Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation (SPEC)
The Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation (SPEC), originally known as the System
Performance Evaluation Cooperative, is a consortium of leading computer hardware and software
manufacturers that was founded in 1988 with the goal of defining, establishing, maintaining and
endorsing benchmarks
applicable to computer systems. Today, SPEC has more than 60 member companies including major
industry players such as Dell, Intel, Microsoft and Unisys. SPEC is headquartered in Warrenton,
Virginia.
SPEC consists of three major branches or subgroups:
- The Open Systems Group (OSG), the original SPEC committee, develops test standards and
procedures for desktop
computers, workstations and
servers.
- The High-Performance Group (HPG) develops test standards and procedures for supercomputers and
systems that use parallel
processing, symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) and other
advanced technologies.
- The Graphics Performance Characterization Group (GPC) develops test standards and procedures
for widely used graphics and imaging
applications.
In addition to developing and updating new and existing benchmarks, SPEC publishes the results
of tests conducted using those benchmarks. These results can be found on the official SPEC Web
site. The standards and procedures are conceived with utility and fairness in mind, allowing
purchasers of computer equipment and programs to make informed choices. All the processes are
designed to simulate real-world scenarios to the greatest extent practicable. The use of any SPEC
benchmark requires that a license be purchased. The activities of the consortium are financed by
its member corporations.
This was last updated in February 2007
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