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CPU
 

A Pentium II 260 Mhz CPU

This is a Pentium II Processor.

It is the almighty "God" of the computer. It is the core of all processes. Get my point? Once again, I am trying to explain the importance of this piece of the computer. Yes, I know I said the same about the motherboard, but this is in the same boat. There are certain objects in the computer (like the CPU) that you just have to have. In order for the computer to function at all, it has to have a processor. The processor serves as the logic in the computer, and the motherboard is the brain. Now, let’s get down to the small details. 

The terms CPU, Central Processing Unit, and microprocessor are all synonymous. Today, the most commonly spoken term is processor (an abbreviation of microprocessor). The CPU is a square or rectangle "chip" that is composed of millions of transistors that are arranged in the Pin Grid Array (PGA) format. Prior to 1981, CPUs were standardized as a rectangular chip with 2 rows of 20 pins, commonly known as the dual inline package (DIP). 

The race for the "fastest" machine has left Intel to emerge as the market leader in the production of microprocessors. Following close behind are other industrial giants such as Motorola, Advanced Micro Device (AMD), Cyrix, and IBM. If you are interested in the fine details of these companies, you may visit their websites at: 
 

Intel - http://www.intel.com
Motorola - http://www.motorola.com
AMD - http://www.amd.com
Cyrix - http://www.cyrix.com
IBM - http://www.ibm.com
Interested in the development of computers over time? Want to predict the speeds of future computers? Visit the Graph Predictor in the Java section. 

Well, there is more to a processor than you would think. The processor is composed of the following components: math coprocessor, clock speed, internal cache memory, and the bus (external or system, data, and address). 



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All material and images on these pages are copyright Joseph,Ed. This page was developed for the Thinkquest1999 competition.