Compare Computer Processor Types
The CPU, or processor, of a computer accesses data, runs applications and processes information. It is the brain of the computer. A wide variety of CPUs are on the market, though all are made by either Intel or AMD.
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Intel vs. AMD
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The two manufacturers of CPUs are Intel and AMD. It is very difficult to compare the two because multiple variables go into calculating performance. In addition, the architecture on which the chips were built is different. Thus, one 2.8 GHz chip from Intel does not equal a 2.8 GHz chip from AMD. It is difficult to tell which company's CPUs are better.
Speed
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Processors come in a variety of speeds. The processor speed is the rate at which a computer can process a group of information (called a cycle) within one second. The higher the CPU speed, the more information can be processed in a second, meaning more data and applications can be used. Typically, smaller processors are faster because they require less energy and heat to run.
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Caches
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A CPU uses a cache to store information that is often reused. Currently, there are 3 caches: L1, L2 and L3. The processor goes in order and uses the information from those caches to process information. The more information stored on the cache, the faster a CPU will be because it does not have to access that information for the first time. Typically, cache refers to L2 cache, but recently more processors are coming out with larger L3 caches as well.
Multiple Cores
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The unit of the CPU is called a core. There are many CPUs on the market that have dual or quad cores. This means that on one chip, there are two or four separate cores, which means the chip will act as though multiple CPUs are installed. For instance, a 2.8 GHz dual core chip acts like it has 2 2.8 GHz CPUs. More cores do not necessarily mean better performance because the kind of core matters as well. The performance of the core can be affected by many things, such as size or cache.
32 bit vs. 64 bit
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64-bit processing allows for a greater amount of data to be processed in the same amount of time as compared with a 32-bit processor. However, this depends on the operating system and the applications being 64-bit as well. 64-bit processors also handle more RAM than 32-bit systems, and therefore can run faster. This is because the CPU uses the RAM to run applications and access data.
Considerations
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When comparing processors, a general indicator of how good a CPU can be is the price. The more expensive the processor, the better it tends to be. However, not everyone needs a high-end processor. Many people who do normal computing, such as surfing the Internet or word processing, would not need the same type of performance as a video editor or gamer.
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