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What is a processor and how does it work. Difference between CPU and GPU. The cache memory in current processors has a pyramidal shape

CPU(Central Processing Unit) – CPU, the main chip in a computer, its “brain”. Contains a register file, a control unit, a memory management unit (MMU), an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), and other blocks.

The faster the CPU runs, the faster the entire PC runs. The CPU consists of special cells called registers; they contain the instructions that the processor executes, as well as the data that the instructions operate on. The main characteristics of central processors are speed and capacity. Speed ​​refers to the number of cycles performed by the processor per second. This parameter measured in megahertz (MHz), 1 MHz = 1,000,000 cycles per second. Bit depth is a parameter that is important for such computer devices as internal registers, input/output data bus, and memory address bus.

There are quite a wide variety of processors available today, and they are constantly being improved. Below are the main types of such CPUs.

CISC processors

Complex Instruction Set Computing - calculations with complex set commands Processor architecture based on a complex instruction set. Typical representatives of CISC are the Intel x86 microprocessor family (although for many years these processors have been CISC only in external system commands).

RISC processors

Reduced Instruction Set Computing (technology) - calculations with a reduced set of instructions. A processor architecture based on a reduced instruction set. Characterized by the presence of fixed-length commands, large quantity registers, register-to-register operations, and the absence of indirect addressing. The RISC concept was developed by John Cocke of IBM Research, and the name was coined by David Patterson. The most common implementation of this architecture is represented by the PowerPC series processors, including the G3, G4 and G5. A fairly well-known implementation of this architecture is the MIPS and Alpha series processors.

MISC processors

Minimum Instruction Set Computing - calculations with minimum set commands Further development ideas from the team of Chuck Moore, who believes that the principle of simplicity, the original principle of RISC processors, has too quickly faded into the background. In the heat of the struggle for maximum performance, RISC has caught up and surpassed many CISC processors in complexity. The MISC architecture is based on a stack computing model with limited number teams (approximately 20–30 teams).

Multi-core processors

Contain several processor cores in one package (on one or more chips). Processors designed to run one copy of the operating system on multiple cores are a highly integrated implementation of the Multiprocessor system. On this moment processors with two cores are widely available, in particular Intel Core 2 Duo on the Conroe core and Athlon64X2 based on the K8 microarchitecture.

The first one was released in November 2006 quad-core processor Intel Core 2 Quad based on the Kentsfield core, which is an assembly of two Conroe crystals in one package. Dual-core processors include concepts such as the presence of logical and physical cores: for example, a dual-core Intel Core Duo processor consists of one physical core, which in turn is divided into two logical ones. The Intel Core 2 Duo processor consists of two physical cores, which significantly affects its speed.

On September 10, 2007, native (in the form of a single chip) four-core processors for AMD Quad-Core Opteron servers were released for sale, codenamed AMD Opteron Barc elona during development. On November 19, 2007, a quad-core processor for home use was released. AMD computers Quad-Core Phenom. These processors implement the new K8L (K10) microarchitecture. On September 27, 2006, Intel demonstrated a prototype of an 80-core processor. It was assumed that mass production similar processors It will become possible no earlier than the transition to a 32-nanometer process technology, which was supposed to happen by 2010. Currently, processors made using 28 and 22 nanometer processes are common.

The processor is, without a doubt, the main component of any computer. It is this small piece of silicon, several tens of millimeters in size, that performs all those complex tasks, which you place in front of your computer. This is where the operating system runs, as well as all programs. But how does it all work? We will try to examine this question in our article today.

The processor manages the data on your computer and executes millions of instructions per second. And by the word processor, I mean exactly what it really means - a small chip made of silicon that actually performs all the operations on the computer. Before we move on to how a processor works, we must first consider in detail what it is and what it consists of.

First let's look at what a processor is. CPU or central processing unit (central processing unit) - which is a chip with a huge amount transistors made on a silicon crystal. The world's first processor was developed by Intel in 1971. It all started with the Intel 4004. It could only perform computational operations and could only process 4 bytes of data. Next model came out in 1974 - Intel 8080 and could already process 8 bits of information. Next were 80286, 80386, 80486. It was from these processors that the name of the architecture came.

Clock frequency The 8088 processor had a speed of 5 MHz, and the number of operations per second was only 330,000, which is much less than in modern processors. Modern devices have a frequency of up to 10 GHz and several million operations per second.

