Key takeaways - The performance of any quantum computer can be evaluated using three fundamental metrics: programmable qubits, qubit operations, and maximum circuits per second. - Programmable qubits measure scale by counting the qubits users can directly control and incorporate into quantum algorithms. - Qubit operations measure quality by indicating how many complex operations a quantum computer can reliably execute. - Maximum circuits per second measures speed by capturing circuit throughput, or how much useful computation a quantum system can perform over time. - Circuit throughput is a key indicator of quantum computing price-performance, helping quantify computational cost efficiency. - These metrics apply across quantum-computing modalities, including superconducting, trapped-ion, quantum-dot, and other hardware platforms. They give us a simple way of comparing quantum computers across different hardware modalities and platforms. IBM has long tracked the progression of quantum computing hardware performance across three fundamental dimensions: scale, quality, and speed. Together, they tell us not only what a quantum computer can do, but also how efficiently and cost-effectively it can do it. So, what are the specific metrics we use to quantify these dimensions? - Scale: Programmable qubits. How many qubits can you program directly? - Quality: Qubit operations. How many of the most complex operations can a system reliably execute? - Speed: Maximum circuits per second (circuit throughput). How much useful work can a system perform per second, and at what cost? These metrics provide a clear picture of the performance, computational capability, scalability, and cost efficiency of today’s quantum computers, regardless of the underlying hardware technology. They capture essential aspects of performance that apply across modalities—from IBM’s superconducting hardware to trapped-ion, quantum-dot, and other quantum computing approaches. Even as quantum computers grow more powerful and less error-prone, the underlying framework will remain largely the same, though some of the