Abbreviation for
megahertz. One MHz represents one million cycles per second. The speed of
microprocessors, called the
clock speed, is measured in megahertz. For example, a microprocessor that
runs at 200 MHz
executes 200 million cycles per second. Each
computer instruction requires a fixed number of cycles, so the clock speed determines how many instructions per second the microprocessor can execute. To a large degree, this controls how powerful the microprocessor is. Another chief factor in determining a microprocessor's power is its
data width (that is, how many
bits it can manipulate at one time).
In addition to microprocessors, the speeds of buses and interfaces are also measured in MHz.
