What characterizes the processor frequency. What is processor clock speed (CPU)

Clock frequency is a parameter that is measured in gigahertz. A higher frequency allows faster data processing. This is one of the most important parameters that you should pay attention to when choosing a processor.

The number of cores is no less important; the fact is that the clock frequency is at this stage development cannot be increased any more, this prompted continued development in the direction of parallel computing, expressed in an increase in the number of cores. The number of cores informs how many programs can be run simultaneously without losing performance. However, it is worth considering that if the program is optimized for two cores, even if there are more of them, the computer will not be able to fully use them.

Cache and processor bus frequency

The bus frequency demonstrates the transmission speed of information entering and leaving the processor. The higher this indicator, the faster the exchange of information occurs; the units of measurement here are gigahertz. The processor cache, which is a high-speed memory block, is of great importance. It is located directly on the core and serves to improve performance, since it processes data at a much higher speed than in the case of RAM. There are three levels of cache memory:

L1 - the first level is the smallest in volume, but the fastest, its size varies between 8 - 128 KB.

L2 is the second level, much slower than the first, but exceeds it in volume, here the size varies between 128 - 12288 KB.

L3 is the third level, inferior in speed to the first two levels, but the most voluminous, by the way, it may be absent altogether, since it is intended for special editions of processors or server solutions. Its size reaches 16384 KB, it can be present in processors such as Xeon MP, Pentium 4 Extreme Edition or Itanium 2.

Socket and heat dissipation

Less significant, but still relevant when choosing a processor, are such characteristics as socket and heat dissipation. Socket called the socket where the processor is installed on the motherboard. By indicators heat release You can determine the degree of heating of the processor during operation. This indicator is measured in watts, and it varies from 10 to 165 W.

The average cost of processors on the Moscow market Intel Core 2 Duo is 5000 rubles, and AMD Athlon X2 Dual-Core RUB 3,000, according to http://price.ru

Table 3 Comparison of processors

For working with graphics, the bus and processor frequency are important, therefore, in accordance with the minimum hardware requirements, when choosing between the two proposed CPUs, based on the above key characteristics, as well as on price qualities, I give preference to the AMD ATHLON II X2 CPU http://www.nix.ru .

Processor clock speed - this is the number of oscillations over a certain period of time(V in this case- in a second). If we talk about a personal computer, then for it this is an indicator of the number of operations that the processor can perform in 1 second. Remember: the higher the clock speed, the higher the computer's performance.

What varieties are there?

This is interesting! The unit of frequency measurement is called the “hertz,” and it is named after the legendary German physicist Heinrich Rudolf Hertz, who in 1885 conducted a unique experiment to confirm the correctness of the electromagnetic theory. The scientist proved that light is a type electromagnetic radiation, which propagates in the form of special waves.

Experts distinguish 2 types of clock frequencies.

External (affects data exchange between the RAM board and the processor).
Internal (affects the correctness and speed of operation inside the processor).

Another interesting fact is that until 1992, these two indicators, as a rule, coincided, and only as a result of the introduction of new technologies by specialists from a well-known Intel the internal frequency was increased by 2 times compared to the external one. An example of such an achievement was the 80486DX2 processor, unique at that time. The manufacturer presented to the public 2 types of such a processor: one is less powerful (25/50 MHz), the other is with higher performance (33/66 MHz). This invention gave a serious impetus, including to other manufacturers, and they began to actively develop and produce processors with noticeably more power.

It is worth paying attention to this important point: clock frequency processor is not the only criterion for assessing the speed and performance of a computer. You also need to take into account the size of the cache memory and . On some processors latest generation a special system is used that is responsible for automatically increasing the clock frequency of the processor cores. So, if you are an active gamer and cannot imagine your life without daily immersion in the fascinating world of complex games, both in plot and graphics, then you need. But for the classic office work A modern PC will do as well.

How is the clock frequency determined?

As is known, clock oscillations are formed as a result of the action of a quartz crystal located in a special container. This device is called a “clock resonator”. The crystal begins to work only after voltage is applied and an electric current oscillates. Next, these oscillations are fed to a clock generator, as a result of which the electric current oscillations are converted into pulses, and they are already transmitted to the data buses.

