GHz

Gigahertz (symbol GHz) is a unit of frequency equal to one billion hertz (10^9 Hz). The hertz measures cycles per second, so a signal at 1 GHz completes one billion cycles every second. The prefix giga- denotes 10^9, and GHz is used across electronics, computing, and communications to describe clock rates, carrier frequencies, and timing intervals.

In computing, GHz expresses processor clock speed—the rate at which a CPU can perform basic operations. Higher GHz can indicate faster operation, but real-world performance also depends on architecture, core count, cache, instructions per cycle, and memory bandwidth. Modern processors often employ dynamic frequency scaling to boost or reduce clock speeds as needed.

In telecommunications and radio frequency engineering, GHz bands cover microwave frequencies used for wireless communication, radar, satellite links, and research. Common consumer examples include the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands used by Wi‑Fi, as well as higher-frequency bands around 60 GHz used for very high‑speed wireless links. GHz values also appear in radar and satellite systems and in scientific applications such as radio astronomy.

Measurement and standards: The SI unit hertz is the base unit; gigahertz is a prefixed form. 1 GHz equals 10^9 Hz, 1 MHz equals 10^6 Hz, and 1 THz equals 10^12 Hz. The GHz designation describes frequency, not data throughput, which is measured in bits per second.