What Determines How Quickly the CPU Can Work?
A computer's CPU, also called the processor, is sometimes referred to as the brain of the machine. The processor handles every request you give the computer, including basic actions like typing, as well as more complicated ones, such as playing a game or video. The processor's speed determines how well a computer performs when you give it a task. Several factors, such as the clock, cache and bus, make up a processor's speed.
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Cores
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A computer's CPU contains transistors within its core. These transistors work as fast as possible to calculate data when you give the computer a command. Transistors can only work so fast, though, so a CPU with a single core has limitations. Several years ago, manufacturers started making processors with multiple cores. Each core contains its own transistors, allowing the CPU to work much faster. For example, a CPU with two cores may dedicate one core to playing a video while the other core runs a word processor or Internet browser.
Clock Speed
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Clock speed refers to the processor's operating frequency. This frequency, measured in hertz, tells you how many instructions per second that processor can handle. Older CPUs had a clock speed measured in megahertz (MHz), but almost all new CPUs measure speed in gigahertz (GHz). The fastest processors have a clock speed around 4 GHz. With a bit of technology knowledge, it is possible to overclock slower processors, giving them a speed boost. A fast clock speed does have a disadvantage, though. Fast processors tend to overheat easily, so keeping the computer cool is a concern.
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Cache
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A large cache greatly determines how fast a processor is. All computers store information on the hard drive in an area called the cache. The computer's RAM, in turn, caches the data stored on the hard drive's cache. It would take the CPU too long to search for the information on the hard drive, so it usually searches the RAM for the requested data. To speed up this processor further, CPUs also have a cache. This allows the CPU to instantly access the requested information. The cache's size determines how much information the CPU can store. All CPUs have at least a Level 1 (L1) cache. Level 2 (L2) and Level 3 (L3) caches are more expensive.
Bus Width
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A computer's bus, like a highway, allows data transfer from all parts of the computer to the processor. A bus consists of a data bus and an address bus. The data bus handles the information, while the address bus directs that information to the proper location. Bus width refers to how much data a processor can transfer at once. Bus width ranges between eight and 128 bits, but that number may increase in the future.
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