We will not consider transistors; we will move to a higher level. Each processor consists of the following components:

  • Core- all information processing and mathematical operations are performed here; there can be several cores;
  • Command decoder- this component belongs to the kernel, it converts program commands into a set of signals that the core transistors will perform;
  • Cache- region ultra-fast memory, a small volume in which data read from RAM is stored;
  • Registers- this is very fast cells memories in which currently processed data is stored. There are only a few of them and they have a limited size - 8, 16 or 32 bits; the processor bit capacity depends on this;
  • Coprocessor- a separate core that is optimized only for performing certain operations, for example, video processing or data encryption;
  • Address bus- to communicate with everyone connected to motherboard devices, can be 8, 16 or 32 bits wide;
  • Data bus- for communication with RAM. Using it, the processor can write data to memory or read it from there. The memory bus can be 8, 16 or 32 bits, this is the amount of data that can be transferred at one time;
  • Synchronization bus- allows you to control the processor frequency and operating cycles;
  • Restart bus- to reset the processor state;

The main component can be considered the core or arithmetic computing device, as well as processor registers. Everything else helps these two components work. Let's look at what registers are and what their purpose is.

  • Registers A, B, C- designed to store data during processing, yes, there are only three of them, but this is quite enough;
  • EIP- contains the address of the next program instruction in random access memory;
  • ESP- address of data in RAM;
  • Z- contains the result last operation comparisons;

Of course, these are not all memory registers, but these are the most important ones and are used most by the processor during program execution. Well, now that you know what the processor consists of, you can look at how it works.

How does a computer processor work?

The CPU's compute core can only perform math, comparisons, and moving data between cells and RAM, but it's enough to let you play games, watch movies, browse the web, and more.

In fact, any program consists of the following instructions: move, add, multiply, divide, difference and go to the instruction if the comparison condition is met. Of course, these are not all commands; there are others that combine those already listed or simplify their use.

All data movements are performed using the move instruction (mov), this instruction moves data between register cells, between registers and RAM, between memory and hard drive. For arithmetic operations there are special instructions. And jump instructions are needed to fulfill conditions, for example, check the value of register A and if it is not zero, then go to the instruction on to the right address. You can also create loops using jump instructions.

This is all very well, but how do all these components interact with each other? And how do transistors understand instructions? The operation of the entire processor is controlled by an instruction decoder. It makes each component do what it's supposed to do. Let's look at what happens when we need to execute a program.

At the first stage, the decoder loads the address of the first instruction of the program in memory into the register of the next instruction EIP, for this it activates the read channel and opens the latch transistor to put data into the EIP register.

In the second clock cycle, the instruction decoder converts the command into a set of signals for the transistors of the computing core, which execute it and write the result to one of the registers, for example, C.

On the third cycle, the decoder increases the address next command by one, so that it points to the following instructions in mind. Next, the decoder proceeds to loading the next command and so on until the end of the program.

Each instruction is already encoded by a sequence of transistors, and converted into signals, it causes physical changes in the processor, for example, changing the position of a latch that allows data to be written to a memory cell, and so on. To execute different commands you need different quantities clock cycles, for example, one command may require 5 clock cycles, and another, more complex one, up to 20. But all this still depends on the number of transistors in the processor itself.

Well, this is all clear, but all this will only work if one program is running, and if there are several of them and all at the same time. We can assume that the processor has several cores, and then each core executes separate programs. But no, in fact there are no such restrictions.

Only one program can be executed at one time. All CPU time is shared between everyone running programs, each program executes for several clock cycles, then the processor is transferred to another program, and all the contents of the registers are stored in RAM. When control returns to this program, the previously saved values ​​are loaded into the registers.

conclusions

That's all, in this article we looked at how a computer processor works, what a processor is and what it consists of. It may be a little complicated, but we've made it simpler. I hope you now have a better understanding of how this very complex device works.

To conclude the video about the history of processors:

Almost everyone knows that in a computer, the main element among all the “hard” components is the central processor. But the circle of people who understand how a processor works is very limited. Most users have no idea about this. And even when the system suddenly starts to slow down, many believe that it is the processor that is not working well and do not attach importance to other factors. To fully understand the situation, let's look at some aspects of the CPU.

What is a central processing unit?

What does the processor consist of?

If we talk about how an Intel processor or its competitor AMD works, you need to look at how these chips are designed. The first microprocessor (by the way, it was from Intel, model 4040) appeared back in 1971. It could perform only the simplest addition and subtraction operations with processing only 4 bits of information, i.e. it had a 4-bit architecture.

