Under normal circumstances, the CPU in your desktop PC generates modest amounts of heat; a smart fan on top of the CPU runs just fast enough to keep it cool. At this speed, you barely hear the fan.

A central processing unit, or CPU, is the heart of any computer system. But it’s definitely not the only part: you also need RAM, ROM and at least some peripherals to turn it into a complete system ...

Is your chip fast enough? Is it too fast? Systems engineers might be paying for more chip than they need, or they may be dangerously close to over-taxing their current processor. Take the guesswork ...