CPU is the English acronym for Central Processing Unit, which in Portuguese means “Central Processing Unit”. Also known as a processor, the CPU corresponds to the computer's brain, where most of the calculations are done.
It is the most important element in electronic equipment. It is responsible for processing all types of data and for presenting the processing result.
Initially, the CPU was made up of several separate components, but it evolved into a single integrated circuit that was called a microprocessor.
The microprocessor is a programmable data input and output device that processes digital data from input and, associating the instructions stored in its memory, outputs the data resulting from the processing.
A CPU is made up of the following components:
- Logical and arithmetic unit (ULA): performs arithmetic and logical operations
- Control Unit (UC): extracts instructions from memory and decodes and executes them, requesting the ALU when necessary
- Registers and Cache Memory: stores data for processing
The processing speed of information on a computer is directly related to the processor speed. The faster the processor, the faster the processing speed.
Intel and AMD are the world's leading manufacturers of processors.