Modern processors, like the first-born, are based on transistors and are much faster. They are made by photolithography from a certain number of individual silicon wafers that make up a single crystal into which transistors are imprinted. The circuit is created on a special accelerator using accelerated boron ions. In the internal structure of processors, the main components are cores, buses and functional particles called revisions.

Main characteristics

Like any other device, the processor is characterized certain parameters, which cannot be ignored when answering the question of how the processor works. First of all this:

  • Number of Cores;
  • number of threads;
  • cache size (internal memory);
  • clock frequency;
  • tire speed.

For now, let's focus on the clock frequency. It’s not for nothing that the processor is called the heart of the computer. Like the heart, it operates in pulsation mode with a certain number of beats per second. Clock frequency is measured in MHz or GHz. The higher it is, the more operations the device can perform.

At what frequency the processor operates, you can find out from its declared characteristics or look at the information in But while processing commands, the frequency can change, and during overclocking (overlocking) it can increase to extreme limits. Thus, the declared value is just an average indicator.

The number of cores is an indicator that determines the number of processing centers of the processor (not to be confused with threads - the number of cores and threads may not coincide). Due to this distribution, it is possible to redirect operations to other cores, thereby increasing overall performance.

How a processor works: command processing

Now a little about the structure executable commands. If you look at how a processor works, you need to clearly understand that any command has two components - an operational one and an operand one.

The operational part indicates what should be performed at the moment computer system, the operand determines what the processor should work on. In addition, the processor core can contain two computing centers (containers, threads), which divide the execution of a command into several stages:

  • production;
  • decryption;
  • command execution;
  • accessing the memory of the processor itself
  • saving the result.

Today, separate caching is used in the form of using two levels of cache memory, which avoids interception by two or more commands of accessing one of the memory blocks.

Based on the type of command processing, processors are divided into linear (execution of commands in the order in which they are written), cyclic and branching (execution of instructions after processing branch conditions).

Operations Performed

Among the main functions assigned to the processor, in terms of the commands or instructions executed, three main tasks are distinguished:

  • mathematical operations based on an arithmetic-logical device;
  • moving data (information) from one type of memory to another;
  • making a decision on the execution of a command, and on its basis, choosing to switch to the execution of other sets of commands.

Interaction with memory (ROM and RAM)

In this process, the components to be noted are the bus and the read-write channel, which are connected to the storage devices. ROM contains a constant set of bytes. First, the address bus requests a specific byte from the ROM, then transfers it to the data bus, after which the read channel changes its state and the ROM provides the requested byte.

But processors can not only read data from RAM, but also write it. In this case, the recording channel is used. But, if you look at it, by and large modern computers Purely theoretically, we could do without RAM at all, since modern microcontrollers are capable of placing the necessary bytes of data directly in the memory of the processor chip itself. But there is no way to do without ROM.

Among other things, the system starts from the hardware testing mode (BIOS commands), and only then control is transferred to the loading operating system.

How to check if the processor is working?

Now let's look at some aspects of checking the processor's performance. It must be clearly understood that if the processor were not working, the computer would not be able to start loading at all.

It's another matter when you need to look at the indicator of the use of processor capabilities at a certain moment. This can be done from the standard “Task Manager” (opposite any process it is indicated how many percent of the processor load it provides). For visual definition This option allows you to use the performance tab, where changes are tracked in real time. Advanced options can be seen using special programs eg CPU-Z.

In addition, you can use multiple processor cores using (msconfig) and Extra options downloads.

Possible problems

Finally, a few words about the problems. Many users often ask, why does the processor work, but the monitor does not turn on? This situation has nothing to do with the central processor. The fact is that when you turn on any computer, it is first tested graphics adapter, and only then everything else. Perhaps the problem is with the processor graphics chip(all modern video accelerators have their own graphics processors).

But using the example of functioning human body You need to understand that if the heart stops, the entire body dies. Same with computers. The processor does not work - the entire computer system “dies”.

Everything about processors, cores, frequencies, etc.

Central processing unit (CPU) is the part of the computer responsible for interpreting and executing most of the commands of other hardware And software components computer.

All devices use a processor, desktops, laptops, tablets, smartphones... even your flat screen TV.

