Specs Dictionary

Core Clock (GPU)


Core Clock (GPU) -- We sometimes refer to this as the Base Clock or BCLK of the GPU, a habit from working with the BCLK (CPU); the two can be used interchangeably, though "Core Clock" is more correct when referring specifically to a GPU. The Core Clock is the operating frequency of the graphics processing chip found on the video card. This is sometimes SuperClocked or pre-overclocked, depending on manufacturer.

The Clock Speed is another component (along with CUDA Cores or Stream Processors, Memory Interface (GPU), and Memory Clock (GPU)) that determines the efficacy of a GPU in its parallel processing / gaming tasks. Clock Speed is often the key differentiating factor among same-GPU equipped video cards (like the GM107 that's found in multiple video cards). Clock Speed can be manually modified by the user via Overclocking.

Clock Speed is the number of times the silicon oscillates per second. If a GPU has a 1000MHz core clock, that means it cycles (the silicon crystal oscillates) 1,000,000 times per second (mega). Clock Speed is used to calculate most of the GPU's capabilities when it comes to graphics rendering potential, including Texture Fill-Rate.

See Also

  • Memory Clock (GPU)
  • CUDA Cores
  • Stream Processors
  • Overclocking
  • Texture Fill-Rate

Related Articles

Related Products