Geekbench icon

Geekbench

Geekbench is a widely-used cross-platform benchmark for evaluating the performance of CPUs and GPUs. It provides a comprehensive scoring system to compare device performance across various platforms.

Primate Labs

License

Commercial

Platforms

Mac OS X Windows Linux Android iPhone

About Geekbench

Geekbench: A Cross-Platform Benchmark for Performance Enthusiasts

Geekbench stands as a premier benchmark utility designed to assess the performance capabilities of various devices, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktops. Its core function revolves around providing standardized tests for both the CPU and GPU, enabling users to obtain objective performance metrics. This allows for direct comparison of different hardware configurations and devices, regardless of their operating system.

The software employs a suite of tests designed to measure a variety of computational tasks, reflecting real-world usage scenarios. For the CPU, Geekbench evaluates performance in areas such as:

  • Single-core and multi-core integer performance
  • Floating-point performance
  • Memory speed and latency

These tests provide insights into how well a processor handles both sequential and parallel workloads. The CPU score is a composite of the results from these individual tests, offering a holistic view of the processor's capabilities.

For the GPU, Geekbench utilizes compute benchmarks that assess the graphics processor's ability to handle complex calculations used in areas like image processing, computational photography, and machine learning. The GPU Compute benchmark supports popular APIs such as OpenCL, CUDA, and Metal, ensuring broad compatibility across different hardware types.

One of the most valuable aspects of Geekbench is its scoring system. The scores are normalized against a baseline, making it easy to compare the performance of vastly different devices. This is particularly useful for consumers looking to understand how their device stacks up against others or for reviewers needing a consistent metric for performance evaluation.

Beyond the raw scores, Geekbench also provides detailed results for each individual test, allowing users to delve deeper into specific performance characteristics. This level of detail is invaluable for identifying performance bottlenecks or understanding strengths and weaknesses of a particular hardware component.

Geekbench is available on a wide range of platforms, including:

  • Windows
  • macOS
  • Linux
  • Android
  • iOS

This cross-platform availability is a key strength, enabling seamless comparison of performance across the entire technological landscape. Whether you're comparing a high-end gaming PC to a flagship smartphone, Geekbench provides the tools to do so.

The software is designed with simplicity and ease of use in mind. Running a benchmark test is typically a straightforward process, making it accessible to both novice users and experienced professionals. The results are presented in a clear and understandable format, with graphical representations aiding in the interpretation of data.

Furthermore, Geekbench maintains a robust online browser where users can upload and compare their benchmark results with a vast database of other submissions. This public database is a valuable resource for researching the performance of specific devices and configurations.

In summary, Geekbench is a powerful and versatile benchmarking tool that provides a standardized and reliable method for evaluating the performance of CPUs and GPUs across multiple platforms. Its comprehensive tests, normalized scoring system, and cross-platform compatibility make it an essential tool for anyone interested in understanding and comparing device performance.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Provides a standardized way to compare CPU and GPU performance across platforms.
  • User-friendly interface makes it easy to run benchmarks.
  • Large online database for comparing results.
  • Detailed results allow for in-depth performance analysis.
  • Widely recognized and trusted in the tech community.

Cons

  • Synthetic benchmarks may not perfectly reflect real-world application performance.
  • Requires a paid license for commercial use and some features.
  • Performance can be influenced by factors not directly measured by the benchmark.

What Makes Geekbench Stand Out

Industry-Standard Benchmark

Widely recognized and used by reviewers and enthusiasts as a reliable measure of CPU and GPU performance.

Seamless Cross-Platform Comparison

Enables objective performance comparisons between devices running different operating systems.

Extensive Online Database

Provides access to a large repository of benchmark results for research and comparison purposes.

Features & Capabilities

7 features

Expert Review

Geekbench: A Comprehensive Performance Evaluation Tool

Geekbench is a well-established and respected name in the realm of hardware benchmarking. It serves as a crucial tool for anyone looking to objectively measure and compare the performance of their CPU and GPU. The software's strength lies in its cross-platform availability and its ability to provide standardized metrics, which are key for meaningful comparisons.

The core functionality of Geekbench revolves around its CPU and GPU Compute benchmarks. The CPU benchmark effectively probes both single-core and multi-core performance through a variety of tests designed to mimic real-world computational tasks. This includes workloads related to encryption, image compression, and other common operations. The resulting CPU score is a weighted average of these test results, providing a single number to represent overall CPU performance. This score is particularly useful for understanding how a processor handles typical desktop or mobile workloads.

The GPU Compute benchmark is equally important, especially in an era where graphics processors are increasingly used for tasks beyond traditional graphics rendering, such as machine learning, scientific simulations, and video editing. Geekbench’s compute tests assess the GPU's capability in these areas, supporting various APIs like OpenCL, CUDA, and Metal. This ensures that the benchmark is relevant across a wide range of hardware from different manufacturers.

One of the most significant advantages of Geekbench is its cross-platform nature. The software is available on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS. This broad compatibility allows users to compare the performance of a desktop PC with a smartphone, for example, directly using the same benchmark and scoring system. This is a powerful feature for understanding the performance landscape across different device categories.

The scoring system itself is a major component of Geekbench's utility. Scores are normalized against a baseline score, making it easier to interpret and compare results from diverse systems. A higher score indicates better performance. While a single score can sometimes oversimplify complex performance characteristics, Geekbench provides detailed results for each individual test as well. This allows users to drill down and understand specific strengths or weaknesses of their hardware. For example, one processor might excel at single-core tasks but lag in multi-core performance, and the detailed results will highlight this.

Another valuable aspect is the online Geekbench Browser. When users run a benchmark, they have the option to upload their results to this public database. This creates a vast and searchable repository of benchmark results from thousands of different devices and configurations. This browser is an invaluable resource for researching the typical performance of a particular device model, comparing different configurations of the same device, or seeing how overclocking or other optimizations impact performance.

The user interface of Geekbench is generally clean and intuitive. Running a benchmark is a simple process, typically requiring just a few clicks. The results are presented clearly, with charts and graphs often used to visualize data and make it more understandable. While there are options for advanced users to configure certain aspects of the tests, the default settings are suitable for most users.

However, it is important to note that like any benchmark, Geekbench represents synthetic workloads. While the tests are designed to reflect real-world usage, the scores may not perfectly correlate with performance in every specific application. Real-world application performance can be influenced by many factors beyond raw CPU and GPU power, including software optimization, driver efficiency, and storage speed. Therefore, Geekbench scores should be considered as a strong indicator of general performance but not the sole determinant of how a system will perform in all scenarios.

Furthermore, while the free version of Geekbench provides basic functionality, a paid license is required for certain features, such as commercial use and the ability to save and export results. This is a standard model for benchmarking software but is worth noting for potential users.

In conclusion, Geekbench is a highly effective and widely used benchmark for evaluating CPU and GPU performance. Its cross-platform compatibility, standardized scoring, detailed results, and extensive online database make it a valuable tool for hardware enthusiasts, reviewers, and consumers alike. While synthetic benchmarks have limitations, Geekbench remains one of the most reliable and accessible options for obtaining objective performance data across a diverse range of devices.

Screenshots

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