Central Processing Unit (CPU)

A Central Processing Unit (CPU) is a computer microprocessor (microprocessor within a computer) that carries computing instructions of a computer program.

• Context:
  • It can (typically) execute computing instructions from programs to perform arithmetic operations, logical operations, and data transfers.
  • It can (often) coordinate with other computer components through bus interfaces and control signals.
  • It can (often) serves as the primary driver for general-purpose computing, balancing sequential processing and parallel processing capabilities.
  • ...
  • It can range from being a Simple Scalar CPU to being a Complex Superscalar CPU, depending on its architectural complexity.
  • It can range from being a Single Core CPU to being a Many Core CPU, based on its processing unit count.
  • ...
  • It can integrate Heterogeneous Cores, combining high-performance and energy-efficient cores within a single chip.
  • It can have Clock Speeds affecting its Processing Performance.
  • It can incorporate Cache Memory for improved Data Access speed.
  • It can implement Instruction Pipelines for enhanced Throughput.
  • It can support Parallel Processing through Multi-Threading capabilities.
  • It can integrate Specialized Units like Floating-Point Units and Vector Processors.
  • It can feature emerging designs such as Chiplet Architectures and 3D Stacking to overcome Scaling Limits.
  • It can contribute to Heterogeneous Computing by integrating with GPUs or AI Accelerators within a System on a Chip (SoC).
  • ...
• Example(s):
  • Desktop CPUs, such as:
    • Intel Desktop CPUs, such as Intel Core i9 for high-performance computing.
    • AMD Desktop CPUs, such as AMD Ryzen for consumer applications.
    • Apple Desktop CPUs, such as Apple M1 for integrated systems.
  • Server CPUs, such as:
    • Intel Server CPUs, such as Intel Xeon for enterprise computing.
    • AMD Server CPUs, such as AMD EPYC for data centers.
  • Embedded CPUs, such as:
    • ARM Embedded CPUs, such as ARM Cortex for mobile devices.
    • RISC-V Embedded CPUs, such as RISC-V Processors for open architecture systems.
  • AI-Optimized CPUs, such as:
    • Google TPUs for machine learning workload acceleration.
    • Apple Neural Engines within mobile and desktop computing.
  • ...
• Example(s):
  • Desktop CPUs, such as:
    • Intel Core i9 for high-performance computing
    • AMD Ryzen for consumer applications
    • Apple M1 for integrated systems
  • Server CPUs, such as:
    • Intel Xeon for enterprise computing
    • AMD EPYC for data centers
  • Embedded CPUs, such as:
    • ARM Cortex for mobile devices
    • RISC-V for open architecture systems
  • ...
• Counter-Example(s):
  • Graphics Processing Units, which specialize in parallel computations for graphics rendering rather than general-purpose sequential processing.
  • Neural Processing Units, which focus on machine learning computations rather than general instruction execution.
  • Digital Signal Processors, optimized for signal processing rather than general computations.
  • Quantum Processors, designed for quantum state manipulation rather than classical binary computation.
• See: Processor Architecture, Computer, Instruction (Computing), Computer Program, Input/Output, CPU Design, Multiprocessing, Microprocessor, Integrated Circuit, Multi-Core Processor, System on a Chip, Arithmetic Logic Unit, Control Unit.

---

---

References

2014

• (Wikipedia, 2014) ⇒ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/central_processing_unit Retrieved:2014-8-3.
  • A central processing unit (CPU) (formerly also referred to as a central processor unit ) is the hardware within a computer that carries out the instructions of a computer program by performing the basic arithmetical, logical, and input/output operations of the system. The term has been in use in the computer industry at least since the early 1960s. The form, design, and implementation of CPUs have changed over the course of their history, but their fundamental operation remains much the same.

    A computer can have more than one CPU; this is called multiprocessing. All modern CPUs are microprocessors, meaning contained on a single chip. Some integrated circuits (ICs) can contain multiple CPUs on a single chip; those ICs are called multi-core processors. An IC containing a CPU can also contain peripheral devices, and other components of a computer system; this is called a system on a chip (SoC).

    Two typical components of a CPU are the arithmetic logic unit (ALU), which performs arithmetic and logical operations, and the control unit (CU), which extracts instructions from memory and decodes and executes them, calling on the ALU when necessary.

    Not all computational systems rely on a central processing unit. An array processor or vector processor has multiple parallel computing elements, with no one unit considered the "center". In the distributed computing model, problems are solved by a distributed interconnected set of processors.

---