Factors affecting CPU speed

Factors affecting CPU speed

1. Cache size

   • The cache remembers instructions that have recently been fetched from the RAM, so those instructions do not have to be fetched from the RAM again
   • The bigger the cache, the more instructions can be saved in it at any one time, meaning the computer will be faster.

2. Amount of cores

   • Most modern PCs have dual- or quad-core processors
   • Doubling the processor cores will almost double the performance.
   • Each core has its own components and registers.
   • All the cores are controlled by a single control unit.

3. Clock speed

   • This is the amount of instructions that the CPU can handle per second.
   • It is measured in MHz (megahertz), which means millions per second, or GHz (gigahertz), which means billions per second.