In a time when mobile phones were thick and black and white, processors were single-core, and gigahertz seemed like an insurmountable bar (20 years ago), the only characteristic for comparing CPU power was clock speed. A decade later, the number of cores became the second important characteristic. Nowadays, a smartphone less than a centimeter thick contains more cores, and the clock frequency is higher than a simple PC of those years. Let's try to figure out what the processor clock speed affects.
The processor frequency affects the speed at which the processor's transistors (and there are hundreds of millions of them inside the chip) switch. It is measured in the number of switches per second and is expressed in millions or billions of hertz (megahertz or gigahertz). One hertz is one switching of the processor transistors per second, therefore, one gigahertz is one billion such switching in the same time. For one switch, to put it simply, the kernel does one mathematical operation.
Following the usual logic, we can come to the conclusion that the higher the frequency, the faster the transistors in the cores switch, the sooner the problems are solved. That is why in the past, when the majority of processors were essentially improved Intel x86, architectural differences were minimal, and it was clear that the higher the clock frequency, the faster the computation goes. But over time, everything changed.
Is it possible to compare frequencies of different processors
In the 21st century, developers have taught their processors to process more than one instruction per clock cycle. Therefore, processors with the same clock rate, but based on different architectures, provide different levels of performance. Intel Core i5 2 GHz and Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 2 GHz are two different things. Although the second core has more, it will be weaker in difficult tasks. Therefore, the very frequency of different types of cores cannot be compared; it is also important to take into account the specific performance (the number of instruction executions per clock cycle).
By analogy with machines, the clock frequency is the speed in km / h, and the specific productivity is the carrying capacity in kg. If a passenger car (an ARM processor for a smartphone) and a dump truck (an x86 chip for a PC) are driving nearby, then at the same speed, a passenger car will carry a couple of hundred kilos at a time, and a truck - several tons. If we talk about different types of cores specifically for smartphones (Cortex A53, Cortex A72, Qualcomm Kryo), then these are all cars, but with different capacities. Accordingly, the difference here will no longer be so huge, but also significant.
You can only compare the clock speeds of cores on the same architecture. For example, MediaTek MT6750 and Qualcomm Sanapdragon 625 each contain 8 Cortex A53 cores. But at MTK their frequency is up to 1.5 GHz, and at Qualcomm - 2 GHz. Consequently, the second processor will run approximately 33% faster. But the Qualcomm Snapdragon 652, although it has a frequency of up to 1.8 GHz, is faster than the 625 model, since it uses more powerful Cortex A72 cores.
What gives a high processor frequency in a smartphone
As we have already found out, the higher the clock frequency, the faster the processor works. Consequently, the performance of a smartphone with a higher-frequency chipset will be higher. If one smartphone processor contains 4 Kryo cores at 2 GHz, and the second - 4 of the same Kryo cores at 3 GHz, then the second will be about 1.5 times faster. This will speed up the launch of applications, reduce startup time, allow faster processing of heavy sites in the browser, etc.
However, when choosing a smartphone with high processor frequencies, you should also remember that the higher they are, the more power consumption is. Therefore, if the manufacturer clocked more gigahertz, but did not optimize the device properly, it may overheat and enter "throttling" (forced reset of frequencies). Qualcomm Snapdragon 810, for example, suffered from such a disadvantage at one time.
When you buy or assemble a desktop computer, you may find out that one of the most expensive parts will be the processor. A processor is an electronic unit or circuit that executes machine instructions and is also one of the main pieces of hardware in a computer.
The processor has many different parameters, one of which is called the clock speed. What it is?
The processor clock rate is the frequency of the clock pulses of the synchronous electronic circuit, which are sent from the outside to the circuit input in one second. In other words, this is the number of operations performed by the processor in one second. At the same time, it is important not to forget that processors with the same clock frequency can have different performance, therefore, different systems require different number of clock cycles to perform one operation.
Clock frequency is measured in units of frequency - megahertz and gigahertz.
