Central Processing Unit
Your CPU is the brains of your computer. When choosing your computer's CPU it is recommended you consider 3 things: (1) your planned use of the computer, (2) the CPU's processing speed or power, and (3) the amount of cores, or processors, you will need. There is also the issue of whether to get a 32-bit or 64-bit processor, but the 32-bit is quickly going out of date and you are almost always going to want to go with a 64-bit.
1. Intel vs. AMD
There are two brands you'll likely be comparing when you are looking at processors. Chances are you will be choosing between an Intel processor and an AMD processor. Although there are a few variants, these are the two main processor producers on the market.
AMD processors tend to be less expensive than Intel. They, however, are best used in budget computers where price matters more than performance. Intel, on the other hand, has "beefier" models, which tend to be a bit more expensive than their AMD counterparts. For people who just want to do the basics on their computers, like checking the mail, browsing the web and editing documents, AMD processors will do the job just fine. For users who want more power because they use their computer for gaming, running several applications and other more complicated editing software, Intel is preferable.
2. Clock Speed
Clock Speed is the simplest concept - it’s how many calculations a CPU can crunch in a single second. Clock Speed is measured in gigahertz, abbreviated GHz. Each GHz stands for 1 billion calculations, meaning a CPU with 4GHz can calculate 4 billion calculations in a second.
3. Cores
Cores are the individual processors which are combined onto one board. Having multiple cores on a computer will allow it to complete multiple tasks more efficiently.
Each core is a worker that performs a separate task. The more tasks you do at once, the more workers or cores you are going to need. Only one worker can perform one task at once, so if you are usually dealing with large tasks you would prefer to have fewer cores with higher Clock Speeds. If you perform many tasks then you would prefer more cores at relatively lower Clock Speeds.
Many large applications, however, are programmed to take advantage of multiple cores. This means that they split up the one task so more workers (cores) can operate on it. This is called multi-threading, or hyper-threading. This type of coding allows the programs to use all available cores at once to distribute the work. You can look up the main programs you work with on Google along with the term "multi-threading" to see if it does this or not.
Your processor is one of the more important parts of your computer and can be a challenge to replace. As a result, it is advisable to invest in a good CPU so that your computer lasts you for a decent time.
1. Intel vs. AMD
There are two brands you'll likely be comparing when you are looking at processors. Chances are you will be choosing between an Intel processor and an AMD processor. Although there are a few variants, these are the two main processor producers on the market.
AMD processors tend to be less expensive than Intel. They, however, are best used in budget computers where price matters more than performance. Intel, on the other hand, has "beefier" models, which tend to be a bit more expensive than their AMD counterparts. For people who just want to do the basics on their computers, like checking the mail, browsing the web and editing documents, AMD processors will do the job just fine. For users who want more power because they use their computer for gaming, running several applications and other more complicated editing software, Intel is preferable.
2. Clock Speed
Clock Speed is the simplest concept - it’s how many calculations a CPU can crunch in a single second. Clock Speed is measured in gigahertz, abbreviated GHz. Each GHz stands for 1 billion calculations, meaning a CPU with 4GHz can calculate 4 billion calculations in a second.
3. Cores
Cores are the individual processors which are combined onto one board. Having multiple cores on a computer will allow it to complete multiple tasks more efficiently.
Each core is a worker that performs a separate task. The more tasks you do at once, the more workers or cores you are going to need. Only one worker can perform one task at once, so if you are usually dealing with large tasks you would prefer to have fewer cores with higher Clock Speeds. If you perform many tasks then you would prefer more cores at relatively lower Clock Speeds.
Many large applications, however, are programmed to take advantage of multiple cores. This means that they split up the one task so more workers (cores) can operate on it. This is called multi-threading, or hyper-threading. This type of coding allows the programs to use all available cores at once to distribute the work. You can look up the main programs you work with on Google along with the term "multi-threading" to see if it does this or not.
Your processor is one of the more important parts of your computer and can be a challenge to replace. As a result, it is advisable to invest in a good CPU so that your computer lasts you for a decent time.