What is the processor and why is it the most important element of the computer?

Possibly, the most important element of the computer is the processor, who will have the mission of managing all the elements of the computer and carrying out the tasks that are required of it.

The heart of computers is the processor, which is responsible for performing computing tasks. Computers are based on processors, to perform all the jobs that are requested and depending on their quality, these jobs will be done more or less quickly. The processor is the 'colloquial' name, but we are really talking about the Central Process Unit or CPU. Internally they are made up of cores, which work at a certain frequency and also have memory controllers, they can integrate a graphics chip and other elements, which allow to improve performance and offer all kinds of solutions.

The CPU can only be installed in the allocated space on the motherboard. We can find two large manufacturers in the market, such as Intel and AMD. These two companies offer different ranges of processors and within the different ranges, they are divided into different segments, adapting to all possible uses of the processor.

Processor definition according to the RAE: Functional unit of a computer that is responsible for the search, interpretation and execution of instructions.

WHAT DOES A PROCESSOR DO?

Basically, it is the central component of a computer and is responsible for managing tasks and assigns different tasks to the rest of the components. In addition to the assignment of tasks, the processors are in charge of carrying out different jobs, according to the orders assigned by the user through a input peripheral. An analogy is that the processor would be the brain of the computer. If we don't install the processor, the computer can't work.

CPU WORKING FREQUENCY

Currently the frequency of processors is measured in Gigahertz (GHz). Basically we are talking about the number of times or states that can occur in a second. The processor works with 'ones' and 'zeros', therefore, it is the ability to vary between these states for one second. Every 1GHz equates to 1.000 billion changes per second. Logically, the higher the frequency of work, the more number of operations it can do.

Internally, a processor contains different blocks, which communicate with each other. Among them, for example, we have the logical arithmetic unit, which is focused on performing 'simple' algebraic operations, such as addition and subtraction. The clock has the mission of coordinating the different blocks of the processor. The frequency is that which allows the control unit to give the orders to the arithmetic logic unit and for it to carry out the assigned operations in the shortest time possible.READ MORENow leaking images of the EVGA GTX 1660 Ti XC

PARTS OF A PROCESSOR

We can divide the processor into three general parts:

• Silicon or chip: Common name for the piece of silicon that contains the processor cores and different auxiliary elements that help the cores to do work more efficiently.
• Integrated heat sink: Metallic element that covers the chip or silicon. The mission is to increase the heat transfer surface towards the heatsink, allowing the dissipation of the generated heat to be improved. It also has the mission of protecting silicon from damage. It is also known as IHS, an acronym for Integrated Heat Spreader.
• PCBs: It is the part that communicates the chip with the motherboard. The lower area has the pads or pins that allow communication with the rest of the components through the motherboard. It is where the IHS is glued or welded, to prevent it from being removed.

COMPONENTS OF A PROCESSOR

Basic elements of a processor:

• Cores: The cores are made up of transistors, which are what allow basic logical arithmetic operations, such as addition and subtraction. The number of transistors in the nuclei is increased, thanks to the miniaturization of these, through lithographic processes. Nowadays it is normal to find processors with a large number of cores.
• Cache: A fundamental element, capable of temporarily storing a small amount of data, which allows to speed up tasks. It houses the data and the instructions of the programs that we are using and if more space is required, since it allocates to the RAM memory. There are different levels of cache memory, to speed up the jobs.

Internal elements in a core:

• Control unit: Party in charge of managing the workload, giving specific instructions on how to execute the instructions, designate resources and output the data. Its mission is to divide the instructions into smaller and more manageable elements, so that the execution is more efficient, allowing the execution of instructions in parallel.
• Registry: It is a small memory built into the processor. Data is queued waiting to be processed. This memory is very fast and is usually very small in size.
• Logical arithmetic unit: It is often referred to as ALU, for its acronym in English and performs arithmetic and logical number operations. You can perform operations on whole numbers, those that do not have decimals.
• Floating point unit: It performs similar functions to the ALU, but in this case on natural numbers. It is also known as FPU. Initially this unit was an external element, but thanks to the integration, it has been implemented within the processor. It was previously called a math coprocessor.

Elements that make up the nuclei:

• Memory controller: This was formerly an independent chip that communicated the processor with the RAM, but thanks to the integration, it has been possible to implement it within the silicon and allows to improve the speeds and therefore, the performance.
• Graphic card: Modern processors can implement dedicated graphics cards, which are called iGPUs (Integrated Graphic Processor Unit). It allows you to create cheaper computers than those with dedicated graphics. They are usually quite simple, in the case of Intel and are simply a video output, having difficulties for game processing, while AMD has always been more efficient in this field and its integrated solutions allow to run light games or in low resolutions .
• PCI Express controller: The motherboards have PCI Express sockets that allow you to connect graphics cards, hard drives, sound cards, network cards and a host of additional elements, which allow you to add elements that do specific tasks that the processor cannot do or to download to the task processor.
• System bus controller: Element that allows the processor to communicate with the peripherals installed on the motherboard. It allows to significantly improve working efficiency.

TYPES OF PROCESSORS

Within processors, we can distinguish different types of processors. Depending on their development and internal architecture, the processors are used for different tasks. For example, we have the SoC (System on Chip), they are processors that add other elements, such as special chips for wireless communication via WiFi or Bluetooth, among others, and are usually implemented in smartphones.

There are differentiable desktop processors, depending on the number of cores, working frequencies or pin designs. We can find BGA processors, which are soldered to the motherboard and are used for compact computers, consumer-grade processors or professional-grade processors. Additionally, special processors for servers, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, ASIC and a host of special utilities are also developed.