I want to write some simple apps to benchmark CPU's

[Arcadio]

I want to use some basic, simple algorithms to compare the relatively performance of all my current and future PC's. This is done just as a fun project for myself. I also want to use these apps to teach math and programming to kids. Which algorithms should I use to better measure the performance of my CPU's? I'm also doing this so that I can practice my C++ skills.

Now, I know that by using single algorithms I am only testing ONE specific area of the CPU, but I would like to add a few different algorithms that can test different areas of the CPU.

What would you suggest I write?

As an example, a few months ago I wrote a simple application that calculates the nth term of the fibonacci sequence and displays the time it took to find it.

 

[Markbnj]

At the very least you'll need different algorithms to measure different aspects of performance. Look at benchmarking/burn-in programs like Prime95, which combines FFTs for processing with memory intensive operations.

 

[Squeetard]

It will take a lot of research for that, not just a fun project. Modern cpu's are not the x86 instruction set per say anymore. They have so many instruction set extensions built into them now:

https://www.google.ca/webhp?sourcei...&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=cpu instruction extensions

I don't know how one can truly do an apples to apples comparison anymore.

Edit: This is to say. We as a developer don't really care what instructions the compiler is using, but if you want to test the cpu you will need to know this as well as develop an algorithm that uses this.