In Depth: Intel processors: what you need to know to get started

By JR Bookwalter

Introduction and Core processors

Not so long ago, processors were judged largely by raw clock speed alone, a measure of how many calculations the chip is capable of performing in the space of a second. These days, it’s all about cores, which have allowed chipmakers like Intel to boost speed by splitting tasks across a number of processing units that exist on the same die. Coupled with software designed to take advantage of multiple cores, such processors can wind up tackling intensive work faster than ever before.

However, shopping for a new processor isn’t quite as simple as picking the one with the fastest processor speed and the most cores, but we’re here to help outline the subtle (and not-so subtle) differences before purchasing your next PC. Let’s start with a bit of backstory on what Intel has to offer – but if you’re just curious which processors are the fastest currently available, jump straight to the wrap-up to find out.

Intel inside

For the purposes of our discussion, we’ll focus strictly on central processing units (CPUs) manufactured by Intel, who is considered the market leader powering the majority of Windows and …read more

Source: techradar.com – Gaming