CPU - What is a CPU in a Computer? What is a CPU Core?
What is a CPU?
A CPU is one of the most critical, if not the top most critical, parts of a computer. Also referred to as a processor or main processor, the CPU is responsible for translating instructions into actionable tasks, through logical and arithmetical operations.
As you use your computer you use input instructions such as clicking and typing. These instructions are interpreted by a CPU, which then completes the tasks such as opening a link on your browser, opening the calculator app, writing characters on a document, copying a document to a hard disk drive (HDD), and even playing your favorite song on a media app.
All digital devices have some sought of CPU that helps translate a command into an instruction that the computer can understand. Remember that a computer cannot translate human language as it uses binary (0s and 1s) to communicate. A CPU translates a mouse click to 0s and 1s, which can be understood and executed by the computer.
What is a CPU Core
While CPUs are identified as physical chips on a motherboard, they are cores inside a single chip that executes instructions. A duo-core chip has 2 CPU cores inside a single chip, where each CPU core can execute instructions independently of the other. Further, a quad-core chip has four CPUs inside a single chip. Therefore, the more CPU cores there are in a single chip, the higher the computational power performance of the CPU. Hence the increased performance of the device in which the CPU is embedded.
