Introduction

There are several things that define a CPU, and how well it performs. I'll talk about the most, most, most important things to consider on the first two pages, and then the following pages will be about things that you should consider also, but won't be super important.

So, the important things to look out for when choosing one are:

• Operating Frequency
• Socket Type

Operating Frequency

Operating Frequency refers to the speed the CPU computes in. The higher the frequency, the faster it performs. CPU speed is usually measured in Ghz (Gigahertz) or Mhz (Megahertz). (Hertz is the unit in which frequency is measured in cycles per second, so Ghz is 1 billion hertz, Mhz is 1 million hertz.)

How to read Operating Frequency in Intel CPUs

In Intel CPUs, they flat out tell you it is "3.4Ghz", or "3.73Ghz", etc. Their names would read out something like this:

Intel Extreme Edition @ 3.73Ghz

How to read Operating Frequency in AMD CPUs

In AMD CPUs, their names would reflect how fast the CPU would run IF it was to be an Intel CPU. Take this example for instance:

AMD Athlon 64 3500

The Athlon 64 represents the Athlon 64 series, and the 3500 is the number at what frequency it is comparable when tested against an Intel CPU. When you 3500, this tells you that the CPU runs like a 3500Mhz processor, or 3.5Ghz. But in reality, when you look this CPU up, it's actually 2.2Ghz.

CPU: Things to Know

Page 1: Introduction and Operating Frequency

Page 2: Socket Type

Page 3: TBA