According to Tom's Hardware , the latest results from the hardware performance evaluation platform PassMark show that the average performance of desktop and laptop processors (CPUs) is declining. This is a phenomenon that has never happened in the company's two decades of monitoring. Notably, the decrease in laptops is up to 3.4%, while desktop CPUs also recorded a slight decrease of 0.5%.
Desktop CPU performance chart had a big jump in 2023 but has not grown significantly since then, while laptop CPUs also show signs of slowing down from 2024
PHOTO: TOM'SHARDWARE SCREENSHOT
Specifically, the average laptop CPU score in 2024 reached 14,632 points from more than 100,000 test samples, but in 2025, this number is only 14,130 points. In the desktop segment, the score also dropped from 26,436 to 26,311, although the decrease is smaller. This decline comes even as AMD, Intel and Qualcomm continue to introduce new processors with the promise of improved performance.
The cause of this phenomenon is still unclear. One hypothesis put forward by PassMark is that users are tending to buy more energy-efficient devices, leading to lower average scores. Another factor could be the impact of Windows 11, as many people are switching from Windows 10 to newer versions, which could reduce overall performance due to changes in the operating system. Some versions of Windows 11 have been noted to cause performance drops in gaming tasks, suggesting that the operating system may not be well optimized for newer processors.
After a strong breakthrough period from 2020 to 2023, CPU performance is showing signs of slowing down, especially on desktops, with no significant improvement from 2024 to present.
PHOTO: TOM'SHARDWARE SCREENSHOT
In addition, the pace of processor innovation in recent years has also shown signs of slowing down. While 2023 saw leaps and bounds thanks to the AMD Ryzen Threadripper Pro 7995WX and Ryzen 9 7945HX3D, 2024 and early 2025 saw no similar breakthroughs. New processors like the Intel Core Ultra 275HX only increased performance by 6.8% over the previous generation, while the AMD Ryzen 9000 and Intel Arrow Lake Core Ultra 200S series fell short of expectations.
PassMark also mentioned the possibility that increasingly popular bloatware could be contributing to the performance slowdown, but this remains an unsubstantiated hypothesis.
It’s unclear at this point whether this decline is temporary or a sign that processors are reaching their limits. As 2025 continues and newer CPUs are tested, the data may change. However, if the trend continues, it could be a sign that CPU saturation is indeed approaching.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/thoi-ky-bao-hoa-cua-cpu-da-den-185250213105818429.htm
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