What is the significance of measuring CPU speed in gigahertz (GHz)?

Measuring CPU speed in gigahertz (GHz) signifies that the CPU can perform billions of cycles per second. This unit of measurement reflects the frequency at which a processor operates and is crucial in determining the processing power and efficiency of the CPU. A higher gigahertz rating typically means the CPU can execute more instructions per second, leading to improved performance in applications, particularly those that are CPU-intensive. Understanding this metric helps technicians and users gauge the speed and responsiveness of a computer system, making it a key component in evaluating hardware capabilities.