Computer Hardware
Clock Speed
Definition
Clock speed is the rate at which a processor can complete a processing cycle. It is typically measured in gigahertz (GHz), or billions of cycles per second.
Why It Matters
Clock speed is one of the primary indicators of a CPU's performance. A higher clock speed means the CPU can perform more operations per second, leading to faster performance in many tasks.
Contextual Example
A CPU with a clock speed of 4.0 GHz can perform 4 billion cycles per second. A CPU at 3.0 GHz performs 3 billion. All other things being equal, the 4.0 GHz CPU will be faster.
Common Misunderstandings
- You cannot directly compare the clock speeds of CPUs from different manufacturers or different generations. A modern CPU with a lower clock speed can be much faster than an older CPU with a higher clock speed due to improvements in its architecture (its ability to do more work per cycle).
- "Overclocking" is the practice of manually increasing a component's clock speed beyond its factory settings to get more performance.