It is believed that the higher the value, the more efficient the processor itself. This is partly true, but only for models in the same manufacturer's lineup. After all, other characteristics, for example, bus frequency or cache size, also affect processor performance. Some manufacturers allow "overclocking" the processor clock speed.
By the way, an interesting point. As you know, single-core processors are not so common today; they have been replaced by multi-core processors. However, this is not surprising, but this is not the point. Many people ask how the clock speed of multi-core processors is calculated? Some users believe that it is sufficient to multiply the clock speed by the number of processor cores. That is, if an 8-core processor has a frequency of 3GHz, then you need to multiply 8 by 3 and we get a frequency of as much as 24 GHz. In fact, this calculation has nothing to do with reality.
To understand the very principle of calculating the clock frequency, you need to consider a simple example. Let's say we have a car that develops 200 km per hour (that is, a single-core processor). If we take 4 such cars (4-core processor), then no matter how hard we push, we will not be able to accelerate these cars to a speed of 800 km per hour at any desire. So it is with a clock frequency - if it is 3 GHz, then a 4-core processor has a frequency of the same 3 GHz.
Every computer user often asked this question, especially when he decided to purchase new equipment. But in order to answer the question - what does the processor clock speed affect, it is necessary first of all to understand what it is?
INFLUENCE of CPU clock speed on performance?
This indicator indicates the number of calculations performed by the processor per second. And of course, the higher the frequency, the more operations the processor can perform per unit of time. For modern devices, this figure is in the range from 1 to 4 GHz. It is determined by multiplying the base or external frequency by a certain factor. You can increase the processor frequency by "overclocking" it. The world leaders in the production of these devices orient some of their products towards their possible overclocking.
When choosing such a device, an important indicator of performance is not only its frequency. This is also influenced by the vigor of the processor.
Currently, there are practically no such devices that have only one core. Multi-core processors have completely pushed their single-core predecessors out of the market.
About nuclearity and clock frequency
Let's start with the fact that the statement that the processor has a frequency equal to the total sum of this indicator of each of the cores is not true. But why is a multi-core processor better and more efficient? Because each of the cores performs its part of the total work, if it allows, processing the program by the processor. Thus, vigor significantly increases the performance of the system, if the processed information can be divided into parts. But if this is not possible, only one processor core is running. Moreover, its overall performance is equal to the clock speed of this core.
In general, if you have to work with graphics, static images, video, music, a multi-core processor is just what you need. But if you are a gambling addict, then in this case it is better to take a not very multi-core processor, because programmers may not provide for the separation of software processes into parts. Therefore, for gaming, a more powerful processor is better suited.
About processor architecture
In addition, system performance depends on the processor architecture. Naturally, the shorter the signal path from the point of origin to the point of destination, the faster the processing of information. For this reason, Intel processors perform better than AMD processors at the same clock speed.
Outcome
So the clock speed of a processor is its strength or power. It affects system performance. But at the same time, one must not forget that this parameter, in addition to power, depends on the number of cores and on the architecture of this device. Is it necessary to choose a processor taking into account what it will need to work with in the future? For games, it is better to take a more powerful processor, for everything else a multi-core processor with a not very high clock frequency is suitable.
As you know, the clock speed of the processor is the number of operations performed per unit of time, in this case, per second.
But this definition is not enough to fully understand what this concept really means and what meaning it has for us, ordinary users.
There are many articles on the Internet about this, but all of them are missing something.
More often than not, this "something" is the very key that can open the door to understanding.
Therefore, we tried to collect all the basic information, as if it were puzzles, and make up a single whole picture from them.
Content:
Detailed definition
So, clock speed is the number of operations a processor can perform per second. This value is measured in Hertz.
This unit of measurement is named after a famous scientist who conducted experiments aimed at studying periodic, that is, repeating processes.
And where is Hertz to operations in a second?
This question arises when reading most of the articles in people who did not study physics very well in school (maybe through no fault of their own).
The fact is that this unit just denotes the frequency, that is, the number of repetitions, of these very periodic processes per second.
