How do you calculate the actual speed of a processor?

Question

Example: What is the actual speed of an Intel P4 3.0 Processor? What is the actual speed of an Intel Dual Core 3.0 Processor? What is the actual speed of an Intel Quad Core 3.0 Processor? All of these processors are 3.0GHz; but, how do you prove that one is faster than the other mathematically?

Answer 1

You cant, each software uses the CPU in a slightly different way, and the multiple cores is the same that software access them and uses them in different ways depend on how the programs react to different hardware platforms.

Deep down, they all run at the spec core speed, its down to the software how to squeeze them out.

Answer 2

Yes there is a way. Take the bus speed multipled the miltiplier to find the CPU speed. If you don't know your multiplier than do this. Take the 3.0 GHz divde by the front bus speed. Take the answer from that and multiply it by the front bus speed again and there you go, your answer will be in MHz

Answer 3

66 MHz x x4.5 = 300MHz. Pent 4 3.06-GHz runs 133 MHz with a x23 multiplier = 3.06 GHz.


To Check the Current Speed Setting

1. Click Start, click Control Panel, and then click Performance and Maintenance.
2. Click See basic information about your computer. The processor speed (in megahertz [MHz] or gigahertz [GHz]) appears under Computer on the General tab.

Also:
http://www.pccomputernotes.com/clockspeed/clockspeed.htm