The CPU is the brains of your computer, and the faster it goes, the faster you'll be able to get on with whatever it is you're doing. But should you go for AMD or Intel? Single, dual, triple or quad-core? What do you need for gaming, office work or multimedia?

Various manufacturers allow us to use their hardware to test CPUs. Here's a list of the components we use to put processors through their paces.

If you're having trouble finding your way around our CPU reviews, this performance index table may prove helpful. It gives an overview of performances for all the processors we've tested to date using our latest procedures.

The CPU is the brains of your computer, and the faster it goes, the faster you'll be able to get on with whatever it is you're doing. The market is dominated by two big manufacturers, Intel and AMD, but the decisions don't stop there--is a dual-, a triple- or a quad-core processor best for you? And if you're upgrading, how do you know that a new processor is compatible with your existing hardware?