Remember that it is the clock generator that is responsible for the required operating cycle of all PC components, including buses, RAM and, of course, CPU. If the clock generator is working correctly, all components will also function as synchronously and smoothly as possible.
There is also such a thing as a clock period.

The clock period is the minimum unit by which the operating time of a processor is measured.

Increasing frequency by overclocking

When interacting with the RAM board, the processor usually spends more than one clock cycle. This indicator can be increased artificially, that is, as a result of the so-called “", but having chosen this path, you need to know about some restrictions:

processor starts consume significantly more energy, and the installed and operated power supply may not be able to cope with this point, so it is worth purchasing a more efficient model;
as a result of “overclocking,” the amount of energy emitted by the crystal increases, that is, both it and other components will heat up faster(only an effective cooling system will help to cope with the consequences of overheating);
If the volume of supplied electricity increases, problems will certainly arise. electromagnetic interference , in particular, in the operation of data buses (this can lead to a decrease in the amount of data transferred).

How to find out the processor frequency of your computer?

There are four main ways to find out the clock speed and thus determine the performance of a PC:

View the documentation provided by the manufacturer along with your computer or laptop. The technical data sheet must indicate the type of processor and its clock frequency. If there is no inscription regarding the clock frequency next to the specified processor model, you can find it out by entering any search engine processor name, laptop model, etc.
You can find out the clock frequency by reading the properties of your PC system. What needs to be done for this? First, go to the “Control Panel”; secondly, go to the “System Properties” section. This section displays computer performance indicators, including clock speed.
You can take advantage of the opportunities, which you can access by following some simple rules (for personal computers they are the same, for laptops they are different). The main thing is to press one “magic” button (for example, Del, Esc or F12) before the system starts booting.
Install on your computer CPU-Z utility, which is absolutely free, and its main purpose is to help the user find out everything he needs Contains information about the processor, including its performance and clock speed.

So, you already know what clock speed is personal computer or laptop, what significance these indicators have for the speed of the equipment, you know how to determine the frequency, and we hope that this information will help you become an even more professional and successful PC user.

The processor clock frequency is the amount of information processed, that is, the number of synchronizing cycles, per second. The clock frequency is measured in MegaHertz (Mhz). As a rule, the higher the clock frequency, the faster programs and games run, that is, the number of operations performed per second increases, however, systems with the same clock frequency may have different performance, since it takes only one operation to complete different processors may be required different quantity beats

Performance.

Performance is the efficiency of the clock frequency used. The higher the expected speed of device tasks, the more quantity"horsepower" is required "under the hood". Modern devices provide increasingly higher video resolutions on displays, millions of colors (hundreds of thousands of shades of brightness) or high-quality sound. Besides, everything modern devices support GUI user interface (also known as GUI), which allows you to control by pointing the right place on the screen and pressing with a finger or mouse button. All this beauty requires the creation, recording and movement of billions of zeros and ones per second, that is, quite a lot of performance.

Processor core.

A processor core is the part of the processor that executes a single thread of instructions. Single-core processors use pipelined clock processing, while multi-core processors use parallel processing. In other words, multi-core processors perform several operations simultaneously, thereby completing user tasks faster.

Energy consumption.

Low-power processor will extend the time battery life battery powered devices. The “race” for processor frequency and performance has led to an increase in energy consumption. Therefore, companies began to install energy saving systems, temperature sensors that provide protection against overheating and reduce the processor frequency in the event of an unacceptable increase in temperature, implement at the software level energy saving modes to “fall asleep” the processor, as well as install batteries large capacity.

RAM.

RAM is temporary memory that affects the multitasking of the device, in which programs launched by the user run. RAM is also called the "brain" of the computer because it is where most of the work is done. Large volume RAM allows you to run simultaneously more programs and games, and also allows you to speed up all processes related to information processing.

Built-in memory.

Hard disk memory is the memory that is dedicated to downloading and installing user files(programs, applications, widgets, multimedia files and games). In devices it is characterized by size hard drive(in some cases flash memory is used). The larger the volume, the more information can be stored. These devices may also have expandable memory. Internet tablets have a memory card slot for this memory. In laptops and netbooks, in addition to the slot, there are connectors for a removable flash drive or hard drive.

Operating system.

