Don't be fooled by spec sheet numbers. The real secret of CPU performance isn't how fast it ticks, but how much work it does per tick.
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LP records vs USB drives. Why physically spinning disks are inherently slow, and how SSDs made servers 100x faster.
| Term | Analogy (Factory) | Determinant | Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clock (Hz) | Conveyor Belt Speed | Fabrication Process, Voltage | Physical limits (Heat, Power) |
| IPC | Worker's Skill & # of Arms | Microarchitecture | Design complexity, Chip size |
| Total Performance | Daily Factory Output | Clock x IPC |
So next time someone brags, "My computer is 4GHz, it's super fast, right?" Just smile and ask:
"Cool. But what's its IPC?"