Scribd
Upload
123 views12 pages

IT Part 5 CPU and Memory PDF

The CPU is the central processing unit that acts as the brain of the computer. It processes instructions from programs to manipulate data. The CPU contains transistors and logic circuits arranged on an integrated circuit chip. Memory temporarily stores data and instructions for programs and is connected to the CPU via a memory bus for fast access. Larger computers have more memory than phones to store more data. Secondary storage like hard drives are used for long-term data storage.

Uploaded by

MOBIN 23
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
123 views12 pages

IT Part 5 CPU and Memory PDF

The CPU is the central processing unit that acts as the brain of the computer. It processes instructions from programs to manipulate data. The CPU contains transistors and logic circuits arranged on an integrated circuit chip. Memory temporarily stores data and instructions for programs and is connected to the CPU via a memory bus for fast access. Larger computers have more memory than phones to store more data. Secondary storage like hard drives are used for long-term data storage.

Uploaded by

MOBIN 23
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 12

Part 5: CPU & Memory.

37
1/9/2021
CPU (acronym of?)

• The CPU is the brain of a computer, containing all the circuitry


needed to process input, store data, and output results.

• The CPU is constantly following instructions of computer


programs that tell it which data to process and how to process
it. Without a CPU, we could not run programs on a computer.

• For example, a simple calculator program might instruct the


CPU to take two numbers, 2 and 2, add them, and send back
the result.
1/9/2021 Aws Y. Abed Information Technology (38)
Inside the CPU

• At the hardware level, a CPU is an integrated circuit, also known as a chip.


• An integrated circuit "integrates" millions or billions of tiny electrical parts,
arranging them into circuits and fitting them all into a compact box.

An Intel
80486DX2
CPU chip.
Source: Matt
Gibbs,
Wikipedia
Commons

1/9/2021 Aws Y. Abed Information Technology (39)


Layers of the CPU chip

• Some of those layers are physical


devices, like:
• the chip
• transistors,
• some of those layers are abstractions,
like
• logic circuits
• gates.
• Extra readings:
• Abstraction
• Gates

1/9/2021 Aws Y. Abed Information Technology (40)


Memory – How it works

• When input devices send binary data to a CPU, it immediately


stores that data in memory to make it easier to process.
• Let's say we ask a computer to add 2 + 4. Here's what it will do:
• Store 2 (0010001000100010) and 4 (0100010001000100) in
memory
• Use a circuit in the CPU to calculate the result
• Store 6 (0110011001100110) in memory

1/9/2021 Aws Y. Abed Information Technology (41)


Memory

• Since the CPU is constantly using data from memory, they're


connected via a memory bus, a high-speed communication
transfer system, typically made from wires, conductors, or
optical fibers.

1/9/2021 Aws Y. Abed Information Technology (42)


Memorysize

• Memory is designed for fast access and typically stores only the
data and instructions that are necessary for the currently
running programs on a computer.
• Computer memory isn't infinite, so there's a limit to how much
data we can input before we overflow the memory.
• Computers also vary a lot in memory size, usually because of
physical size constraints. A desktop computer can remember
more than your phone, but your phone can remember more
than the Raspberry Pi?.

1/9/2021 Aws Y. Abed Information Technology (43)


Memorysize

• How much memory does your computer have ?


• Mac: click on the icon of apple and select about this Mac.

• Windows: right click on your “My computer: and click properties.

My laptop
has 16.0 GB
which is
more than
enough for
my needs.

1/9/2021 Aws Y. Abed Information Technology (44)


Memory types - Main memory

• This type of memory, also called main memory or RAM


(Random Access Memory), is only used for temporary storage
of data. When you restart a computer, it typically wipes the
memory entirely. Memory wouldn't be a good place to store
data for later, like files and programs.

1/9/2021 Aws Y. Abed Information Technology (45)


Memory types – Secondary memory

• Computers store long-term data in a different type of memory:


• external memory or secondary storage, like a hard drive or
USB drive.

• When computers need to store data for long-term retrieval,


they use secondary memory, also known as auxiliary storage
or external memory.

1/9/2021 Aws Y. Abed Information Technology (46)


Storage types

• Personal computers come with a hard drive,


a permanently attached secondary storage.
• Many computers have input ports for USB
drives or SD cards, forms of portable
secondary storage. That allows us to store
lots on our computers, but also to easily
transfer from one computer to another.
• Secondary storage devices can be
implemented using a variety of electronic
technologies, like flash memory?, optical
discs?, and magnetic disks?.
1/9/2021 Aws Y. Abed Information Technology (47)
Storage speed

• on the computer, all secondary storage acts the same way. The
CPU can write data into storage and it can read data from
storage.
• To the user, what matters is the speed of those read/write
operations. Flash memory is faster than its predecessors, so
most new computers come with that.
• SSD vs HDD?
• Reading: Microcomputers

1/9/2021 Aws Y. Abed Information Technology (48)

You might also like