Central processing unit

central computer component that executes instructions

set of rules and methods that describe the functionality, organization and implementation of computer systems

combinational digital circuit that performs arithmetic and bitwise operations on binary-coded integer numbers

immediately accessible working storage available as part of a digital processor

set of abstract symbols (called instructions) which identify and describe operations in a computer program to a computer processor

In computer architecture, microcode is a layer of low-level control data or instructions used to implement a processor's instruction set architecture or internal control sequences. It consists of hardware-level operations that carry out higher-level machine code instructions or direct internal sequencing in many digital components. In many modern Intel and AMD general-purpose processors, common instructions are decoded directly into internal micro-operations, while microcode is used mainly for more complex instructions, special cases, and processor updates.

computer hardware unit having all memory references passed through itself, primarily performing the translation of virtual memory addresses to physical addresses

dynamically managed local memory that mirrors main memory in a microprocessor to reduce the cost of access

right|thumb|upright=2|Diagram of the Core (microarchitecture)|Intel Core 2 microarchitecture

component of a computer's CPU

coprocessor for floating point arithmetic

computer processor which works on arrays of several numbers at once

thumb|AM9511-1 arithmetic coprocessorA coprocessor is a computer processor used to supplement the functions of the primary processor (the CPU). Operations performed by the coprocessor may be floating-point arithmetic, graphics, signal processing, string processing, cryptography or I/O interfacing with peripheral devices. By offloading processor-intensive tasks from the main processor, coprocessors can accelerate system performance. Coprocessors allow a line of computers to be customized, so that customers who do not need the extra performance do not need to pay for it. ==Functionality== Copro

removal of waste heat from a computer or computer component

processor register that indicates the location in memory of the currently-executing instruction in the binary code of a program

use of specialized computer hardware to perform some functions more efficiently than is possible in software running on a more general-purpose CPU

arithmetic register

circuit components acting like computer memory

ability of a central processing unit (CPU) or a single core in a multi-core processor to execute multiple processes or threads concurrently

memory cache that is used to reduce the time taken to access a user memory location; part of the chip’s memory-management unit

layer of protection in computer systems

engineering process of designing a CPU

technology used in CPUs

integrated part of a processing unit (such as a CPU, or a GPU)

class of computer processors that process only one data item at a time, typically integers and floating point numbers

register containing flags giving additional information concerning a result in a processor

fixed-length contiguous block of virtual memory

technique for improving the overall efficiency of superscalar CPUs with hardware multithreading

CPU register used for modifying operand addresses

computer technique

A data path is a collection of functional units such as arithmetic logic units (ALUs) or multipliers that perform data processing operations, registers, and buses. Along with the control unit it composes the central processing unit (CPU). A larger data path can be made by joining multiple data paths using multiplexers.

technique in computer architecture whereby the frequency of a microprocessor can be automatically adjusted "on the fly", either to conserve power or to reduce the amount of generated heat

operating modes for computers

thumb|right|upright=2.1|A high-level illustration showing the decomposition of machine instructions into micro-operations, performed during typical Instruction cycle|fetch-decode-execute cycles

instruction set architecture

versions of a processor of the same processor type

computer central processor register whose purpose is to keep track of a call stack

CPU that switches between threads of execution on every cycle

control register in IBM System/360 and successors systems architecture

research project into RISC-based microprocessor design

part of computer processors involved in performing memory accesses

CPU architecture feature to improve performance

Type of computing architecture

term

Concept in computer hardware

computer data variable

Bit used by the CPU cache

increasing a processor's frequency to enhance performance

aspect of history

overview of the power dissipation of the computer processor

microprocessor-based system-on-a-chip which is designed to deal with digital streaming data such as images and video in real-time

support by a hardware architecture of accessing individual bytes of data in memory

method of accessing computer memory (RAM) or bus without interfering with the CPU