The higher the clock speed, the faster a single-threaded application may execute. The more cores, the faster both multi-threaded applications and multiple applications running simultaneously may execute. For regular workstation use, higher clock speeds are typically better than more cores. For server use, where many applications may be running simultaneously or where multi-threaded applications may be more-commonly run, more cores is better.

When finished selecting your Processor, proceed to Step 3 – Memory.