CPU Central processing unit

INTRODUCTION CPU is a circuit able to execute computer programs, orders and Commands. These commands involve software programs and Instructions for the computer.

Table of contents †History †Microprocessor †Properties †Future †Sources

HISTORY So called CPU and computers have very interesting past. In 1970s There were monstrous computers taking up the whole rooms and one CPU was as big as refrigerator, full of wires, circuits and transistors. It was a huge bunch of equipment and thoughts of having CPU as big As microchip of size of your nail were crazy.

In the 40’s mathematicians like John Von Neumann and more came up with The concept of stored instruction computer. Before then computers were Programmed by rewriting their circuits but by having memory, computers Were able to “remember” various sets of instructions to be repeatedly used In various occasions. The component that fetches the data and instructions In the form of data processing and calculation is called the CPU.

Microprocessor In early 1970’s one company was ordered to create a CPU for special Calculators, however this time it was created in the form of small microchip. This production was extremely expensive and so replaced by flexible 4004 Microprocessor creation. The company that started this revolution is Intel, Now one of the most influential companies in the world.

Although the arrival of new style processor was amazing, its “power” Was not that great. The first 4004’s were handling data in packs of 4-bits. This gives you 16 possible numbers, enough only for standard calculations. This was not enough to find and execute more complicated programs Written in the computer. Now days we know 32-bit processors or even 64-bit ones from the AMD company, which is catching up on Intel.

With various processors we have various properties, so lets talk about The most common and the most important ones. They are GHz, bits and Cache. CACHE: extremely fast memory built in the CPU and it uses the cache to Store instructions required to repeatedly run programs improving overall Computer speed. GHz: in computers this refers to a clock speed of a CPU. The faster the clock Can tick, the faster is the computer. BIT: smallest unit of data in computer, having single binary value of 0 or 1. Properties

FUTURE Computers are still being improved, and I believe that sooner or later They will start improving themselves, anyway, from old 4-bit computers We now have 64-bit ones with around half a GB cache and QUAD processor Units reaching standard of 8GHz speed, and that’s hella fast! Who knows what Will come next, but it’s going to be awesome. Hopefully. ?

SOURCES 05.htm midmarket.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid183_gci ,00.html Thank you