Processor

• The processor, also called the central processing unit (CPU), interprets and carries out the basic instructions that operate a computer.
• The processor significantly impacts overall computing power and manages most of a computer’s operations.
• On a personal computer, all functions of the processor usually are on a single chip.
• Some computer and chip manufacturers use the term microprocessor to refer to a personal computer processor chip.
• Most processor chip manufacturers now offer multi-core processors.
• A processor core contains the circuitry necessary to execute instructions.
• The operating system views each processor core as a separate processor.
• A multi-core processor is a chip with two or more separate processor cores.        
• Two common multi-core processors are dual-core and quad-core.
• A dual-core processor is a chip that contains two separate processor cores.
• Similarly, a quad-core processor is a chip with four separate processor cores.
• Each processor core on a multi-core processor generally runs at a slower clock speed than a single-core processor, but multi-core processors typically increase overall performance.
• For example, although a dual-core processor does not double the processing speed of a single-core processor, it can approach those speeds.
• Multi-core processors also are more energy efficient than separate multiple processors, requiring lower levels of power consumption and emitting less heat in the system unit.
• Processors contain a control unit and an arithmetic logic unit (ALU).
• These two components work together to perform processing operations.
• Figure illustrates how other devices that are connected to the computer communicate with the processor to carry out a task.