CPU System: Do I Need Speed?

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Central Processing Unit (CPU) speed is about as important to World Wide Web browsing as your tires are to the speed of your car. Sure, you couldn�t drive on a flat tire, but the type of tire has little to do with the speed of your car. Similarly, the processing speed of your CPU�whether it�s 25 MHz or 100 MHz on a PC�doesn�t make much difference in your Web cruising speed. Your system�s slowest component determines the speed of your overall system. On the Web, the slowest component is the modem or the network itself.

A lot of memory (RAM), however, can make your Web ride a little smoother. In fact, some newer versions of Web browsers require eight to 12 MB of RAM (Random Access Memory). Memory is a lot like human�s short term memory. Storing a lot of information in your short term memory keeps you from having to go back and relearn what you forgot. Similarly, a computer with a large amount of memory can hold more Web pages on its local system. If you jump from one Web site to another and then decide that you want to go back to the first site, your computer still has the first site in its memory. The browser only takes a few seconds to get the site back at your fingertips.