CPU

CPU

1. The Purpose of the CPU

   • The brains of the computer. Used to process instructions.
     • Follows the fetch-execute cycle
       • Fetches instructions from memory, decodes instructions and then executes the instructions

2. Clock Speed

   • Measured in cycles per second (Hertz)
     • The larger the clock speed the quicker the CPU can perform the fetch execute cycle
       • A low clock speed will slow the fetch execute cycle down. Thus slowing the computers performance.

3. Cache Size

   • Cache is high speed buffer memory
     • Cache is located close to the CPU
       • Used to store frequently used instructions by the CPU
         • The larger the cache memory the quicker the CPU can perform the fetch execute cycle
           • A small cache size will slow the fetch execute cycle and the computer's performance

4. Number of Cores

   • A CPU can have more than one processor on its chip
     • A multiple core processor can run the fetch-execute cycle in parallel
       • This is known as parallel processing and will increase the amount of instructions a CPU can fetch, decode and execute at the same time.

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