Glossary › PC Hardware › CPU
What is a CPU? (Processor)
CPU stands for Central Processing Unit — the “brain” of your computer that executes every instruction, from opening apps to running game logic.
How it works
A CPU has multiple cores (mini-processors) running at a clock speed measured in GHz. More cores help with multitasking and workloads like video editing; higher clock speeds help with gaming and snappy everyday use.
What to look for when buying
For office work, a 6-core chip like the Ryzen 5 5600G is plenty. For gaming, pair a Ryzen 5 5600X or Intel i5-12400F with a good GPU. For heavy multitasking, streaming or AI work, step up to 8+ cores like the Ryzen 7 7800X3D or Intel i7-14700F — all of which appear in our builds.