Writing code to detect processor

[Fredrick]

What code can I write to detect processor speed, ram?

[df]

detecting processor speed is a convoluted process.

if its a pentium class  you can use rdtsc on it and time a known instruction.

if its < pentium, you have to resort to lots of tricks (ie: make, model, stepping etc).

or

use some extended bios info stored in the tables in the bios, which give processor speed, motherboard type/maker, etc.

detecting ram is much easier. let something like grub do it for you and use its value. (grub just uses some of the extended bios calls)