What Is Clock Speed in a Processor?
When purchasing a new PC or upgrading an existing one, you will want to know how fast the processor is when you are trying to determine the computer's performance. Clock speed is the measurement of a processor's rate of executing instructions expressed in a per second format.
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History
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The first commercially available computer, the MITS Altair 8800, had a clock rate of 2 MHz, meaning it could execute 2 million instructions per second.
Function
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The clock rate specification is used to determine the general performance of a CPU. The higher the clock rate, the faster it can process commands sent by the user.
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Potential
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Processor clock speed advancements have recently begun to slow advancement due to the laws of physics. Today's processor manufacturers have attempted to circumvent these limitations by adding multiple cores to a single silicon wafer to boost performance.
Misconceptions
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CPU clock speed should only be taken as a general guide to a computer's potential performance. There are many factors to consider such as RAM speeds, front side bus speeds and on-chip CPU memory which can limit any CPU's potential.
Benefits
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Today's processors offer high clock speed and reasonably low prices, allowing computer processors to become common place and assist us in every venture of life from listening to music to curing diseases.
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