Intel accused of inflating CPU benchmark results...

Benchmarks play a crucial role in evaluating performance, but they can be controversial and not always reflective of real-world usage. Intel has been accused by the Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation (SPEC) of manipulating benchmark results for its Xeon CPUs by optimizing compilers to favor specific tests, potentially inflating performance by up to 9%. SPEC invalidated over 2600 benchmark results as a result of this discovery. While these Xeon processors and SPEC tests are typically used in industrial and educational settings rather than consumer markets, such manipulations are not uncommon in the tech industry, with past instances involving mobile chip suppliers.