CPU Flashcards
OCR GCSE J277 Computer Science specification
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CPU (Central Processing Unit)
The part of the computer that processes data and instructions by following the fetch-decode-execute cycle.
ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit)
Performs arithmetic and logical operations, such as addition, subtraction, and comparisons.
Control Unit (CU)
Manages the execution of instructions by directing the flow of data and coordinating other components.
Cache
A small, fast memory inside the CPU that stores frequently used data to speed up processing.
Registers
Small, fast storage locations within the CPU used to hold data temporarily during processing.
Program Counter (PC)
A register that holds the address of the next instruction to be fetched.
Memory Address Register (MAR)
A register that holds the address of the data or instruction to be fetched or stored.
Memory Data Register (MDR)
A register that holds the data or instruction fetched from memory or to be written to memory.
Accumulator (ACC)
A register that stores the result of calculations performed by the ALU.
Von Neumann Architecture
A CPU design where instructions and data are stored in the same memory and accessed via a single bus.
Fetch-Execute Cycle
The process the CPU uses to fetch, decode, and execute instructions.
Fetch (in Fetch-Execute Cycle)
The CPU retrieves the next instruction from memory, using the address in the Program Counter (PC).
Decode (in Fetch-Execute Cycle)
The Control Unit interprets the fetched instruction and prepares the CPU to execute it.
Execute (in Fetch-Execute Cycle)
The CPU carries out the instruction, which may involve the ALU performing calculations or accessing memory.
Clock Speed
The number of cycles the CPU can perform per second, measured in Hertz (Hz). Higher clock speed means faster processing.
Cache Size
The amount of fast memory in the CPU. Larger cache allows more data to be stored for quick access, improving performance.
Number of Cores
The number of processing units in a CPU. More cores allow more instructions to be processed simultaneously, improving multitasking.
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