CPU Clock Speed Debate

Discussions focus on the limitations of clock speed as a measure of CPU performance, comparing historical processors like the 486, Pentium, i860, and others while highlighting factors such as IPC, architecture, and software efficiency.

📉 Falling 0.4x Hardware
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#3567
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Keywords

RAM MMX RC CPU MIPS DSP GHZ PC AMD DX clock pentium mhz speed cpu faster processors performance cpus speeds

Sample Comments

kadoban Aug 1, 2021 View on HN

Better CPU arches were never faster, definitely not by much.

LoSboccacc Nov 16, 2020 View on HN

yeah transmeta c1 had the same claim. turns out there's a lot more to cpu speed than executing math operations in a straight line.

Glide Jun 9, 2009 View on HN

Aren't the processor speeds different now?

timbit42 Jan 29, 2023 View on HN

What made it faster than a Mac? Clock speed, low wait states, or something else?

bell-cot Oct 9, 2023 View on HN

The important part:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_i860#Performance ;)

Vvector Jun 15, 2025 View on HN

Chip speed isn't as important as good software

wmf Jul 21, 2023 View on HN

Clock speed doesn't matter.

thedance Mar 1, 2020 View on HN

Could be as basic as clock speed differences.

MichaelMoser123 Sep 14, 2021 View on HN

on a 486 or a pentium, i think it used to take longer before that.

asdf333 Aug 20, 2019 View on HN

"most people do not fully max out their their pentium-133Mhz cpus. therefore we should not speed up computers"said no one ever.this is the same line of argument