There are many parts affecting the speed and performance of your computer. Modern personal computers have many components working together to make your life much productive. In fact, the speed at which our computer performs can vary as per the speed of these components. Understanding these components will help you make wiser decisions while buying a new computer.
CPU
We all know that the Central Processing Unit (CPU) is the brain of the computer. Clock speed is the term used to express the speed of CPU. The CPU processes the instructions by various programs and applications that the users run on the computer. Manufacturers measure the clock speed of a CPU in a unit called gigahertz.
A CPU that has a clock speed of 3 GHz can process data much faster than a CPU with a clock speed of 1 GHz. The speed with which data flows from the CPU to various applications is another factor affecting the speed of the computer. This speed is usually referred to as bus speed.
Memory
Computers usually have two types of memory, namely Read Only Memory (ROM) and Random Access Memory (RAM). Users usually upgrade the RAM of a computer by purchasing new RAM memory sticks and installing them. RAM size can affect the speed of the computer as the CPU move data to memory and then retrieve it while running various programs and applications.
This means that if the RAM size is more the CPU will be able to move large batches of data much faster, thereby increasing the overall speeds of the computer. In addition, computers can also use portions of hard drive as virtual memory when the RAM is filled with data. This can usually make the computer slow.
Hard Drive
Your computer needs to store much data, and for that, it will need a hard drive of decent capacity. The CPU of the computer retrieves bits of data stored in the hard drive. There is a rotating disk inside the hard drive, which spins very fast. The disk makes thousands of revolutions per second and the speed with which the disk spins determines the time taken for an application to get hold of the data that it needs.
The access speed of hard disks can vary with the type of hard disk. Therefore, if you are looking to have a fast computer, you will need to choose a hard disk type with fast access speed.