Intel and AMD are the two most famous manufacturers central processors for desktops, laptops and servers, and Apple, NVIDIA, and Qualcomm are the largest companies producing processors for smartphones and tablets.

You may come across different terms for processor, such as central processing unit, computer processor, microprocessor, central processing unit, and the “brains of the computer.”

Monitors or hard disks Sometimes very wrong are called processors, but these hardware components perform completely different functions than the processor.

What does the processor look like and where is it located?

Modern processors are usually small and square in shape, with a lot of short, round, metal connectors on the bottom. Older processors use pins instead of connectors.

The processor fits into a processor "socket" (or sometimes "slot") on maternal board The processor is inserted into the socket with the connector facing down and secured with a small lever.

Modern processors get very hot, even if they have been running for a short time. To dissipate this heat, you almost always need to place a heatsink and fan directly on the processor.

They are usually included with purchase.

There are other, more efficient cooling systems, for example, water cooling kits or devices that operate on the principle of phase change.

As mentioned earlier, not all processors have a connector on the bottom, but if they do, the pins are very easy to bend. Be careful, especially when installing it on the motherboard.

CPU frequency

Processor frequency is the number of instructions it can process per second and is measured in gigahertz (GHz).

For example, the processor frequency is 1 Hz if it can process one command per second. More real example– a 3 GHz processor can process 3 billion operations every second.

Processor cores

Some devices have a single-core processor, while others may use dual-core (or quad-core) processors. As is already clear, two parallel processors mean that they can process twice as many commands per second, greatly increasing the device’s performance.

Some processors are capable of dividing each physical core into two virtual ones, this technology is called Hyper-Threading. Similar virtualization means that a processor with only four cores can operate as if there were eight, with each virtual processor processing a separate one flow commands However physical processors have better performance, how virtual.

If the processor allows, some applications can use the so-called multithreading. When considering a thread as a separate part of a process, using multiple threads on a single processor core means that more commands will be processed simultaneously.

In some software products used similar advantage on several processor cores, which means more large quantity simultaneously processed commands.

Example: Intel Core i3 vs. i5 vs. i7

As more concrete example Because some processors are faster than others, let's look at how Intel develops its processors.

As you already suspect from their names, Intel Core i7 processors are faster than i5, which in turn work faster than processors i3. The question of why some processors are better or worse than others is a little more complicated, but still has a fairly clear explanation.

Intel processors Core i3 is dual-core, while i5 and i7 have four cores each.

Turbo Boost– a feature of i5 and i7 processors that allows them to raise their frequency above the nominal, for example, from 3.0 GHz to 3.5 GHz, when necessary. Intel Core i3 processors do not have this feature. Processors whose name has the last letter “K” can be accelerate, that is, increase their frequency and use it all the time.

Hyper-Threading technology, as mentioned earlier, allows you to process two threads in each processor core. This means that i3 processors with Hyper-Threading technology can only handle four threads at a time (since they have two cores). Intel Core i5 processors do not support Hyper-Threading technology, so they can handle four threads simultaneously. i7 processors, however, support this technology, and therefore (since they are quad-core) can handle 8 threads simultaneously.

Due to power supply limitations imposed by devices that do not operate permanently plugged into wall outlets (battery-powered devices such as smartphones, tablets, etc.), i3, i5, and i7 processors are different from i7 processors. desktop computers because they have a more balanced performance and power consumption.

Additional information about processors

Neither the frequency nor the number of cores is the only feature that determines that one processor is “better” than another. It often depends more on the type software working for this computer– in other words, applications that use the processor.

One processor may have low frequency, but four cores, while another may have high frequency, but only with two cores. Deciding which processor will perform better again depends on what it will be used for.

For example, a processor-dependent video editing program will perform better on multi-core, low-clock processors than on a high-clock, single-core processor. Not all applications, games and other programs take advantage of having more than one or two cores on the processor, making additional cores practically useless.

Another component of the processor is the cache. The processor cache is a temporary storage location for frequently used data. Instead of accessing random access memory (RAM) for this data, the processor determines what data is expected to be used, that is, you want use them, and stores them in the cache. The cache access speed is faster than RAM, as it is a physical part of the processor; A larger cache means that the processor has more space to store such data.

Availability 32-bit or 64-bit The operating system on your computer determines the size of data blocks that the processor can process. A 64-bit processor handles more memory than a 32-bit processor, that's why 64-bit OS and applications cannot run on a 32-bit processor.

