CPH101L MODULE 03 Microprocessor and Memory
CPH101L MODULE 03 Microprocessor and Memory
FUNDAMENTAL
MODULE 03:
The Microprocessor and Memory
The Microprocessor and Memory
• Processor Speed
• Speed at which the CPU operates internally.
• Current processor speeds are measured in
the Gigahertz (GHz) or billions of cycles per
second.
• Speed of an internal clock that synchronizes
the operations inside the CPU.
• Average speed for a new CPU today is
3GHz.
Characteristics of a CPU
• Bus speed
• Frequency or speed at which data moves
on a bus.
• System clock synchronizes data transfer
into and out of the CPU on a system bus.
• One signal path can carry one bit of
information at a time.
Characteristics of a CPU
• Instruction Sets
• The set of commands permanently built
into the CPU chip, for performing
fundamental operations such as comparing
or adding two numbers.
Characteristics of a CPU
• RISC
• Reduced Instruction Set Computers
• Have fewer and simpler instructions.
• Each instruction runs more quickly.
• Require more instructions to perform
complex operations.
Characteristics of a CPU
• Memory cache
• A small set of high-speed memory used to
hold copies of the portions of the larger but
slower main memory.
• Either 2 or 3 levels of memory cache in a
CPU depending on where it is located
Characteristics of a CPU
• Cache Levels
• Level 1 (L1) – located in the CPU chip
• Level 2 (L2) – located in the motherboard
• Level 3 (L3) – additional cache memory
intended for server systems.
Characteristics of a CPU
• Multiprocessing
• Also known as parallel processing.
• Microchips are designed to work in
cooperation with other CPUs installed on
the same motherboard allowing them to do
more than one thing at a time.
• Makes a program run faster because there
are more CPUs processing it.
Types of Processors
Types of Processors
• Intel Processors
• Most widely used CPU in personal
computers.
• Early CPUs by Intel were identified by
model numbers: 8088, 8086, 80286, 80386,
and 80486.
Types of Processors
• Celeron
• Pentium-class processor that targets the
low-end PC multimedia and home
market segments.
• Uses advanced transfer cache for L2
cache and works well with the most
common windows applications.
Types of Processors
• Pentium III
• Has a 100MHz or 133 MHz system bus
with a processor speed up to 1.4GHz.
• Introduced Intel’s performance
enhancement called Streaming SIMD
(SSE).
• SIMD stands for single instruction,
multiple data. Better multimedia
processing.
Types of Processors
• Pentium 4
• Can rum up to 3.2. GHz.
• Provides increased performance for
multimedia applications such as digital
video and web technologies.
• Uses 400, 533 or 800 MHz system bus.
• Provides increased efficiency in creating
digital files and faster graphics.
Types of Processors
• Core
• Intel’s 32 bit dual-core x86 CPUs derived
from Pentium M processors.
• More power efficient than Pentium
models.
Types of Processors
C3 1.4GHz 133MHz
C7 2.0GHz 533MHz
CPU Heat Sinks and Cooling Fans
• Cooling Fan
• Keep temperatures between 32 degree
Celsius to 43 degrees Celcius.
• Gets power via a power connector on
the motherboard or one of the power
cables coming from the power supply.
CPU Heat Sinks and Cooling Fans
• Heat Sink
• Absorbs the heat from the CPU while the
fan blows off the heat.