What does clock speed indicate in a CPU?

Clock speed is a crucial characteristic of a CPU, and it indicates the number of clock cycles that the processor can handle in a specific time frame, usually measured in gigahertz (GHz). Each clock cycle represents a single opportunity for the CPU to process data or perform operations. A higher clock speed means that the CPU can execute more instructions per second, which typically leads to improved performance for tasks that require rapid processing.

Understanding clock speed helps in evaluating a processor's performance capabilities, especially in relation to tasks like gaming, video editing, and other compute-intensive applications. Therefore, when assessing a CPU's speed and efficiency, the number of clock cycles it can process in a set amount of time is a significant metric of its overall power.