First CPU performance decline after 20 years of growth | Gpu comparison | Hardware near me | Computer hardware notes | Turtles AI

 PassMark reports an unexpected decline in CPU performance in 2025, after 20 years of steady growth. A slowdown affecting both desktops and laptops, raising questions about the future of processor evolution.

Key points:

• For the first time in 20 years, PassMark records a decline in CPU performance.
• The decline affects both desktop and laptop processors, down 0.5 percent and 3.4 percent, respectively.
• There is no significant progress in new CPU models, particularly among manufacturers AMD and Intel.
• PassMark does not rule out factors such as the adoption of cheaper hardware, the entry of ARMs or bloatware as possible causes of this decline.

PassMark Software, a leader in processor benchmarks for years, recently released a surprising finding: after two decades of continuous growth in CPU performance, there has been a decline in average scores in 2025. The usual monitoring of desktop and laptop processor performance, which the company conducts with its PerformanceTest software, showed a downward trend, both on desktop and laptop devices. In the period from January to February 2025, the average score of desktop CPUs decreased by 0.5 percent, while for laptops the decline was more pronounced, standing at -3.4 percent. These results are particularly unusual considering that since 2004, when PassMark began collecting data, processor performance has always grown steadily and predictably. Although there is still no official and definitive explanation for this phenomenon, PassMark suggests some possible causes. One hypothesis involves the increasing reliance by users on cheaper and less powerful hardware, which may be compromising overall performance. Another proposed explanation is the negative influence of so-called “bloatware,” i.e., preinstalled programs and applications that, in addition to taking up space, can weigh down the system and slow down processor operation. It is also not ruled out that the adoption of Windows 11, although it does not seem to cause huge differences from Windows 10, may have a negative impact on some hardware configurations. The cause of greatest concern, however, concerns a possible stalemate in CPU innovations, particularly by the two major manufacturers, AMD and Intel. Until 2023, in fact, new processor models had delivered tangible improvements in performance, as in the case of the AMD Ryzen Threadripper Pro 7995WX that pushed desktop performance trends to +58.6 percent. However, the processors released in 2024 did not produce significant improvements and posted only marginal gains, suggesting that performance growth may have reached a saturation point. The introduction of ARM processors, which have been included in PassMark tests since 2021, may be another factor to consider, although these are still less common than traditional x86 chips. In summary, this decline in CPU performance could reflect a number of interconnected variables, but it remains to be seen whether this is a passing trend or a sign of a deeper shift in processor technology evolution.

Despite the slowdown, it remains to be seen how the industry will respond to this challenge, whether it will be able to bounce back with new innovations or whether we will have to resign ourselves to a phase of performance stagnation.