Difference Between MHz and Mbps

MHz VS Mbps

In the dimension of transmission, these two terminologies “MHz” and “Mbps” are often used and are confused by common people. This is most probably because they are related to computers themselves. But the terms do not directly relate to computers and create a myth about transmission logs. Actually, MHz and Mbps do not have any direct relation with each other since they originate from very different parts of science and technological terms themselves.

Now let us see clarified the differences between the two.

MHz

MHz or “megahertz” is a term used for measuring frequency. By “frequency,” we mean the rate by which a wave would travel per second.

F = v/λ;

Where “F” is the frequency, “v” is the velocity with which the wave travels and “λ” is the wavelength of the wave. Hz (hertz) is the unit of frequency, and 1 MHz is equivalent to 10^6 Hz.

Although being a property of a wave, this term is used in computer processors also. A processor frequency specifies the operating (internal) frequency of a CPU’s (Central Processing Unit) core. The higher the frequency is for a given CPU, the faster the processor is. Processor frequency determines how many Instructions Per Clock the CPU can process which accordingly affects system performance.

Mbps

Mbps stands for “megabits per second.” This term defines the speed of packet data being transferred along a network line.

One Mb which is a “megabit” is equal to 10^6 bits or 1,000 000 bits. Unlike frequency, data travel is digital not analogue. Digital data is converted from servers (or computers) to other servers. The conversion is done through a “MOdulator/DEModulator”; also known as a modem.

Internet working speed will depend upon the speed of the data packets sent and received per unit time. Basically, Internet speed works fine with approximately 50 Kbps.

Mbps is often confused with MBps. “Mbps” is “megabits per second” while “MBps” is “megabytes per second” where 1 “megabyte” is equal to 1,024 kilobytes.

Summary:

  • MHz is a unit of frequency while Mbps is a unit for the data transfer across a digital communication line.
  • 1 MHz is equivalent to 10^6 Hz while 1 Mbps is equal to 10^6 bits per second.
  • MHz works with analogue signals while a data transfer occurs digitally.
  • In computers, “MHz” defines the speed of the CPU while “Mbps” defines the speed of the Internet.