The speed of your CPU or processor determines how fast computers process instructions. when a computer is turned on: Most computers have programs or parts of them as well as utilities starting when the computers starts up. Processing power. The central processing unit (CPU) is the brain of your computer and of course, the processor speed definitely matters. If you mean clock speed then that has to do with power consumption and lithography. It is one measure of computer power. Suppose, you have only doubled the clock speed, will your CPU work two times faster than before? Processor (CPU) The overall speed or clock speed of the computer and how fast it is capable of processing data is managed by the computer processor ().A good processor is capable of executing more instructions every second, hence, increased speed. It is generally measured in MHz or GHz (megahertz or gigahertz). First, the computer must determine the factors of the large number. Multiple-core processors increase computing power while using less electricity [source: Intel] Even fast computers can take years to complete certain tasks. It takes a number of pieces of hardware working together to determine your computer's overall performance. Understanding some of these factors will help you make the proper choices when designing your homebuilt computer. Number of cores, how quickly the processor can work (clock speed), and the amount of immediate access memory (cache memory). Factors Affecting CPU Performance . What factors determine a CPUs processing power? Computer performance depends on the processing speed of a computer. Computer form factors are important for any potential PC builder or upgrader, because they’re a fixed set of dimensions that assure components fit together, and dictate the … FACTORS Ic p m k t T= Ic *(p+ m*k)*t •The instruction set architecture affects program length and p. •Compiler design affects the values of IC, p & m. •The CPU implementation & control determine the total processor time= p*t •The memory technology & hierarchy design affect the memory access time= k*t They’re obviously super-convenient for users who like the mobility of a laptop, but if you need a super-high-speed processor or high clock speed, you may want to look at a desktop computer to meet your processing needs. All of these take away from the computer’s resources and power as they are running, using the processors power that has to be shared with other things you want to run. Other Factors That Determine the Performance of a Computer. A computer will normally have a maximum clock speed set by default, but it is possible to change this speed in the computer BIOS. For example, the first computer processor was the Intel 4004, which was only a 740 kHz processor capable of processing … When you say “speed” do you mean Clock speed, throughput (IPC), latency, or what? Other factors affecting performance include RAM size and disk speed. A computer's speed and processing power aren't attributable to a single component. There are many factors that affect processor performance. The answer is, no. The Clock speed cannot determine the processing speed of a computer. Finding two prime factors of a very large number is a difficult task for most computers. These Factors Affect Computer Speed: #1 Processor Speed and Instruction Set. 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