What is a Processor? | How does the processor work?
We often hear word processor while buying a mobile or computer. A processor or CPU (Central Processing Unit) is basically a chip/hardware inside a computer or mobile, which performs various tasks by following the commands given by the software.
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CPU or processor is considered to be the main chip or brain of a computer/mobile.
The highlight of a new device is its processor. Let us find out what is this most talked about processor and what does the processor do.
As mentioned earlier, this post discusses the basics of common processors. This is not an academic discussion, but a simple idea for curious readers. This is not for your class or academic work. Please refer to your textbook or teacher's help for educational needs.
What is a Processor?
No computer or smartphone can run programs without a processor. It takes input of command and gives output accordingly. The processor is the hardware that takes commands from other hardware and software. The processor then "processes" this command and executes the command with the associated hardware or software.
Suppose you want to log in to a PC with a password. You type the password through the keyboard and enter. The processor will then verify the password you provided with the password stored on your PC's system. If the password matches, the processor will log you in and take you to the next screen. If it doesn't match, it will show an error message from the software on the screen. It can also play a warning sound on the speaker.
The processor is called the Central Processing Unit or CPU. However, a computer can have more than one processor, such as a Graphics Processing Unit or GPU. The CPU is most important.
Processor units receive commands from random access memory. Whenever an instruction is given, the CPU decodes it, executes it and provides output.
Currently, Intel and AMD processors are the most popular in the field of computers. Intel's Core and AMD's Ryzen processors are extremely popular in the desktop processor world.
On the other hand, chip makers like Apple, Nvidia, Qualcomm, MediaTek etc make processors for most of the mobile devices.
Where is the processor?
Before knowing the different parts of the processor and the working of these parts, it is also important to know which hardware of the computer / phone is called processor. The processor of a computer is usually on the motherboard.
The processor is mounted on the CPU socket or CPU slot. A lever is attached to the CPU slot to ensure that the processor affixes adequately to the motherboard.
In case of mobile also the processor is connected to the motherboard. It sticks more tightly than the PC. Usually no one changes the processor of the mobile. However, computer processors have been seen changing users.
different parts of the processor
To understand how a processor works, it is important to have an idea of the processor's structure. A computer processor consists of four main components: ALU, FPU, registers and cache memory.
The Arithmetic Logic Unit or ALU conducts all mathematical and logic operations of the computer. ALU works with integers. Floating point units, or FPUs, on the other hand, deal with floating-point numbers, which include a decimal.
The register stores the various instructions received from different parts of the computer. The register indicates what the ALU has to do and stores its information.
The processor has L2 and L3 memory. Having this memory makes it possible for the processor to store cache data locally. This allows the processor to execute commands quickly without having to transfer data from RAM. This makes the CPU more efficient and faster.
How does the processor work?
We got an idea of what a processor is and what its different parts are. Let us now know how the processor works.
A look at the core of the processors shows that they use exactly the same type of process. These processes are called embryo-execution cycles. There are three phases in this cycle: receiving, decoding, and executing.
Bring in:
Fetching is the first step in the fetch-execution cycle. In this phase a processor processes or receives an instruction. This instruction given to the processor is sent from RAM to the processor.
To Explain:
The instructions from the register are sent to the next stage and the instructions are processed using a processor decoder. The processor then converts the given instructions into some signals, so that other parts of the processor can use this information to perform tasks.
To Perform:
At the end of this phase the decoded instructions are executed by the processor. Instructions are sent to another part of the processor for execution.
After following the given instructions, it is saved in the register. This increases the processor speed, as the processor can use previously processed data before executing any similar instructions the next time.
Processor Specification:
We know everything from the type of processor to the way it works. Let us now know about some important specifications related to processor or CPU.
32-bit and 64-bit processors:
There are generally two types of processors: 32-bit and 64-bit. Depending on how many bits of information can be exchanged between different parts of the processor at the same time.
32-bit processors are dominant for their power processing. However, more bits means that the processor is more powerful (by the same standard), so the use of 64-bit processors has increased significantly recently.
Clock Speed:
Clock speed is a measure of how many instructions a processor can process in a second. The GHz unit is used to measure clock speed. The clock speed is considered the core of the processor specification.
L2 / L3 Cache:
Processors store commonly used data in L2 and L3 memory. The processor uses this memory for general information instead of taking the help of RAM to execute each instruction.
Being part of the processor, L2 and L3 caches work much faster than RAM. The more cache, the faster the PC.
How does a processor core work?
Back in the day computer processors had only one core. This means that the processor or CPU is only capable of performing a given task in a given amount of time.
As a result of hard work of hardware engineers we have got multi-core processor which has become standard now. These processors are capable of performing multiple tasks at the same time because multi-core processors have multiple cores. These setups are called dual core and quad core respectively. Some processors have up to 64 cores depending on the job.
What is Mobile Processor?
As you already know, not only the computer, but also your smartphone is powered by a processor. Processors originally designed for mobile devices and portable computers are called mobile processors.
There are some structural differences between mobile processors and computer processors. For example, a computer has a separate GPU, but the GPU of a mobile processor is connected to the CPU. Although there are structural differences, both processors operate in the same way.
What is the difference between mobile and computer processor?
There are many differences between the processors of computers and mobile phones. Firstly, the computer's processor can operate at its specified speed most of the time. But the processor of the mobile most of the time does not work at its specified speed as it will overheat the processor which is harmful to the device. In addition, computer processors consume more energy and generate more heat than mobile processors.
Why is the processor broken?
Like any other electronic part, the processor can become damaged or unusable. However, if your PC has a proper temperature reduction system, its processor will be protected from high temperatures, which will protect the processor from thermal damage.
Conclusion:
Processor or CPU is a very important part of computer/mobile phone (and many other devices). Processors help in running various programs by processing the data on the computer. Recently there have been significant improvements in the field of processors.
In addition to increasing the popularity of multi-core processors, technologies such as Hyper-Threading have enabled computers to operate more quickly and efficiently. If you have read the processor or CPU mentioned above, then by now you must have got a basic idea about the processor.
If you have any queries regarding the processor, you can let us know in the comment section.
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