HP desktop PCs offer a variety of processor options, each designed to enhance performance. Processors are distinguished by the number of cores, clock speed, front side bus and cache.

Number of cores

The number of cores in a processor determines how quickly your PC handled tasks. Multi-core processors contain two or more processors in the same circuit, which gives them the ability to work independently or together for larger tasks.

• Single core—For everyday tasks like watching movies, listening to music, word processing and web browsing.
• Dual core—For exceptional multitasking.
• Quad core—For graphics-intensive gaming and media.
• Six or more cores—For intensely demanding apps, gaming and high-def content streaming.

Clock speed

Clock speed, measured in gigahertz (GHz), which is a billion cycles per second, indicates how fast a processor performs an activity. When selecting a processor for your PC, it's important to consider the activities you'll be performing and the clock speed they require.

• Mid-range speeds up to 3.2 GHz—If you mainly listen to music, organize photos and do word processing, e-mail and web browsing, processor speeds aren't as crucial. If you work with large digital media files, intensive spreadsheets and presentation software, look for processors on the higher end of mid-range speeds.
• The fastest available speeds—If you'll be editing HD movies, love to play games or are involved in multimedia production, look for the fastest available options.
• Turbo technology—If you run a lot of demanding applications, choose a processor with turbo technology to get an automatic burst of speed when your PC needs extra performance.

Front side bus

Your computer's front side bus (FSB) is like the main transit system in a large city. It connects your computer's memory (RAM) to the processor, and quickly transfers data to meet the demands of any given task.

Like the processor, FSB speed is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz). The faster the FSB speed, the faster data moves to the processor and the faster the processor can perform.

Most computers' processors run faster than their FSBs, so the FSB speed is typically a ratio of processor speed. The smaller the ratio, the more efficiently the processor runs. So if you're looking for a fast, responsive desktop PC, be sure to choose a front side bus speed that's compatible with the PC's processor speed.

Cache

Cache is a set of memory circuits measured in megabytes (MB) designed to enhance your processor's responsiveness by keeping common tasks handy. The more level 2 (L2) or level 3 (L3) cache a processor has, the faster it can perform those common tasks.