What Is the Main Purpose of a CPU in a Computer?
A central processing unit (CPU) is sometimes referred to as the brains of a computer. Every piece of information that is stored or processed on a computer goes through the CPU at some point.
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Purpose
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A CPU executes programs stored on a computer. It takes in instructions and puts out data.
Location
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A computer's CPU is located on the motherboard and is generally the largest chip there.
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Operation
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A CPU uses four steps to run programs: fetch, decode, execute and writeback. It first fetches instructions from the program, then it decodes and organizes the instructions into significant parts. Next, it executes the individual parts of the instructions, and then it writes back the results into some form of memory. Often the results are written into a sort of temporary memory in the CPU itself so they can be accessed quickly for the next set of instructions from the program.
Performance
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CPU performance is measured in "cycles per second," which is the number of times per second that the chip can execute instructions. This measurement is then expressed in hertz. A CPU that runs at 4 Gigahertz (GHz) can perform 4 billion cycles per second.
Parallel Processing
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Modern CPUs use a technique called parallel processing, where more than one instruction is processed at a time. Basically, the CPU begins fetching and decoding a second set of instructions before it is finished executing the first set. This significantly increases computer performance.
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References
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