Processor Speed

[Summer1]

Hello.

I have a Pentium 4 2.0.

Does that mean that the CPU is 2.0 and the FSB or processor is 400GHz?

When I go into 'computer properties, processor,' it says that the speed is
1995MGz. What does this number refer to?

 

[LVTravel]

Hello.

I have a Pentium 4 2.0.

Does that mean that the CPU is 2.0 and the FSB or processor is 400GHz?

When I go into 'computer properties, processor,' it says that the speed is
1995MGz. What does this number refer to?

The Pentium 4 is a model designation from Intel for their processor. The
2.0 is the speed in Gigahertz but in actuality is closer to the 1.995
Gigahertz that you see when you go to computer properties.

The FSB that you refer to is the data pathway speed between the processor
(CPU, Pentium 4) and the Northbridge chip which is the memory controller.

Google on any of the terms and you will find an enormous amount of
information (for your homework assignment.)

 

[Summer1]

Yes, that makes sense. The 2.0 GHz speed is actually the 1995 MHz speed that
shows up in 'computer properties' and the FSB is 400MHz.

When I look up system requirements for Windows XP, it says that the
processor should be at least 233MHz-Does the 233MHz refer to the processor
speed (1995MHz) or the FSB (400MHz)?

When a program requires at least a 1.6Ghz CPU, that is at least 1600GHz
which refers to the actual speed of the CPU.

Correct?

 

[dadiOH]

Yes, that makes sense. The 2.0 GHz speed is actually the 1995 MHz
speed that shows up in 'computer properties' and the FSB is 400MHz.

When I look up system requirements for Windows XP, it says that the
processor should be at least 233MHz-Does the 233MHz refer to the
processor speed (1995MHz) or the FSB (400MHz)?

Processor speed = processor speed.

When a program requires at least a 1.6Ghz CPU, that is at least
1600GHz which refers to the actual speed of the CPU.

Correct?

Yes except 1.6GHz = 1600MEGA Hz, not 1600GIGA Hz

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

When I look up system requirements for Windows XP, it says that the
processor should be at least 233MHz-Does the 233MHz refer to the processor
speed (1995MHz)

Yes.


or the FSB (400MHz)?

No.


When a program requires at least a 1.6Ghz CPU, that is at least 1600GHz
which refers to the actual speed of the CPU.

Yes, it refers to the speed of the CPU. No, it's not 1600GHz. The
number 1600 is 1000 times as large as the number 1.6.

There are no 1600GHz processors available.

 

[Summer1]

Since the minimum requirement for XP is 233MHz and mine is 1995MHz (which is
actually 2.0GHz), what is the GHz for 233MHz?

When a program requires at least a 1.6GHz CPU, that is the same as 1600MHz
which refers to the actual speed of the CPU under the 'computer info,
processor speed.'

Is that correct?

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Since the minimum requirement for XP is 233MHz

That might be the published number, but it will actually run on less.

and mine is 1995MHz (which is actually 2.0GHz),

Yes, 1995MHz is 1.995GHz, approximately 2.0MHz (see below)

what is the GHz for 233MHz?

..233GHz


When a program requires at least a 1.6GHz CPU, that is the same as 1600MHz

Yes. 1000MHz is 1,000 thousand-Hz, or 1,0000,000Hz.

1GHz is 1 million-Hz, or 1,0000,000Hz.

They are the same.

By the way. it's highly unlikely that any program *requires* 1.66GHz,
or any other speed. What they are probably telling you is just that if
the processor is slower than that, you are likely to be unhappy with
the speed it runs at.

 

[Bob I]

= 0.233 GHz

Since the minimum requirement for XP is 233MHz and mine is 1995MHz (which is
actually 2.0GHz), what is the GHz for 233MHz?

When a program requires at least a 1.6GHz CPU, that is the same as 1600MHz
which refers to the actual speed of the CPU under the 'computer info,
processor speed.'

Is that correct?

:

 

[Just Me]

That might be the published number, but it will actually run on less.




Yes, 1995MHz is 1.995GHz, approximately 2.0MHz (see below)





Yes. 1000MHz is 1,000 thousand-Hz, or 1,0000,000Hz.

1GHz is 1 million-Hz, or 1,0000,000Hz.

They are the same.

Want to rethink that ;-)

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Ken Blake, MVP wrote:

Want to rethink that ;-)

Sorry, my brain had the decimal point in the wrong place. I'll redo
it.

1000MHz is 1,000 million-Hz, or 1,000,000,000Hz.

1GHz is 1 billion-Hz, or 1,000,000,000Hz.

They are the same.

 

[Summer1]

To be clear:

A 1995MHz CPU is 1.995GHz which is approximately 2.0MHz and a 233MHz CPU is
..233GHz?

If the 1.995GHz rounds up to 2.0MHz, what does the .233GHZ round up to?

 

[Summer1]

Oops: I meant to write:

To be clear:

A 1995MHz CPU is 1.995GHz which is approximately 2.0GHz and a 233MHz CPU is
..233GHz?

If the 1.995GHz rounds up to 2.0GHz, what does the .233GHZ round up to?

 

[dadiOH]

Oops: I meant to write:

To be clear:

A 1995MHz CPU is 1.995GHz which is approximately 2.0GHz and a 233MHz
CPU is .233GHz?

If the 1.995GHz rounds up to 2.0GHz, what does the .233GHZ round up
to?

You want a whole number? Then it is 0.0


--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

 

[Unknown]

It rounds up to 233MHz.

Oops: I meant to write:

To be clear:

A 1995MHz CPU is 1.995GHz which is approximately 2.0GHz and a 233MHz CPU
is
.233GHz?

If the 1.995GHz rounds up to 2.0GHz, what does the .233GHZ round up to?

 

[Paul]

Oops: I meant to write:

To be clear:

A 1995MHz CPU is 1.995GHz which is approximately 2.0GHz and a 233MHz CPU is
.233GHz?

If the 1.995GHz rounds up to 2.0GHz, what does the .233GHZ round up to?

We round them, based on a knowledge of how the clock was generated
in the first place.

On your processor

CPU input clock = 100MHz
FSB = 100 x 4 = FSB400
Core_clock = 100 x 20 = 2000MHz = 2.0GHz

Due to small errors in the generation of the 100MHz signal, and
measurement errors in programs attempting to measure the speed,
the value printed on the screen won't be exactly 2000MHz. So
if we see 1995, we *guess* the correct value is 2000. Based on
knowing it involved FSB400, a 100MHz input clock, and some
multiplier value. The nearest multiplier is 20, so we guess
the correct answer is 2000MHz.

For an example of a 233MHz processor, I can look here. See PDF page 28.

http://download.intel.com/design/PentiumII/datashts/24333503.PDF

BCLK Multiplier Core Clock
66.67 7/2 233.33

In the case of the 233MHz processor, the precise value might be
233.33MHz, but for convenience, we might round that to 233MHz as
it is shorter to write. Apparently, the external clock in that
case is 66MHz, and the multiplier scheme supports half integer
values. Many subsequent processor families have also featured
half integer capability in clock synthesis, so you still run
into it.

When you see someone give an answer here, it is possible they
cheated and looked it up. Or, they may have first hand
experience with the technology when it existed.

Paul