Central Processing Unit (CPU)

What is CPU?

What are the steps to perform CPU's operation?

CPU

Computer's brain.

CPU is the hardware within a computer that carries out the instructions of a computer program by performing the basic arithmetical, logical, and input/output operations of the system. 

There are four steps that a CPU use in its operation.

• Fetch
• Decode
• Execute
• Writeback

Fetch

The first step, fetch, involves retrieving an instruction from program memory. The instruction that the CPU fetches from memory is used to determine what the CPU is to do.

Decode

In the decode step, the instruction is broken up into parts that have significance to other portions of the CPU.

Execute

After the fetch and decode steps, the execute step is performed. During this step, various portions of the CPU are connected so they can perform the desired operation.

Writeback

The final step, writeback, simply "writes back" the results of the execute step to some form of memory.

If, for instance, an addition operation was requested, the logic unit will be connected to a set of inputs and a set of outputs. The inputs provide the numbers to be added, and the outputs will contain the final sum. 

What are the componets of a CPU?

What is the clock speed?

There are two componets of a CPU.

Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)

Control Unit (CU)

Arithmetic Logic Unit

ALU which performs arithmetic and logical operations.

Control Unit

CU which extracts instructions from memory and decodes and executes them, calling on the ALU when necessary.

Clock Speed

The clock speed is the speed at which a microprocessor executes instructions. Every computer contains an internal clock that regulates the rate at which instructions are executed and synchronizes all the various computer components. The CPU requires a fixed number of clock ticks (or clock cycles) to execute each instruction. The faster the clock, the more instructions the CPU can execute per second.

What is CPU Core?

CPU Core

The term 'core' means, the power of the processor, how fast a processor can execute an instruction.

A multi-core processor is a single computing component with two or more independent actual central processing units (called cores), which are the units that read and execute program instructions.

A dual-core processor has two cores , a quad-core processor contains four cores, a hexa-core processor contains six cores.

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