higher than the same processor in a thermally constrained laptop.
  • Sustained vs. burst performance: some processors reach high boost clocks briefly but throttle quickly under sustained load. The CPU benchmark runs long enough to reveal this behavior.

System configuration

  • Background processes: other applications can compete with the benchmark for CPU resources. Close unnecessary applications for the most accurate results.
  • OS updates: operating system updates can affect scheduler behavior and CPU performance.

Hardware factors

  • Core count and thread count: more cores and threads directly improve multi-core scores. Hyper-threading (Intel) or SMT (AMD) adds virtual threads that improve throughput for parallelizable workloads, though each virtual thread is less powerful than a physical core.
  • CPU topology: modern processors often use hybrid architectures with different core types — performance cores (P-cores) and efficiency cores (E-cores) on Intel, or performance and efficiency clusters on Apple Silicon. Novabench detects your processor's topology and reports it alongside results (for example, "8P(16T)+4E" for 8 hyper-threaded performance cores plus 4 efficiency cores). All core types contribute to multi-threaded scores, but P-cores deliver significantly more throughput per core than E-cores.
  • Clock speed: higher base and boost clocks improve both single-core and multi-core scores. Boost clock behavior varies by workload duration and thermal conditions.
  • Architecture generation: newer processor architectures generally deliver better performance per clock cycle (IPC). A newer processor at the same clock speed as an older one typically scores higher.