A CPU installed on a motherboard.
The internal components of a computer are foreign to many but their functions are not difficult to understand. The CPU is one of the most basic and essential parts of a computer.
Definition
CPU stands for Central Processing Unit, and is shorthand for the computer's processor.
Function
The CPU does the thinking and number crunching required by the computer's programs and hardware. RAM (random access memory) sends data to the CPU to be processed. A higher processor speed increases your computer's speed because it does the thinking faster. Greater RAM increases your computer's speed because it gives your CPU quicker access to more information.
Cores
If a CPU has more than one core it can distribute the processing work among its cores. This reduces the degree to which the computer slows down under a heavier strain. As of January 2010, dual and quad Core processors are widely available to consumers.
Physical Description
The very first CPUs were made out of large vacuum tubes. Today's CPUs are much smaller and are also known as microprocessors. They are now made up of a single silicon chip on top of a circuit board with millions of transistors, inside a square ceramic or plastic housing.
Installation
CPUs plug in to the computer's motherboard. CPUs are produced according to certain shapes (often referred to as sockets); not all motherboards and CPUs are compatible.
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