Processor + Clock Speed Question...HELP!!!

[SerialThriller]

I was just curious why is it that the CPU speed can be so much slower than the clock speed but not faster?

I figure if a cpu runs at 1 MHz and it's clock is 4 Mhz...then wouldn't the commands sent to the CPU queue up since the cpu is 4x slower than the clock speed?

Or is it that blank requests come across the EDB until the CPU has finished the previous command and is ready for a new one?

 

[CellBlock]

Um...

Not sure what you're talking about here. Generally, the "clock speed" IS the CPU speed.

If you're referring to the external clock, then the CPU speed is a multiple of the external clock. For example, my external clock is set at 150 MHz and my CPU speed is 20 times that, or 3 GHz.

 

[jpmkm]

The cpu clock speed is about the fastest thing inside your computer.

 

[SerialThriller]

hmm, book i'm reading says this...."a CPU's clock speed is its maximum speed, not the speed at which it must run. A CPU can run at any speed, as long as that speed does not exceed its clock speed." this is saying that the CPU just shouldn't exceed it's max speed? the wording makes it sound like they are two seperate speeds...

I think i got it though...the "clock" speed = the cpu speed, figure i'll be back soon with another question though

 

[CellBlock]

Well, a 3 GHz CPU isn't necessarily always running at 3 GHz. Laptop processors often throttle back (slow down) when they're idle to minimize power consumption and heat output. When a processor is idle, it's basically not running at all. Under load, it just runs until the instructions it's given are complete.

So, a CPU's clock speed is its speed. It will pretty much always run at that speed unless it slows down due to a thermal event or another feature.