Most manfactures display speeds in one of two forms. Either MHZ (megahertz) or GHZ (gigahertz).

mhz : ghz ratio = 1000:1
Meaning it takes 1000mhz to equal 1ghz.

Example 1: 1.65ghz is the same as saying 1650mhz
Example 2: 3.20ghz is the same as saying 3200mhz

Mhz was originally used for machines which pre-date Intel's Pentium4 Processors. For example Pentium 1,2, and 3 processors used the encoding mhz up until the 1000mhz barrier was broken with the development of the Pentium4 processor.

In general the higher the Processing speed, the faster the machine will be able to complete tasks given to it by you or the software you are running. Which means by technical standards a 3.4ghz machine should outperform processors slower than 3.4ghz.

However this is not always the case. Certain combinations of memory, video cards and even motherboard choices can adversly affect the performace of a given system. Not to mention newer technologies with every new processor, such as the Core2 CPUs for example. Thier clock speeds are much slower, but their architecture allows them to do more than ever before.

WIPC cant stress enough how critical choosing the right components can make or break a system's performance. Thats why we take the time to understand your needs and fit the machine to you, not you to the machine.