Real-world performance testing and understanding of architecture specifics provide a more accurate comparison of GPUs.

Teraflops, often hailed as the ultimate GPU comparison metric, have limitations.

This oversimplification doesn’t capture GPU complexity, masking their true performance.

MSI GeForce RTX 4070 TI Ventus 12G OC GPU in a gaming PC at CES 2023

Instead, real-world performance testing, nuanced understanding of architecture, and context-specific uses are what matter.

What is a Teraflop?

In the world ofgraphics processing units (GPUs), teraflops are often used as a measure of performance.

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It’s an easy-to-understand number, but like any oversimplified metric, it falls apart when misused.

The primary issue here is that not all flops are created equal.

The way a GPU uses its teraflops can vary significantly based on its architecture.

In other words, teraflops only tell part of the story.

GPUs are Working Smarter, Not Harder

Today’s GPUs are becoming increasingly complex and intelligent.

They don’t just blindly perform calculations—they work smarter.

These technologies can greatly enhance the performance of a GPU, and they have nothing to do with teraflops.

Again, these improvements aren’t reflected in the teraflop count.

Manufacturers might “boost” their teraflop counts by increasing the core clock speed or the number of cores.

The answer is simple: real-world performance testing.

They involve running the GPU through a series of tasks or games and measuring its performance.

Also, consider other factors such as power consumption, heat output, and cost.

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