FLOPS Definition - Printable Version

Stands for "Floating Point Operations Per Second." FLOPS are typically used to measure the performance of a computer's processor. While clock speed, which is measured in megahertz, is often seen as an indicator or a processor's speed, it does not define how many calculations a processor can perform per second. Therefore, FLOPS is a more raw method of measuring a processor's processing speed.

Still, a FLOPS reading only measures floating point calculations and not integer operations. Therefore, while FLOPS can accurately measure a processor's floating point unit (FPU), it is not a comprehensive measurement of a processor's performance. In order to accurately gauge the processing capabilities of a CPU, multiple types of tests must be run.

FLOPS

Updated: January 22, 2009

Tech Factor: 8/10