Clock speed - GCSE Computer Science Definition
Reviewed by: James Woodhouse
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What is clock speed?
In GCSE Computer Science, clock speed refers to how many Fetch-Decode-Execute cycles the CPU can perform per second. It is measured in Hertz (Hz), with modern CPUs operating in Gigahertz (GHz), meaning billions of cycles per second.
How does clock speed affect CPU performance?
A higher clock speed means the CPU can fetch and execute instructions faster. For example, a 3.5 GHz processor can handle 3.5 billion cycles per second, improving the overall speed of a computer system.
Revision resources to ace your exams
Explore clock speed in more detail and master other key related terms such as the fetch-decode-execute cycle in our revision note pages here:
Characteristics of the CPU (OCR GCSE Computer Science)
Characteristics of the CPU (AQA GCSE Computer Science)
CPU components & their function (Edexcel GCSE Computer Science)
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