SPEC CPU: The Next Generation
This paper provides a new standard benchmark suite for computer architecture researchers and developers, but it is an incremental update to existing SPEC CPU suites.
SPEC CPU 2026 introduces a new benchmark suite for processor performance evaluation, featuring Rolling-Round-Robin Rate for heterogeneous workloads and expanded multithreaded benchmarks. The suite is built on modern open-source applications with a focus on workload diversity and portability.
The march toward developing relevant and robust CPU benchmarks continues with the introduction of SPEC CPU 2026, the next generation suite for measuring processor performance. This paper details the methodology behind its creation, showcasing a process centered on community collaboration and principled development. The suite is built upon a foundation of modern, open-source applications, selected and hardened through a process that emphasizes workload diversity, portability, and software longevity. A key contribution is Rolling-Round-Robin Rate, a novel and standardized approach to running heterogeneous, multiprogrammed workloads that addresses a long-standing gap in benchmarking practice. Additionally, the suite features an expanded set of multithreaded benchmarks and introduces workloads with distinct microarchitectural profiles, reflecting the demands of contemporary software. By detailing our principled approach to benchmark selection, adaptation, and validation, we demonstrate how the SPEC CPU 2026 suite sets the standard for performance evaluation in the next era of computer architecture research and development.