क्लॉक स्पीड

A 3.5 GHz processor completes 3.5 billion clock cycles per second. Each cycle can execute one or more instructions depending on the CPU architecture, so raw clock speed is an incomplete performance metric. Thermal limits constrained single-core speeds around 4–5 GHz in the mid-2000s, driving the industry toward multi-core designs. Overclocking raises clock speed beyond factory specifications at the cost of higher heat and instability.