The processor is the brain of a computer. It is what takes the information from software programs, the operating system and other input devices in order to perform what it is instructed to do. Cycles are groups of instructions in a computer. A hertz is the speed of one cycle per second. Modern computer processors are designed to process billions of cycles per second.

The execution of instructions stored in programs is the main function of the computers processor. The four functions of a processor is: execute, decode, fetch and writeback. Execute will perform a specific operation. Decode will break down instructions into parts. Fetch retrieves instructions from memory. Write back will return the results of the execute process.

Often processors are called to perform intricate calculations. Editing video or photos and other graphic design programs use a substantial amount of processing time to perform and calculate their functions. But games are the most processor intensive programs written.

As you can see all programs require processing speed to perform the operations that are required to run the programs. Different programs demand different amounts of processing time. Speed in a computer is a finite commodity so the larger processor you have the faster it will be. It is important that you know the limits of your computes processor in order to be able to work within its limitations.

Although, in modern times the processors have been made extremely efficient, they also tend to generate a lot of energy in form of heat especially if the usage is high. That’s the reason why all processors need something to cool them down. In most PCs it is a small fan that provides the cooling effect to the processor. There may be times when due to the external climate the processor temperature may reach above the one specified in the system manual. The PC can slow down due to processor overheating or even run erratically. It might be due to failure of the fan either because there is dust preventing it from functioning smoothly or the fan motor needs replacement.

It is easy to recognize that the fan has failed because there is a slight sound in the processor when the fan is running. Even a fan which has loose bearings begins making a characteristic sound making the casing vibrates.

It is not always necessary to replace the fan because sometimes it is the dust that covers the fan blades and does not allow it to function smoothly. You could simply get the fan cleaned by opening the casing and spraying it with a cleaner. If the fan has failed then simply replace it with a new one. Often it occurs that the moment you replace the fan you will notice that the processor is no longer getting heated up and the system no longer lose its usual speed.