Clock speeds are one measure of computing power “clock speed refers to the number of pulses per second generated by an oscillator that sets the tempo for the processor” (Rouse, 2005). In other words, clock speeds are a factor in processing where a higher clock speed which will run your applications, and the processor can run calculations faster, so your applications run faster and smoother. There is a lot of information about overclocking a CPU, which is running the processor at a higher speed than default settings.
A user should take caution as this could raise the temperature at which the processor operates so it doesn’t overheat; overheating can cause damage to your processor. Let’s take for example AMD’s best mid-range CPU, the Ryzen 5 2600X and let’s also look at Intel’s Core i5-8600K. These processors both have similar specifications, both have clock speeds at 3.6 GHz and have packed Six-cores into their processors.
Now, which makes one better over the other then? The answer really depends on what you’ll be using your computer for. While most of the specs were the same between AMD and Intel for their mid-range processors, you can’t always just take one factor into consideration when deciding which is better. The Ryzen 5 2600X has 12 threads, while the Intel Core i5-8600K has only 6 threads, but why is this important? Threads have to do with the ability for the CPU to execute multiple processes concurrently, so you’re able to do more things on your computer without it bogging down. There are many factors to consider, but it comes down to preference as both perform almost as good as the other, but AMD’s Ryzen 2600X will offer better performance for business computer needs, but Intel’s i5-8600K will offer a slightly marginal better performance for gaming. The base price for AMD’s Ryzen 5 2600X is about $220.00, while Intel’s Core i5-8600K comes in about $300.00.
