Explain how the speed of a computer processor is measured?

Question: Explain how the speed of a computer processor is measured?

The speed of a computer processor is primarily measured in gigahertz (GHz), which indicates how many billions of cycles per second the processor can execute. This measurement, known as clock speed, represents how fast the processor can perform tasks. A higher clock speed means the processor can complete more instructions in a given time, but performance also depends on factors like core count, architecture, and cache size.

Other Factors That Influence Processor Speed:

Number of Cores – Modern processors have multiple cores (dual-core, quad-core, etc.), allowing them to handle multiple tasks simultaneously.

Threads & Hyper-Threading – Some processors use threading technology to optimize multitasking efficiency.

Cache Memory – Faster access to frequently used data improves overall speed.

Benchmark Tests – Real-world performance is assessed using benchmarks that measure processing power in various applications.

While GHz is a key metric, actual performance depends on architecture, workload type, and efficiency.