This is the number of instructions a single processor core can carry out per second (Hz). For most desktop computers, this will be somewhere around 3.5 GHz (3.5 billion instructions per second).
The higher the clock speed, the greater the number of instructions that can be carriedd out per second.
Some CPUs can be overclocked to make then run at a higher clock speed than the factory-set rate. But it's risky if not done properly - it can make CPUs overheat, causing crashes or permanent damage to the system. High performance cooling systems are usually needed.
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Number of Cores
Each core in a CPU can process data independently of rest.
The more cores a CPU has, the more instructions it can carry out at once, so the faster it can process a batch of data.
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Cache Size
The Cache is data stored inside the CPU that's much faster than RAM.
A larger CPU cache gives the CPU faster access to more data it needs to process.
Generally speaking, CPUs with higher clock speeds, more cores or larger caches will have better performance, but will also be more expensive.
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More RAM
If a computer has too little RAM it may run slowly due to the use of virtual memory.
The more RAM, the more applications or more memory intensive applications it can smoothly run, making it faster overall.
It's easy to upgrade RAM on a PC or laptop - it's just a matter of replacing the RAM stick with higher capacity (or higher speed) ones.
If the computer already has plenty of RAM to run everything the user wants, increasing RAM may make no difference to performance.
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GPUs
GPUs (graphics processing units) are specialised circuits for handling graphics and image proccessing. They relieve the processing load on the CPU, freeing it to do other things.
Computers have basic GPUs integrated onto the motherboard or the CPU. For better graphics performance, a dedicated GPU is often used.
Using high-end graphics cards can greatly improve performance in graphics-intensive applications.
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