How many cores do I need?

The number of cores that you need is largely dependent on the tasks and applications that the computer will be running. Having more than one core helps with multitasking and can improve performance if the software supports multi-core computer processors. For software that does not support multiple cores, multi-core CPUs will not provide additional performance gains.

Should I prioritize the number of cores or clock speed?

It can vary depending on how the processor will be used. If you intend to use the processor with software that can take advantage of multiple cores, then you should prioritize core count. If you are planning to use the computer processor with applications that cannot take advantage of multiple cores, you will see more performance benefits from faster clock speeds.

What is an Accelerated Processing Unit (APU)?

An APU is a type of computer processor produced by AMD that functions as both a CPU and graphics processing unit (GPU). Intel also produces computer processors with integrated GPUs, though they are not marketed as APUs. The advantage of a computer processor with a built-in graphics accelerator is the fact that a video card is not required, which lowers costs for assembling a computer system.