Gigahertz, generally abbreviated GHz, refers to frequencies in the billions of cycles per second range. Giga is the standard multiplier for 1 billion, and Hertz is the standard unit for measuring frequencies, expressed as cycles or occurrences per second. One GHz is equivalent to 1,000 megahertz (MHz).
Most commonly, gigahertz is used when discussing computer performance or radio frequencies. In computers, it most often refers to the clock speed of the central processing unit (CPU); the faster the CPU clock can tick, the faster, in general, the computer can process data and instructions. In 2000, Intel and Advanced Micro Devices achieved a marketing and technical milestone by releasing the first CPUs to run at 1 GHz, and speeds have increased considerably since then.
In radio communications, GHz is used to define bands of the electromagnetic spectrum, with different bands assigned different uses. S-Band, for example, is a band of spectrum between 2 and 4 GHz. Common technologies such as Bluetooth®, wireless internet (WiFi™), and cordless telephones operate in the S-Band. L-Band, between 1 and 2 GHz, is used for satellite communications and Global Positioning Systems, or GPS. Other notable bands include Ku and Ka, used by satellites as well as by police radar guns.
Devices transmitting at or near the same band can interfere with each other. This is caused by the wave-like nature of radio waves; peaks in one wave can be offset by lows in the other wave, thereby nullifying both waves. The closer in frequency the two signals, the more pronounced the effect. Microwave ovens, for example, can interfere with Internet connections because they emit radiation at the same frequency as that used by WiFi™ routers. Similarly, Bluetooth® and WiFi™ compete for the same frequencies, and using them concurrently can affect throughput.
The use of GHz frequencies for communications was made possible by advances in semiconductor technologies. Prior to the widespread use of transistors and high-speed electronics, it was not practical to generate such high frequencies.
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anon313777
Post 32 |
To all the people asking to upgrade GHz. You cannot upgrade on laptops, because to "upgrade" per say, you need to overclock, that means to increase the voltage your CPU uses. Laptops run on batteries, so it's hard to up the ante. For desktops, just do some research on what you have. It's not all that hard, good luck and have fun. |
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anon233949
Post 30 |
I tried buying a new ram computer but the fan isn't working. Should I upgrade my HDD to a Terabyte format? Or will that crash it? |
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anon183457
Post 29 |
I am cruising at high speed with my 80386, 128k ram and a decent 21 megabytes of HDD space, no one can beet that. It play games like starcontrol like no other PC. Performance is just great. |
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anon139655
Post 28 |
Dear anon68843: Presumably you are adding the cores together as an apple 7.2 Ghz processor does not exist? Fair enough. In which case I see your 7.2 Ghz and raise you 22.2 Ghz. |
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anon138944
Post 27 |
Mine has 3.2GHz, Triple Core, 1 Terabyte HDD, and 6GB of RAM. I'm looking this stuff up because I want to see how good it is compared to others. Now, I now it's fast, faster than the Windows 7 Computers at my school, even the ones with 10GB of RAM, because the one I'm using right now has 10GB of RAM *at school* and it's slow compared to my own. I know RAM is one of the key factors because my old one has only 524MB of RAM and I don't know how many GB of HDD. I had it when it was Win 2000 and upgraded to Win XP. It was very slow, and I'm ecstatic about my new gaming computer. |
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anon125616
Post 25 |
Leave overcloaking to desktops since the power draw is more stable. |
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anon125614
Post 24 |
to the i7 1.6ghz guy: laptops are not the same in speed as desktops because they have to be lighter and able to hold that battery charge for a few hours. Unlike desktops, which are drawing power from an outlet. |
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syncere99
Post 23 |
i have a 2.8ghz cpu that came factory with 512mb of ram. at the time i bought it it seemed fast. i bought it in 2007. i did some research and found out it can hold 4 gigs of ram so i added three 1 gb ram sticks to the remaining three slots. i maxed out the ram and now its just about as fast as anything new. also, keep your registry clean. a registry full of errors from leftover shortcuts from uninstalled programs, etc. can slow things down. of course this is just from my experience. i learned keeping your pc clean helps speed. i can recommend a great registry cleaner. it's trusted and the best part is, it's free. the company operates on donations. |
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anon91431
Post 22 |
Can you upgrade a laptop's GHz? Say i bought a macbook pro with 2.4GHz. Could i upgrade it? |
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anon74328
Post 20 |
It's called Overclocking, not upgrading GHz. you need to overclock your CPU's multiplier, but your RAM must also be steady and possibly the speed be also adjusted to match or your computer will crash. Do some research on Overclocking. |
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anon74327
Post 19 |
Mine runs at 8.3 GHz and I have 2TF of RAM. It's an old PC from my dad. |
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anon71951
Post 18 |
mine is a 1 GHz and 500mb Ram 10GB hard drive. man, it's like moving in a wheelchair! |
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anon68843
Post 17 |
I have a apple computer! It runs 7.2 Ghz and has 4 gb ram. Then it has another 1tb for storage. I have the best computer! |
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anon66785
Post 16 |
anon61121 - you can upgrade GHz but it would just be cheaper to buy a new computer with a higher processing speed |
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anon61121
Post 15 |
I have a intel i7 quad core processor but ONLY 1.6 GHz i don't get it. |
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anon59840
Post 14 |
1.73 GHz and 504MB of Ram. is that bad? lol. |
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anon56002
Post 12 |
i have 1.83GHz and 1.00GB of Ram. |
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nzdeatheagle
Post 11 |
i got 1.4ghz. haha real crappy, i know |
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anon37028
Post 10 |
Hey, is there any BIG difference between 2.7 GHz and 2.8 GHz? Thanks |
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anon36556
Post 9 |
which is better AMD dual core or Intel Core Dual. and which has more mhz or mb |
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anon35032
Post 8 |
How much difference is there in the speed of 1.66 and 2.80 GHz? |
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anon31155
Post 7 |
My computer has 4gb RAM and 3.00ghz. Is there a way to upgrade the ghz? |
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anon27288
Post 6 |
Laskowski: yes this is possible but *extremely* unlikely. it would mean that the CPU cycles would have to start at the same time which is virtually impossible and even more so for this to happen more than once. |
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Zellishere
Post 5 |
The answer to upgrading to a higher frequency of Ghz would be to purchase and install a new processor. but be sure it is compatible with the socket of your motherboard i.e. 775, am2+, 478, etc. |
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Laskowski
Post 4 |
I have an older Compaq Presario (200ghz; 1.09 ddrsd ram, 33g harddrive). Is it possible for a tv being too close to cause it to not boot up fully each time it is turned on? Plus the monitor shows signs of some kind of interference by a slight change in the white turning a light shade of blue. FYI, the computer does eventually boot all the way up but sometimes it takes 5 or more passes at it. Thank you for any advice I can get about this. |
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andeen
Post 3 |
I have a gateway laptop. is there a way to upgrade from 1.67 ghz to 2.8 ghz? TIA |
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anon4313
Post 2 |
Can you upgrade Ghz? If so, then how? It's not like buying new RAM... If not, then please state so. I'm on the peak of buying a new PC, but if my old PC can be upgraded, then it's worth a try. |
