Welcome to The Drive, a weekly column looking at some wacky, interesting, cool, and pivotal things within the tech space! Curated by PC Hardware Lead Editor Richard Edmonds through almost two decades covering the sector. The microprocessor is a computer ...

The CPU (Central Processing Unit, or simply “processor”) is arguably the most important component in a computer, perhaps only second to the GPU if you’re a gamer. However, upgrading to the best processor isn’t always straightforward; it can be ...

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. Building your first computer is a memory worth cherishing for years, and the amount of research that goes into picking the right parts is what makes the experience that much more personal.

The processors in today’s computers have grown tremendously in performance, capabilities and complexity over the past decade. Clock speed has skyrocketed, and size has dwindled, even as the number of transistors packed on them has soared. A processor ...

In the eighties, computer processors became faster and faster, while memory access times stagnated and hindered additional performance increases. Something had to be done to speed up memory access and make the whole system work more efficiently. The ...

CPU usage is a measure of how much work the processor is doing, which varies depending on the specifications of the CPU. CPUs with more power will have a greater percentage of CPU usage. Having more cores on your CPU is beneficial, as is having more threads.

PC freezing, going slow, or running into hitches where it shouldn’t? Even if you have one of the best processors, high CPU usage could be to blame. Unfortunately, if you aren’t too computer savvy, what this means, what part of your computer causes the ...