A451 - 1.2: The CPU

A451 - 1.2: The CPU

1. Purpose

   • Processes all data
   • Described as 'The Brain of The Computer'

2. Fetch-Decode-Execute

   • Firstly the CPU Fetches the instructions of what to do
   • It then has to make sense of what to of the instructions (Decode)
   • This is when the action is carried out. The cycle then repeats

3. The Control Unit

   • Controls the flow of data
   • Controls the input and output of data
   • Controls and monitors what is plugged into the computer

4. The Immediate Access Store

   • Holds data and stores it temporarily

5. Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU)

   • Maths and stuff

6. Clock Speed

   • A Higher clocks speed means better performance, but itll consume more battery power.
   • A Lower clock speed is lower performance, but cheaper and less battery life used up.

7. Cores

   • Most computers these days have more than one or two CPU's
   • The more cores, the better the performance.

8. Cache

   • The cache is volatile memory that is very accessible to the CPU, more so than RAM
   • A Large Cache results in better performance