1.5 Central Processing Unit (CPU)

• The structural elements of the CPU
• The functions of the control unit, ALU, registers and buses
• The fetch-decode-execute cycle and the CPU-memory interaction
• The CPU and the human brain compared
• Types of CPU by instruction set, word length and core design
• Technological advancement in CPU development
• Factors to consider when selecting a CPU

• describe the structural elements of the CPU of a computer system
• relate the structural elements of the CPU to their functions
• examine types of CPUs in computing devices
• appreciate the role of the CPU in computing

“What are the technological advancements in the development of CPUs?”

“How does the CPU relate to the human brain?”

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1. The structural elements of the CPU and their functions
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   What is inside a processor, what each part does, how the machine cycle uses them, and how far the comparison with a human brain actually holds.
2. Types of CPU, advancement, and choosing a processor
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   Classifying processors by instruction set, word length and core design; how CPUs have advanced; and the factors that should decide a choice.
3. Tracing the fetch-decode-execute cycle
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   A worked trace of a tiny program through the registers, so the machine cycle is something you can write, not only name.
4. Cache and the memory hierarchy
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   Why registers, L1, L2, L3, RAM and disk form a pyramid, and how cache stops the CPU waiting for memory.
5. CPU performance and cooling
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   Clock, instructions per cycle, cores and cache together; why heat throttles a dusty Kenyan lab machine.
6. Identifying CPUs in real devices
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   Reading Intel, AMD and phone SoC names, recording cores and clock, and matching a chip to a motherboard and a job.