The Illusion of Progress – Why Increased Computing Power Does Not Translate Into Noticeable Improvements in Software Performance

Abstract

Advances in computer technology should lead to a steady increase in software performance and an improvement in the user’s experience. In practice, however, a phenomenon is often observed that can be described as the ‘illusion of progress’ – despite the manifold increase in the computing power of modern computers, their users often do not perceive a proportional improvement in the speed of operating systems, applications and computer games. The aim of this article is to analyze the causes of this situation and to identify the factors responsible for the growing disparity between hardware capabilities and actual software performance.
The article discusses the impact of the growing complexity of IT systems, multi-layered soft-ware architectures, internet technologies, and shifting priorities in modern software engineering. It highlights the phenomenon of feature creep, Moore’s Law, Wirth’s Law, and the consequences of reducing investment in code optimization in favor of faster implementation of new features. Modern web browsers, computer games and the Unreal Engine 5 are presented as case studies, as their hardware requirements often grow faster than the performance of popular graphics cards.
In conclusion, an attempt was made to address the question of whether the observed trend might be reversed in light of rising hardware costs, a slowdown in the growth of integrated circuit performance, and the increased demand for computing resources driven by the development of artificial intelligence. The results of the analysis suggest that the future of software performance will depend not only on further hardware development, but also on a renewed focus on optimization as one of the key objectives of software engineering.