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CPU
The CPU can be described as the brain of your computer. Always attached to the motherboard, the CPU is the component required for nearly all computer functions. At the time of publication, most CPUs come from two manufacturers, Intel and AMD, with both refining their technology to offer faster speeds on a yearly basis. The CPU's speed is defined in megahertz or gigahertz, abbreviated as MHz and GHz, respectively. The CPU and the video card, also known as a graphics card, determine the performance of a computer game or graphic-intensive software.
Resolution
In computer terms, resolution is determined by the number of pixels shown on screen, so a higher resolution means more pixels appearing at once, for a higher quality image. Resolution is commonly reported as the amount of pixels shown horizontally and vertically; for example, a display that shows 1440 pixels horizontally and 900 pixels vertically would be classified as 1440x900. Your resolution is determined by the size of your monitor; larger monitors can scale images to a higher resolution, but each increase in resolution requires an increasingly stronger video card.
Lower Resolution
Lowering the resolution of a computer game or software program increases the effect on a CPU. As the resolution decreases, less strain is placed on the graphics card because there are fewer pixels to render, but the strain is then transferred to the CPU. At a lower resolution, the frames per second are limited to the CPU's speed.
Higher Resolution
As the resolution increases, the video card must work harder to render the increasing amount of pixels, reducing the strain on the CPU. However, the CPU is still affected to a degree, depending on the type of software or game running. Newer computer games, with intensive 3-D effects, require just as much out of a CPU and graphics card. At a higher resolution, the frames per second are generally limited by the graphics card instead of the CPU.