An operating system is a set of programs that use computer resources (processor, operating and permanent memory), whose activities are aimed at performing user tasks. The operating system is also called the “mistress” of all equipment. Its first function is to indicate the way the microprocessor operates and manage a large array of memory. The second function of the operating system is to index all information located in the built-in memory. Performance depends on what system is installed on the device. Three operating systems are common in Euroset stores: on laptops and netbooks it is Windows, and on Internet Android Tablets and iOS.

Multitasking is the ability to launch and run multiple programs simultaneously. Multitasking is implemented at the operating system level and allows you to optimize processes, increase operating speed and increase the comfort of using the device.

Video card.

A video card is a device for displaying video and graphics on a computer. There are two types of video cards: integrated (built-in) and discrete (removable). Discrete card more productive than integrated analogues, which makes it possible to work with complex graphic programs(for example, 3D-MAX (3-D Max)) and high performance in games.

Display.

Displays differ in such characteristics as: diagonal, resolution, aspect ratio and screen coverage. The diagonal can range from 4 to 19 inches (1 inch equals 2.54 cm) for laptops, netbooks and tablets. Resolution is the number of pixels that will make up the image . Screen resolution ranges from 800x600 to 1366x768 pixels, which allows you to fully enjoy the beauty of your screensaver or photos. Netbooks often have a resolution of 1024x600. Widescreen screens are not square in shape, but have the appearance of an elongated rectangle, which allows you to: conveniently view WEB pages and full-length films.

Is the screen coating matte or glossy?

The matte coating does not create glare on the screen when daylight, fingerprints are less visible on it and your eyes are less tired.

Glossy finish gives the image more brightness and contrast, however

When direct light hits the display, the image dims and glare appears.

The main criterion when choosing a processor for a new computer is its performance. The bigger The processor is fast, the faster the work with various programs utilities and the operating system. The speed of the processor depends, as already mentioned, on clock frequency, measured in megahertz (MHz) and gigahertz (GHz). Moreover, it depends on the volume cache memory first and subsequent levels, data bus frequency (FSB) And processor capacity.

Megahertz is a million vibrations per second, while a gigahertz represents a billion vibrations per second. It is generally accepted that the higher the clock speed a processor operates, the better its performance. However, this is not always true. Moreover, the overall system performance is highly dependent not only on the processor, but also on all other components. Let's say you purchased a 3 GHz Core i3 processor, but installed only 2048 MB, and also used it at low data transfer speeds. With this configuration, the differences in performance between a 2 and 3 GHz processor will be barely noticeable. In other words, the performance of a computer depends on the performance of the slowest component, be it the processor, RAM, hard drive or even a power supply (because if the power supply is not enough to power the hardware components, o stable work You can completely forget your computer).

Processor clock speed and its catch

Let's take a closer look at the question why processor clock speed does not guarantee its high performance. The clock frequency, as its name implies, consists of beats, or clock periods. Each operation performed by the processor takes one clock cycle and several wait cycles. The wait cycle is an “empty” cycle, i.e. a clock cycle during which no operations are performed. Wait cycles are necessary to ensure synchronous operation of different computer components. For execution various teams is wasted different quantities beats For example, processor Core i3 can execute at least 12 commands per clock cycle. The fewer clock cycles required to execute a command, the higher the processor. In addition, other factors also affect performance, for example, the size of the first/second level cache.

Processors Core I and Athlon II They have different internal architectures, so commands are executed differently in them. As a result, it is impossible to compare these processors based on clock speed. For example, a processor Athlon II X4 641 with a clock speed of 2.8 GHz has performance roughly comparable to Core processor I3, operating at 3 GHz.

04. 07.2018

Blog of Dmitry Vassiyarov.

Are clock speed and performance the same thing?

Greetings to all readers, and I will be especially pleased to please you with my story on the topic of what is processor clock speed? Perhaps for some this topic will seem elementary and of little use, but I am sure that several interesting facts and simple comparisons will allow you to take a fresh look at the operation of the CPU.

Selecting hardware for a computer or new smartphone We first of all are interested in how many cores the processor has and what is their operating frequency. The brand of the CPU itself in this case is a matter of taste (AMD or Intel, MTK or Snapdragon), but if of the presented models, one has a higher frequency in its characteristics, but the choice will certainly be made in its favor. Let's look at why this is so important.

