The performance of graphics cards or processors is measured in TeraFlops (Tflops). But what does TeraFlops even mean, and what do they bring me as a gamer? Does my new graphics card need to have many TeraFlops, or are other factors more important for good performance? MeinMMO explains it to you.
Hardware manufacturers often compare their devices among themselves. In this comparison, TeraFlops play a significant role. These TeraFlops regularly spark large discussions among users. For example, fans had fiercely argued about whether an Xbox Series X with more Tflops is faster than a PS5.
But what do these often huge numbers say about a gaming console or a desktop PC? And are these numbers actually suitable for comparison in gaming?
MeinMMO explains what lies behind TeraFlops and what they mean for gamers.
- What are FLOPs?
- TeraFlops of PS5, Xbox, and graphics cards in comparison
- Do many TeraFlops mean a fast computer?
- Alternatives for TeraFlops if you want to know your performance
Last updates: 03.07.2024, 11.16.2021
What are FLOPs actually?
A FLOP is an acronym that stands for “Floating Point Operations Per Second.” This term is often used in the context of graphics cards and processors.
A FLOP describes how many floating-point calculations (additions and subtractions) the device can perform per second. “Tera” is a computing prefix, so we are dealing with TeraFLOPs in a range of 10 raised to the power of 12, which is a huge number: about one trillion Flops.
What do these numbers mean? Simply put: The larger the number, the more powerful the computer or console because the system can perform more calculations per second. But that is initially just a theoretical value.
How are FLOPs calculated? The number of FLOPs describes the performance of the entire architecture, which consists of:
- The main processor or graphics chip, which is usually located on the socket of the motherboard or otherwise mounted.
- The bus or Back Panel Unit Sockets, on which, for example, the main memory sits, which also influences the computational speed
- The compiler, which is responsible for ensuring that the data is computed and processed. The compiler converts the source code into executable code, which the main processor can then use.
GPUs operate a bit differently than CPUs. Typically, the theoretical computing power of GPUs is expressed in single precision (FP32).
TeraFlops of PS5, Xbox, and graphics cards in comparison
| Device/Model | Number of TeraFlops (FP32) |
|---|---|
| Xbox Series S | 4.0 |
| PS5 | 10.15 |
| Xbox Series X | 12.15 |
| Radeon RX 6800 XT | 20.74 |
| Radeon RX 7900 XTX | 61 |
| GeForce RTX 3080 | 29.8 |
| GeForce RTX 3090 | 35.6 |
| GeForce RTX 4090 | 82.6 |
Do many TeraFlops mean I have a great computer?
Does a high number of FLOPs mean a lot of performance? The number of FLOPs describes only the number of computational steps on paper that the CPU or GPU could theoretically achieve per second.
Usually, this is based on a best-case scenario estimation. In practice, the theoretical values are rarely reached. Because in reality, it also depends on where your computer is located, how good the cooling is, and what else you have built in.
The following things are not considered by FLOPs: Additionally, not all factors are taken into account, and other components also play a role
- The video memory of the graphics card or the processor cache is not represented by the FLOPs. 8 to 12 GB of video memory is now a must if you really want to do gaming.
- Moreover, each game relies on a different game engine, which in turn has different expectations of your hardware. Players regularly complain about a poor optimization where even high-end graphics cards struggle.
- The overall architecture of the hardware also plays a role. Depending on how efficient this architecture is, the more performance you ultimately get.
- Features like upscaling technologies like DLSS or FSR are also not taken into account in the calculation of FLOPs. In practice, however, these technologies provide a significant performance boost.
Basically, it all depends on the overall configuration and the game: Your system may theoretically have fewer TFLOPs than your best friend’s computer, yet your system still performs better because your system is better cooled, or your graphics card supports features like DLSS or FSR.
If you are interested in your system’s performance, we would give you another tip. Because with FLOPs, you can initially only capture your theoretical performance on paper.
Alternative for TeraFlops: Focus on FPS for performance
TeraFlops refer to a theoretical performance that a graphics card, processor, or computer can achieve.
In everyday life, this performance is hardly achieved. It’s a bit like driving a vehicle with 450 horsepower in the city, where you can’t actually use that power.
What you should pay attention to: In gaming, it’s not about how many TeraFlops your graphics card or processor ultimately achieves. Much more important is how many FPS you end up getting in the game. The more FPS you have in the game, the smoother the gameplay appears to the human eye.
For actual performance, you should rather use benchmark software that shows you how much performance is in your system.
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