Scribd
Upload
48 views2 pages

Clock Chip

Clock speed refers to the number of pulses per second generated by an oscillator that sets the tempo for the processor. It is usually measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz). Computer clock speeds have roughly doubled every year, reaching 1 GHz by 2000. However, clock speed alone does not determine performance - other factors like the processor, memory, and instruction set also impact speed. More advanced processors can perform multiple instructions per clock pulse, allowing them to operate faster than those that perform just one instruction per pulse. Excessively high clock speeds can cause processor instability if other components are not also upgraded.

Uploaded by

George McAteer
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
48 views2 pages

Clock Chip

Clock speed refers to the number of pulses per second generated by an oscillator that sets the tempo for the processor. It is usually measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz). Computer clock speeds have roughly doubled every year, reaching 1 GHz by 2000. However, clock speed alone does not determine performance - other factors like the processor, memory, and instruction set also impact speed. More advanced processors can perform multiple instructions per clock pulse, allowing them to operate faster than those that perform just one instruction per pulse. Excessively high clock speeds can cause processor instability if other components are not also upgraded.

Uploaded by

George McAteer
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

Clock speed

In a computer, clock speed refers to the number of pulses per second


generated by an oscillator that sets the tempo for the processor. Clock speed
is usually measured in MHz (megahertz, or millions of pulses per second) or
GHz (gigahertz, or billions of pulses per second). Today's personal computers
run at a clock speed in the hundreds of megahertz and some exceed one
gigahertz. The clock speed is determined by a quartz-crystal circuit, similar to
those used in radio communications equipment.
Computer clock speed has been roughly doubling every year. The Intel 8088,
common in computers around the year 1990, ran at 4.77 MHz. The 1 GHz
mark was passed in the year 2000.
Clock speed is one measure of computer "power," but it is not always directly
proportional to the performance level. If you double the speed of the clock,
leaving all other hardware unchanged, you will not necessarily double the
processing speed. The type of microprocessor, the bus architecture, and the
nature of the instruction set all make a difference. In some applications, the
amount of random access memory (RAM) is important, too.
Some processors execute only one instruction per clock pulse. More
advanced processors can perform more than one instruction per clock pulse.
The latter type of processor will work faster at a given clock speed than the
former type. Similarly, a computer with a 32-bit bus will work faster at a given
clock speed than a computer with a 16-bit bus. For these reasons, there is no
simplistic, universal relation among clock speed, "bus speed," and millions of
instructions per second (MIPS).
Excessive clock speed can be detrimental to the operation of a computer. As
the clock speed in a computer rises without upgrades in any of the other
components, a point will be reached beyond which a further increase in
frequency will render the processor unstable. Some computer users
deliberately increase the clock speed, hoping this alone will result in a
proportional improvement in performance, and are disappointed when things
don't work out that way.

Clock Chip Examples


Clock chips are usually found near clock crystals. Here are a few examples of
clock chips and crystals. Notice that most of the clock chips have 32 pins. They
are approximately 1/2 by 1/4 inches and that the clock crystals are
approximately 1/4 by 1/8 inch.

Link to site
Link to site

Clock chip

Clock chip
Clock crystal

ICS Clock chip

Clock chip and


Clock crystal

clock chip phaseLink &


clock crystal

You might also like