Alternately referred to as a processor, central processor, or microprocessor, the CPU (pronounced sea-pea-you) is the central processing unit of the computer. A computer's CPU handles all instructions it receives from hardware and software running on the computer.
Tip
The CPU is often referred to as the brain of the computer. However, it is more appropriate to refer to software as the brain and the CPU as a very efficient calculator. A CPU is really good with numbers, but if it wasn't for the software it wouldn't know how to do anything else.
Note
CPU overview
The picture below is an example of what the top and bottom of an Intel Pentium processor may look. The processor is placed and secured into a compatible CPU socket found on the motherboard.
Processors produce heat, so they are covered with a heat sink to keep them cool and running smoothly.
As you can see in the above picture, the CPU chip is usually in the shape of a square or rectangle and has one notched corner to help place the chip properly into the CPU socket. On the bottom of the chip are hundreds of connector pins that plug into each of the corresponding holes in the socket. Today, most CPU's resemble the picture shown above. However, Intel and AMD have also experimented with slot processors that were much larger and slid into a slot on the motherboard. Also, over the years, there have been dozens of different types of sockets on motherboards. Each socket only supports specific types of processors and each has its own pin layout.
What does the CPU do?
The CPU's main function is to take input from a peripheral (keyboard, mouse, printer, etc) or computer program, and interpret what it needs. The CPU then either outputs information to your monitor or performs the peripheral's requested task.
CPU history
The CPU was first developed at Intel with the help of Ted Hoff and others in the early 1970s. The first processor released by Intel was the 4004 processor, shown in the picture to the right.
Components of the CPU
In the CPU, there are two primary components.
- ALU (arithmetic logic unit) - performs mathematical, logical, and decision operations.
- CU (control unit) - directs all the processors operations.
Over the history of computer processors, the speed (clock speed) and capabilities of the processor have dramatically improved. For example, the first microprocessor was the Intel 4004 that was released on November 15, 1971, and had 2,300 transistors and performed 60,000 operations per second. The Intel Pentium processor
has 3,300,000 transistors and performs around 188,000,000 instructions per second.
Types of CPUs
In the past, computer processors used numbers to identify the processor and help identify faster processors. For example, the Intel 80486 (486) processor is faster than the 80386 (386) processor. After the introduction of the Intel Pentium processor (which would technically be the 80586), all computer processors started using names like Athlon, Duron, Pentium, and Celeron.
Today, in addition to the different names of computer processors, there are different architectures (32-bit and 64-bit), speeds, and capabilities. Below is a list of the more common types of CPUs for home or business computers.
Note
There are multiple versions for some of these CPU types.
AMD processors
Sempron
Athlon 64 Mobile Athlon 64 Athlon XP-M Athlon 64 FX |
Turion 64
Athlon 64 X2 Turion 64 X2 Phenom FX Phenom X4 |
Phenom X3
Athlon 6-series Athlon 4-series Athlon X2 Phenom II |
Athlon II
E2 series A4 series A6 series A8 series A10 series |
Intel processors
The AMD Opteron series and Intel Itanium and Xeon series are CPUs used in servers and high-end workstation computers.
Some mobile devices, like smartphones and tablets, use ARM CPUs. These CPUs are smaller in size, require less power, and generate less heat.
How fast does a CPU transfer data?
As with any device that utilizes electrical signals, the data travels very near the speed of light, which is 299,792,458 m/s. How close to the speed of light a signal can get depends on the medium (type of metal in the wire) through which the signal is traveling. Most electrical signals are traveling at about 75 to 90% the speed of light.
Could a GPU be used in place of a CPU?
No. Although GPU's can process data and do many of the same things as a CPU, it lacks the ability to perform many of the functions required by typical operating systems and software.
Could a computer work without a CPU?
No. All computers require some type of CPU.
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