Wednesday, January 28, 1998

A look at the chip that makes it all work

By BRIAN BETHEL / Abilene Reporter-News

Face front, computerphiles. Today, we're going to look at some of the mysterious inner workings of that strange and marvelous machine of yours.

Specifically, we're going to look at your processor, that mathematical wonder that makes your computer do all it does.

Now, chances are you know a few things about your processor already. But you may have just bought what someone told you to and never delved into its mysteries.

DANGER: COMPUTATIONS AHEAD

Each and every computer's processor is rated by two important factors: Its processor grade and its clock speed.

Processor grade is usually the easiest to figure out.

As computers become faster, companies introduce new and faster chips that can run better, more complex software.

Every few years, a company such as Intel, Apple or AMD will design a newer, more efficient set of chips to go in the latest, greatest computers.

Each chipset has a name or number associated with it to distinguish it from its previous generation.

Intel-based machines and IBM clones in general used to use processor numbers like 8088, 80286, 80386 and 80486 to show how relatively new and fast a processor was compared to its predecessors.

Eventually, some marketer got smart and decided to call the 586 processor a "Pentium." Now, the fastest PC chipset is the Pentium II.

The fastest Macintosh chipset is now the lightning-fast G3, which helped Apple to its first profit in a long, long time.

Think of your processor grade as a road. The bigger the processor, compared to its previous incarnation, the wider the road.

That means you can shove more traffic -- i.e., computations per second -- along a wider road, and do it far more efficiently than with a smaller version.

FERRARI OR YUGO?

If your processor grade is how many lanes you have to chose from, then your clock speed is the speed limit your "cars" -- i.e. data being used by your machine -- can travel along the designated pathway.

Clock speed is measured in megahertz. Generally, a larger number is better. And numbers are getting bigger all the time.

For example, a mere year ago, a 166 megahertz Pentium processor was an excellent computer.

Now, it's entry-level.

There's a 333 megahertz processor out there, and bigger numbers are on the way.

But back to the car analogy.

Those data instructions will travel as fast as your clock speed allows them along the path that's available to them. Unlike real cars, they generally won't slow down for anything as long as the rest of the computer is in top shape.

But they can only go fast before they can't handle the demands you may be putting on them. They just can't keep up.

That's why as software becomes more and more complex, faster and faster processors are required to use it.

ACCORDING TO THEIR NEED

What you use your computer for determines a lot about how fast a processor you need.

If you just write letters, you don't need the latest and greatest. If you surf on the Internet, then you need at least a Pentium to get the full experience these days.

If you play games ... Well, you need more than just a fast processor, but you generally want the best you can afford.

Certainly, there are other important components of your computer that affect performance -- your video card, the amount of RAM your system has, etc.

But it helps to know the capabilities of your computer's processor. It gives you a better idea of what you can realistically expect to do with your machine.

And it also helps you decide when it might be time for an upgrade -- or a new computer altogether.