Computer Hardware: Processors

A Central Processing Unit (also known as a CPU or (micro)processor) is the 'brain' of your computer, as it computes most tasks and executes programs. The CPU is basically reponsible for everything your PC does, for example making your mouse work and running your Operating System (Windows, Linux etc).

The speed at which your CPU runs at is called the Clock Speed and is measured in MHz (MegaHertz) or GHZ (GigaHertz). The Processor requires a fixed number of clock cycles to perform each instruction. The faster the clock speed, the faster it can execute programs, and thus resulting in a faster computer.

There are two main brands in tense competition in the market at the moment: Intel and AMD. Intel tend to have better performance with their power usage, while AMD processors are usually cheaper.

When buying a new processor, its imprtant first to check if your motherboard can support it. Then you must check all your other components---will they be able to support it? Its quite obvious that getting a $300 processor and shoving it in a computer with 128MB RAM and intergrated video is gonna be pretty stupid--- its like shoving a jet engine on a fridge.

Also, when buying a proccesor, try to look for a combo of a CPU and heatsink fan. The heatsink basically cools down your CPU significantly, and if you dont have a working heatsink your processor can fry in seconds. If you are building your own computer, try not to touch the processor unless you have grounded yourself first, or you could kill it with your static charge.