Hardware

Hardware

1. CPU

   • central processing unit: where all decisions of a computer is made and executes the instructions
   • Computer would not function without this as it would not receive any instructions
   • uses a FETCH-DECODE-EXECUTE- cycle being stored in the memory
   • CPU performance
     • clock speed: how fast the CPU cycle can run, corresponds with how many instructions it can process in a second
       • meausred in GHz or MHz
     • the cache: is a tiny amount of memory in the CPU, used to temporarily hold instructions and data that the CPU is likely to reuse
       • measured in MB
     • cores: how many FDE cycles there are in a computer
       • eg. 4 cores means having 4 FDE cycles at one
       • measured in numbers
     • ways to improve a CPU: higher clock speed, increase size of cache, have more cores

2. Binary

   • data is represented in binary form because the motherboard is a circuit is understands the on or off aspect and can understand the instruction given

3. Memory

4. Input devices

5. output devices