I have been pretty clear in past tips that I take comparisons based on benchmarks with a grain of salt. That said, I do understand and appreciate how they can be useful as an objective tool in stress tests.
I am curious, however, what our readers think. Do you give benchmark results consideration when making a decision to purchase a CPU, graphics card, memory, etc.?
My purchasing decision is usually based on availability (I look for used parts/systems first), but when I do need to buy new (mission critical systems) I look for value. I tend to lean more towards what will give me the life I need at a competitive cost and benchmarks never enter the equation.
Of course, different strokes for different folks, so do benchmarks get any consideration from you?
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to me, benchmarks are merely dribble, comparable to what a salesman in a retail store spits out in order to make a sale, just the online equivalents.
any computer component, or anything electronic for that matter, will work how its supposed to, and die when it dies.
Consideration?…absolutely.
The final word?…absolutely not.
Benchmarks are indicators and not final answers.
The bottom line is how fast your computer will run the specific application. No benchmark will tell you with certainty how fast an application will run. You have to run the application itself to find that out.
I suppose they are better than nothing or just using manufacturer generated data. Kind of like the EPA ratings for car mpg. Your results may vary, but it is still a way to objectively compare two cars. Other factors may override.
I did read the benchmarks. Then I thought about cost and performance. I wanted a cpu with a least a 3.0 clock speed. I ended up with a AMD 955 because I do a lot of video encoding. I don’t buy into the Intel madness. I find AMD is the best choice for the money.Intel likes to play pricing games.
Well, I find some game benchmarks useful, for say, how the graphics card handles with that particular video processing. But generally, software benchmarks (the typical kind I find online) don’t actually give useful ratings. What’s given is numbers (according to what the developer sees as good or bad), which compare to others’ PCs that may or may not be better, or capable.
Even when useful data is given, it’s hard to judge how well that particular component will work with various games, applications, or programs (as stated above, I think).
The verdict? Don’t take benchmarks too seriously.
Suggestion? Try asking various builders. The best advice usually comes from people who have built a PC already (I being one of those askers/builders). I see topics almost every week about someone’s new build. It may be best to start with the people on the forum here.