You will be able to watch detailed information about the processor and other hardware components of your computer using these free information applications

Each motherboard only supports a specific range of processor types, so always check with your motherboard manufacturer before purchasing.

20. 02.2017

Blog of Dmitry Vassiyarov.

What is a computer processor - dot the i's

Good day, dear reader.

Every modern man I've heard about computer processors, but not everyone understands what they look like and what they are intended for. Are you one of these people? Then you should definitely read this article. After all, knowing what a computer processor is will help you in choosing it. This will determine how quickly you can work with this or that software.

In this article I will not delve into history, but will build on the concept of modern processors.

Explanation of the term

Processor - main element a computer that is designed to determine its capabilities in information processing.

In other words, this is a chip that controls all the devices of your device and the execution of any of its tasks. How quickly it can process data determines the power and performance of the computer.

In general, a computer contains many small processors (chips), each of which is responsible for a separate element, for example, a video card, etc. However, the main one is the one that controls system bus, RAM and most importantly - the execution of object code of programs.

It's called the "Central Processing Unit". A synonym for this concept is English abbreviation CPU (Central Point Unit - translated as something like “Central Computing Point”).
What does productivity depend on?

The most important characteristics of the processor are:

  1. , calculated in gigahertz (GHz).
    It represents the number of operations a computer can perform in a second. The greater their number, the faster it will work.

  2. Indicating which applications the computer can support: 32 or 64-bit. As a rule, everything modern processors belong to the second option. The amount of RAM also depends on this parameter, since 32-bit systems have up to 4 GB, and 64-bit systems have more than 4 GB.
  3. or in other words, processor memory.
    Also very important parameter affecting the speed of work. serves to reduce access time to main memory (RAM). Basically, there are several cache levels - L1, L2, L3. accordingly than larger size cache and what more levels, the faster the processor performs complex operations such as archiving, rendering, etc.
  4. Number of Cores.
    is a separate computing unit. Roughly speaking, if the processor is dual-core, this means that two processors (two crystals) are working in it under one cover. In general, the more cores the better (the faster it is).

View outside and inside

Do you think such an important “organ” should have an impressive appearance? This is wrong. The processor is a small plate of several square millimeters of rectangular shape on which circuits are applied. To avoid damage, it is placed in a metal case. TO system board the plate is attached by small gold-colored legs with metal pins.

A computer processor in cross-section looks like this: a substrate on which the crystal itself is made of silicon is installed (it is responsible for all calculations), then a thermal interface is applied to the crystal and the whole thing is covered with a lid, which will then be in contact with the heel of the cooler.

The crystal itself in an unsoldered state has approximately the following appearance:

Where is it located on the computer?

Are you wondering how to find out what processor is on my computer? You don't have to disassemble it to find the data you need.

To do this, just click the “Start” button, go to the “Control Panel”, select the “System” section and a window will appear in front of you where the name and frequency of the processor is written (this is if you have Windows on your computer).

If you still need to get the device, then we’ll figure out its location.

Did you feel that your laptop or system unit Does it get hotter in a certain area? The processor itself is located in that part. It is protected from overheating by a cooler (radiator with fan). It is located on the motherboard, mainly in the center on the so-called “socket”. A socket is a kind of connector on which only certain processors suitable for it can be installed.

If you decide to disassemble the computer in search of a microcircuit, you need to very carefully remove the cooling device, and under it you will find the item you are looking for. If you want to remove it, carefully unfasten the cooler latches on the motherboard that hold the processor substrate itself.

Difference between Intel and AMD

For a long time, the main processor manufacturers remained Intel and AMD. Despite such a limited number of leading firms, most people are at a loss for choice. To understand which percentage is right for your case, I will tell you about the main differences between them.

The first ones are different high performance, but you will have to pay a lot of money for this if you want top processor from Intel.

The latter have approximately the same data processing speed and are much cheaper, but they have one big drawback - the heat generation is much higher.

But this does not mean that they quickly fail or perform fewer functions. Mainly products AMD take for games, and if needed complex calculations such as rendering, creation of 3D models, etc. then the market chooses Intel.

But as they say, “statistics”, both manufacturers create high-quality crystals and nothing will happen if you buy some kind of FX from AMD, for example, for video editing. As they say, it's a matter of taste.

I think it’s time to end here, the article of course turned out to be short, maybe we’ll dig deeper into this topic somehow :-). But I think basic points I described it and I hope it’s clear.

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