CPU speed

[TT-MasTaH]

In order to find out your CPUs frequency you take your bus speed multiplied with a factor. This factor is often 4,5 on "new" CPUs. What exactly does this factor mean? Is it like just a number Intel comes up with after they've run their tests??

[Szech]

You multiply the FSB by the CPU's internal multiplier to get the CPU's speed. So a PII 400 is a CPU with a multiplier of 4 on a FSB of 100. As for the multiplier, Intel tests a few chips out of a batch, and the ones that come out better can have a higher multiplier (which results in higher speeds), while the not so good ones get a lower multiplier (which results in lower, safer speeds).