The CPU is one of many factors that determine your computer speed.
The CPU, or central processing unit, is one of five important factors that determine the speed of a computer. The other four factors are the amount of RAM, the disk speed, the video display and the transfer rate of your Internet connection. The CPU speed plays a large role, but even the fastest CPU will run more slowly if the other components are not up to speed.
CPU Speed
CPU speed determines how many instructions can be computed in a second. A fast CPU will allow programs to operate faster, but it won't correct for other devices. If the CPU is waiting for graphics to print to your screen, or data to download from the Internet, the computer will appear to run slowly because the CPU is waiting on other components.
Random Access Memory
Available random access memory, called RAM, can make a tremendous difference in how fast your computer seems to operate. RAM is used to load and run programs, provide program buffers and storage registers, and give your operating system switchable "pages" that make multi-tasking possible. Increasing the amount of RAM in your computer can make a more noticeable difference than upgrading the CPU.
Drive Speed
A slow hard drive can cause programs to run slower. Similarly, slow CD or DVD drives can cause video or music to pause or skip. Drive technology is constantly being improved, and newer programs and videos are produced with the current technology as the standard. Inserting a new game in an older drive will probably still work, but you can expect longer wait times because it takes longer to transfer the data into memory.
Video Bottlenecks
Video memory was once separate from system memory, but most Pentium and newer motherboards integrate video onto the board and share memory. Processing video is very intensive, and high quality video can cause your computer to slow down. You can install a video card with dedicated video memory, reducing activity on the CPU and making more system memory available for other uses.
Transfer Rate
The transfer rate is how fast information is passed to a network or Internet connection. The CPU, drive speed, RAM and video can all be brought to almost a complete halt by a dial-up Internet connection. The problem is not that the computer is overloaded, the computer is actually sitting idle waiting for data to be transferred.
Common Solution
A number of things that could cause a computer to slow down, including internal heat, excessive open programs, a virus or even memory problems related to your software. A simple solution is to simply shut the computer down for a few minutes. Wait for internal devices to cool off, and then restart. This does not fix the problem, it treats the symptoms of heat and memory bottlenecks by starting fresh.
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