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How important are computer clock speeds?
Clock speed is a measure of how quickly a computer completes basic computations and operations. Therefore, the importance of the computer clock speeds relies on several factors.
I think the best place to start is understanding how the CPU works and what clock speeds do. Looking at this in a way that is a little easier to understand is with the performance of the computer. The performance of a computer is a traffic dilemma of sorts, moving data and instructions around inside the chip. Now not so unlike the traffic of cars and roads, the data and instructions become backed up. The general computer user would not notice this difference significantly. If you are noticing much of a difference it is probably other parts on your system that will also need to be upgraded. The clock speed is measured in millions per second (Megahertz) or billions per second (Gig hertz). A 100Mh PC main board has a clock which "ticks" and "tocks" 100 million times each second. Each tick-tock sequence is called a cycle. The clock pulse tells some circuits when to start sending data on the wires, while it tells other circuits when the data from the previous pulse should have already arrived. A small point of notation: The standard clock speeds are some multiple of 33.3333... MHz. Three times this speed is 100 MHz. By convention, the speeds are rounded down to 33 and 66 MHz, but the fraction explains why three times a 33 MHz clock is 100 and not 99. In order to over clock a CPU you need to be somewhat of an experienced technician. Being familiar with the hardware and software is necessary. In addition changing the clock speed can cause a void with your manufacturer warranty. When over clocking, is the choice you go with, there are some possible issues that could occur. The main is probably over heating. The over clocked CPU will likely cause increased heat. You will need to look at obtaining additional cooling methods, in order to ensure proper cooling. Standard heat sinks and fans will generally not support an over clocked system. Additionally, you also have to have some understanding of the different types of system memory. Even though your CPU can be over clocked, it does not mean your RAM modules will support the higher speeds. In the end, you can be the judge of how far you want to push your system and all that high-tech gear within. That is the real fun of being a computer power user: total control and almost limitless potential. Just keep in mind, as with pushing anything. If you push your computer and its parts to run faster they will likely run out of life faster also. The replacement of motherboards, CPUs and memory are inevitable. So depending on what your overall planned use of your computer, along with your ability and equipment will be the determining factor of how important computer clock speeds are to you.
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