UNDERSTANDING CPU !! 

Here are some common terms used to describe CPU, like Cores, Hyper Threading, Socket, Speed etc

• Speeds and Feeds: Processor performance is usually a number in either MHz (megahertz) or GHz (gigahertz.) That number represents how many times the internal clock inside the CPU ticks in cycles per second.

• Cache: Cache is used to accessing data at high speeds that should be comparable to the speed of processor. If CPU waits for data to come in from system memory then it can significantly slow down the processor efficiency. The memory hierarchy is a way to show where memory bottlenecks exist. The CPU registers hold the data actually being used in calculations and comprise the fastest memory. The size is pretty small but it’s built right onto the CPU core. Level 1 (L1) cache is faster but smaller than Level 2 (L2). Some CPUs have a third level, which is often shared between different CPU cores. Even the L3 cache is much faster than your computer's main memory.

• Cores. Modern PC processors are multicore, that’s having multiple processors inside single hardware. Each core is as fully functional as a standalone CPU. Each has its own cache, but can communicate with other CPU cores as needed. Cores can also share information in a cache, such as the level 3 cache. Nowadays, we have dual core or quad core in place, that can server as 2-4 processors delivering high processing speeds. A dual-core CPU has two central processing units, so it appears to the operating system as two CPUs. A different process can be using each core at the same time. This speeds up your system, because your computer can do multiple things at once. Unlike hyper-threading (see below), there are no tricks here — a dual-core CPU literally has two central processing units on the CPU chip. A quad-core CPU has four central processing units, an octa-core CPU has eight central processing units, and so on.

• Hyper-Threading: A single physical CPU core with hyper-threading appears as two logical CPUs to an operating system. The CPU is still a single CPU, so it’s faking a bit, while the operating system sees two CPUs for each core, the actual CPU hardware only has a single set of execution resources for each core. The CPU pretends it has more cores than it does, and it uses its own logic to speed up program execution. Hyper-threading allows the two logical CPU cores to share physical execution resources. This can speed things up somewhat — if one virtual CPU is stalled and waiting, the other virtual CPU can borrow its execution resources. Hyper-threading can help speed your system up, but it’s nowhere near as good as having additional cores.

• Socket : When referring to a processor, a CPU socket or processor socket is a connection that allows a computer processor to be connected to a motherboard. For example, the Socket 370 is an example of such a socket. The picture shows an example of what a socket may look like on a motherboard. Although there have been computers that used the slot processor, most computers today and in the past have used socket processors.

• Overclocking : Simply put, overclocking involves running your processor (or CPU) at a faster speed than was intended out of the box. While overclocking at its core (no pun intended) can be quite simple, there's a bit more to it than just tweaking one setting. The harder you push your processor, the more voltage you need to give it, because without enough power, the CPU can't run fast enough. However, higher voltage also means higher temperatures, so you need to be careful not to overheat your CPU, which can lower its life, not to mention fry it completely if you aren't careful.