"Impulsive behavior" of the processor

The processor is the heart of anyone computer, and these include not only calculators and computers used in complex calculations, but also any device that works with digitized data. To convert them into music, video, image, or, even more so, to force the program to perform certain operations, the stream of “zeros” and “ones” written in must be passed through a block that performs logical operations. Such processing modules, created from many semiconductor microtransistors, form the basis of the processor crystal, or, as experts say, “stone”.

But let’s return to the digitized data stream, which in reality represents the presence or absence of a signal in an electrical circuit, because it is this that the transistor processes. But in order to make such signals readable (distinguishable from each other), it is supplied in pulses. They are created by a clock generator integrated into the architecture of the processor itself.

In the best modern ones, up to 5,000,000,000 (five billion!) pulses occur in one second. This value is measured in gigahertz (GHz) and is the clock speed of the processor core that performs the main computing functions. The bigger it is, the better.

But the additional hertz comes at the cost of increased power consumption and increased heat.

Do you know the frequency of your CPU?

There are several ways to find out the clock speed of the processor installed on your computer:

Look at the passport located in the box from the CPU;
Find “My Computer” on the monitor, open it in context menu"Properties" and explore general parameters devices;

Install programs AIDA64 or CPU-Z, which show the maximum detailed information about your processor.

Counting cores and gigahertz

In reality, a more objective indicator of CPU speed is the number of operations performed per unit of time. And this is already influenced by the number of microtransistors capable of simultaneously processing several signals. You may have heard something about nanotechnology, but the smaller the computing element, the more of them can be placed on the processor “stone”.

Also, the clock performance of the processor is determined by it (optimization of interaction between individual modules) and the number of threads (channels for simultaneous access to the core).

In addition, the CPU uses multiple cores to handle multiple tasks simultaneously. Moreover, there are processors for smartphones with different clock frequencies of individual cores: 4 energy-efficient (1.8 GHz) and 4 powerful (over 2.3 GHz). Multi-core devices installed on a PC have their own optimization algorithm, which gives the cores the ability to operate at different clock speeds.

Since I’ve already touched on the topic of multi-cores, I’ll tell you about one common misconception regarding our main topic. Some users, buying, for example, a processor Intel Core 2 Quad, with a frequency of each core of 2.5 GHz, they believe that they will get a device capable of delivering 4 x 2.5 = 10 billion clock cycles per second.

This, my friends, is a fallacy. Because this will not make the clock generator work faster. The only thing I can please you with is that each core can theoretically perform a separate operation, but this usually requires several clock cycles.

Overclocking, throttling and heating

Here I consider it necessary to answer a frequently asked question: what is more important when choosing a processor, the number of cores or the clock speed.

Both indicators determine the performance of the processor, so 2 cores at 4.5 GHz can perform no worse than 4 at 2.5 GHz. It all depends on the tasks being performed and on the architecture implemented in the chip.

True, there is still one caveat: you won’t add cores to the CPU, but you can overclock the processor by increasing its clock frequency. There are several ways to do this, but they all require certain conditions to be met:

Theoretical possibility of overclocking the processor;
Resistance of its elements to work at high temperatures or the presence of an additional effective cooling system;
Required overclocking potential motherboard.

There are even several inexpensive CPUs that are most suitable for such a frequency upgrade: AMD FX-6300, AMD FX-4350, AMD Athlon X4 860K, Intel Pentium G3258.

You've probably already noticed that in our conversation about clock speed, the phenomenon of processor heating is periodically mentioned. These two parameters are closely interrelated. It is already clear that an artificial increase in temperature will entail an increase in the CPU temperature.

What happens if, for certain reasons, the processor itself heats up (failure or contamination of the cooler, drying out of thermal paste, working in hot weather)?

In this case, CPU developers have provided a throttling function that monitors the temperature of the chip and, when critical values are reached, automatically reduces the clock speed of the cores and, accordingly, the performance of the entire system.

Finally, I would like to note that the RAM, the system bus of the motherboard, and even the cache memory of the processor itself have their own operating frequency, but it is the core clock frequency that is the maximum.

Remember this so as not to accidentally get confused in terms and devices.

This is where I end my story, and I will prepare a new article with the goal of delighting you with new interesting information from the life of computer hardware.