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== Definition == |
== Definition == |
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+ | The '''central processing unit''' ([[CPU]]) is |
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+ | {{Quote|is a traditional [[processor]] with the [[circuitry]] necessary to perform and [[execute]] [[instruction]]s from [[program]]s on a [[computer]].<ref>"Supercomputer Glossary" ([http://www.doe.gov/articles/infographic-everything-you-need-know-about-supercomputers full-text]).</ref> |
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== Overview == |
== Overview == |
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+ | == References == |
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+ | <references /> |
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[[Category:Technology]] |
[[Category:Technology]] |
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[[Category:Hardware]] |
[[Category:Hardware]] |
Revision as of 01:56, 29 September 2013
Definition
The central processing unit (CPU) is
{{Quote|is a traditional processor with the circuitry necessary to perform and execute instructions from programs on a computer.[1]
Overview
A CPU is made up of several different elements — the control unit, the arithmetic logic unit (ALU), the registers, and the basic input/output (I/O) unit, and often other hardware closely linked with these elements.
Early CPUs were composed of many separate components but since the mid-1970s CPUs have typically been constructed on a single integrated circuit called a microprocessor.