In computing, computer performance is the amount of useful work accomplished by a computer system. Outside of specific contexts, computer performance is estimated in terms of accuracy, efficiency and speed of executing computer program instructions. When it comes to high computer performance, one or more of the following factors might be involved:
Short response time for a given piece of work.
High throughput (rate of processing work).
Low utilization of computing resource(s).
Fast (or highly compact) data compression and decompression.
High availability of the computing system or application.
High bandwidth.
Short data transmission time.
The performance of any computer system can be evaluated in measurable, technical terms, using one or more of the metrics listed above. This way the performance can be
Compared relative to other systems or the same system before/after changes
In absolute terms, e.g. for fulfilling a contractual obligation
Whilst the above definition relates to a scientific, technical approach, the following definition given by Arnold Allen would be useful for a non-technical audience:
The word performance in computer performance means the same thing that performance means in other contexts, that is, it means "How well is the computer doing the work it is supposed to do?"
Computer software performance, particularly software application response time, is an aspect of software quality that is important in human–computer interactions.
Performance engineering within systems engineering encompasses the set of roles, skills, activities, practices, tools, and deliverables applied at every phase of the systems development life cycle which ensures that a solution will be designed, implemented, and operationally supported to meet the performance requirements defined for the solution.
Performance engineering continuously deals with trade-offs between types of performance. Occasionally a CPU designer can find a way to make a CPU with better overall performance by improving one of the aspects of performance, presented below, without sacrificing the CPU's performance in other areas.