[BugsJustFindMe]

Intel basically benchmaxxed their compiler optimizations. They used detailed knowledge of the benchmark to make their compiler generate machine code to do better on the benchmark in a way that was not beneficial for non-benchmark scenarios.

[bee_rider]

I assumed as much, I’m just wondering what exactly they did. For example IIRC some phone company would detect that a benchmark was running by checking for the program name, and then allow the clock to boost higher (increase thermal limits) if it was a benchmark (like you could literally avoid the cheating behavior by changing the name of the program being run).