Computer processors or CPUs have been around since the 1960s and have changed a lot since that time. Thanks to the advent of transistors and semi-conductor technologies processors have rapidly become smaller and smaller.

Many features affect the speed at which the processor is able to complete its tasks. Features such as the front side bus or computer bus, the clock speed, the type of socket used for the CPU, the amount of cache and external factors such as the cooling system that has been implemented to cool the CPU.

The computer bus dictates how quickly the CPU or processor can communicate with the other components within the PC, the quicker that it can do this the quicker that it can operate and complete tasks required of it. The speed of the bus can also depend on the socket connection of the processor with Socket 7 for example providing one the of the faster bus speeds.

The most important feature of the CPU is the clock speed, this dictates how quickly the processor is able to complete a task. The bigger this number the faster a task can be completed. Since processing one task at a time does not seem very efficient, a process called parallelizing has been conceived. This involves integrating multiple processors into the core of the CPU, this enables each mini processor to complete tasks syncroniously with each other. Intel have called this process Hyper-threading which you may have heard of.

The cache of the CPU is also an important feature for increasing speed of the machine. The cache stores files and makes them readily available to the processor for quick access. This allows for a more efficient processing unit.

As I briefly mentioned the socket is an important part of the performance of the CPU, there are many different sockets available and depending on the manufacturer will depend on which socket you may buy. As each processor uses a specific socket connection there are only a select number of motherboards that will be compatible with that model and as such when buying a CPU, the motherboard should also be considered as well.

The cooling system that is attached to the CPU will also affect the performance. Processors are designed to operate within a certain temperature range and as such if there are not within this range do not operate optimally. As the CPUs get very hot cooling is an important feature of any PC. An effective cooling system will incorporate a heatsync applied directly to the CPU along with a fan system to remove heat from the heatsync.

Andrew Johnson is an expert in electronic consumables. If you would like more information about types of processors or are looking for a reputable processor retailer please visit http://www.ebuyer.com