You are now entering the PC Anatomy portal

In computers, hertz (Hz) is the unit of measurement for frequency, representing one cycle per second. It is used to describe the operational speed of key components, such as the CPU, and the refresh rate of a display. The higher the hertz value, the more cycles are completed each second.

Hertz in computer processors (CPU)

Clock speed: The clock speed of a CPU is measured in hertz, often in gigahertz (GHz), or billions of cycles per second. This value indicates the rate at which the processor executes instructions. For example, a 3.5 GHz processor can perform 3.5 billion cycles every second.

A simplified analogy: Imagine a drumbeat that dictates the pace for a group of factory workers. In this scenario, the rate of the drumbeat is the clock speed. A faster drumbeat means the workers perform tasks more quickly.

Not a complete performance indicator: While a higher clock speed generally means faster processing, it is not the only factor in a computer's overall performance. Other features like the number of processor cores and the processor's architecture play a significant role.