It allows you to measure not only the number of operations, but also all kinds of other indicators. For example, if you make 3 entries per second, then the breathing rate is 3 Hertz.
As for the processors, a variety of operations can be performed here, which boil down to the calculation of certain parameters.
Actually, the number of calculations of these same parameters per second is called.
Simple as that!
In practice, the concept of "Hertz" is used extremely rarely, more often we hear about megaHertz, kiloHertz and so on. Table 1 shows the "decoding" of these values.
Table 1. Symbols
The former and the latter are rarely used at present.
That is, if you hear that it has 4 GHz, then it can perform 4 billion operations every second.
Far from it! Today this is the average. Surely, very soon we will hear about models with a frequency of teraHertz or even more.
How is formed
So in it there are the following devices:
- clock resonator - is an ordinary quartz crystal, enclosed in a special protective container;
- clock generator - a device that converts one type of vibration into another;
- metal cover;
- data bus;
- textolite backingto which all other devices are attached.
So, a quartz crystal, that is, a clock resonator, oscillates due to the supply of voltage. As a result, electric current fluctuations are formed.
A clock generator is attached to the substrate, which converts electrical vibrations into pulses.
They are transferred to the data buses, and thus the result of the calculations reaches the user.
This is exactly the way the clock frequency is obtained.
Interestingly, there are a lot of misconceptions regarding this concept, in particular, regarding the relationship between nuclei and frequency. Therefore, this is also worth talking about.
How frequency relates to cores
The core is, in fact, the processor. This means the same crystal that makes the entire device perform certain operations.
That is, if there are two cores in one model or another, this means that it has two crystals that are connected to each other using a special bus.
According to a common misconception, the more cores, the higher the frequency. It's not for nothing that developers are now trying to fit more and more cores in them. But this is not the case. If it is 1 GHz, even if it has 10 cores, it will remain 1 GHz, and will not become 10 GHz.
Statement:
The higher the clock speed of the processor, the better its performance.
The speed of the processors has always been compared on the basis of their leading and most understandable characteristic - the clock frequency. The fashion for this was introduced in 1984 by the marketers of the IBM PC, who claimed that the Intel 8088 processor in their computer was almost five times faster than the MOS Technology 6502 in clock speed.
from the Apple II - which means it's almost five times faster. Intel and Microsoft followed the same logic in the 90s, claiming that the Pentium was better than the PowerPC from Apple computers just because it had a higher clock speed. After AMD joined the race in the late 90s, the company had to introduce special markings that matched their processors with Intel processors. Most consumers were convinced that clock speed was the main characteristic, and Intel, which relied on its growth, only supported them in this conviction.
JOHN SPOONER
journalist
“After the release of Pentium III processors operating at frequencies up to 667 MHz, AMD may lose its leadership. Submitted
athlon processors are running this month
with a maximum frequency of 650 MHz. But Intel's leadership won't last long. AMD officials said they will release a 700 MHz processor by the end of the year.
Why is it wrong:
The time it takes to complete the operations is more important than the clock frequency.
The clock frequency can only be correctly compared
processors of the same model range with the same architecture. Although the Intel 8088 frequency was almost five times higher than that of the MOS Technology 6502, in fact, the same operation could take more clock cycles from the Intel 8088, due to which the frequency advantage was leveled. So it was
in the future: first Apple, and then AMD tried to expose the "myth of megahertz". Intel finally joined them in 2006, hitting the clock speed limit on the architecture it was using in desktop processors and changing the paradigm.
Today the number of operations performed by the processor
in one clock cycle is more important than clock frequency. A business
is that the higher the frequency, the higher the heat release,
and therefore the creators of mobile processors focus on
optimization, not dry numbers. The myth, however, goes nowhere
did not disappear, and even evolved: for example, many began to believe that the speed of a processor is proportional to the number of cores in it. And if you name two processors with different clock speeds to an average person, then he doesn't care
by inertia will choose the one with more megahertz.
