- CPU ( Microprocessor)
- Interprets and amd executes the instructions in each program.
- Supervises arithmetic and logical data manipulations
- Communicates with all other parts of the computer system indirectly through memory
- An extraordinarily complex collection of electronic circuits.
- Housed along with other chips and electronic components on the motherboard.
All software is not necessarily compatible with every CPU.
- Software written for the PowerPc family of processors used in Macintosh computers won't run on Intel processors.
- Programs written for Linux can't run on Windows. Both systems run on PC's powered by Intel's microprocessor
- CPUs in the same family are generally designed to be backward compatible.
- Newer processors can process all of the instructions handled by earlier models.
Performance:
- Applications require faster machines to produce satisfactory result
- A computer's overall performance is determined by:
- Its microprocessor's internal clock speed. Measured in units called gigahertz (GHz) for billions of clock cycles per second.
- The architecture and word size of the processor
- High=end workstations and servers use 6-4 bit processors. Most Pc's and Macintoshes use 32-bit processors. Some embedded and special-purpose computers still use 8- and 16-bit processors.
Techniques for speeding up a computer's performance:
-Parallel processing
-Server clusters
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