CPU stands for Central Processing Unit. It is the primary component of a computer that executes instructions from programs and performs basic arithmetic, logic, control, and input/output (I/O) operations specified by the instructions. The CPU is often called the computer's brain because it performs the tasks necessary to function properly.
Processor cores are individual processing units within a computer's central processing unit (CPU). Each core is capable of independently executing instructions, meaning a multi-core CPU can handle multiple tasks simultaneously, improving performance and efficiency.
CPU threads, often referred to as logical processors or simply threads, are the smallest units of processing that a CPU can handle. They represent a sequence of executable instructions that the CPU's cores can process. A thread is a sequence of programmed instructions that can be managed independently by a scheduler, which is part of the operating system. Modern CPUs can execute multiple threads simultaneously by utilizing multiple cores and technologies like Hyper-Threading (Intel) or Simultaneous Multithreading (SMT) (AMD). Each core can handle multiple threads, effectively increasing the number of processing units available.
processor speed, also known as **clock speed**, refers to the frequency at which a processor executes instructions. It is measured in cycles per second, typically in gigahertz (GHz) for modern processors. The higher the clock rate, the more instructions the processor can execute per second, which generally results in faster performance.