lec3-Microprocessors and Memory

- Microprocessors and Memory

Most people think of computers as single, monolithic entities, but the reality is, they’re actually made up of many different components doing many different things. The processor, of course, is the most important part of any computer. It is the workhorse that drives a PC’s operation. But memory also plays an important role, because memory provides a processor with the raw materials and the working area it needs to perform its computational magic. In fact, working together, these two pieces enable a computer to "compute."
Practically speaking, the speed at which the processor and memory do their work has the most dramatic impact on how fast a computer operates. In addition, the type of processor you have can affect the type of software your computer is capable of running. So, knowing about different processors and types of memory, as well as how they interact, gives you an excellent idea of how powerful a particular computer system really is.
The Processor
The heart and/or brain of the computer —depending on your perspective — is the central processing unit (CPU), also known as the microprocessor or simply processor for short. The processor performs the major number crunching that drives any computer’s operation. Processors play such an important role that computers are often defined and described based solely on the type of processor they have; for example, "I’ve got a Pentium III computer" or "I’ve got a K7."
Processors used to be a single chip that connected to different-sized sockets on your computer’s motherboard, which is the main circuit board inside your computer. In fact, some still are, but many newer processors come on a separate circuit board — sometimes called a daughterboard (because of its relationship to the motherboard) — that plugs into a special processor slot on the motherboard.