The CPU chip is usually square with one notched corner to help make sure it's properly inserted into the CPU socket. On the bottom of the chip are hundreds of connector pins that plug into each of the corresponding holes in the socket. Today, most CPU's resemble the picture shown above. However, Intel and AMD have also experimented with slot processors that were much larger and slid into a slot on the motherboard. Also, over the years, there have been dozens of different types of sockets on motherboards. Each socket only supports specific types of processors and each has its own pin layout.
The CPU's main function is to take input from a peripheral (keyboard, mouse, printer, etc) or computer program, and interpret what it needs. The CPU then either outputs information to your monitor or performs the peripheral's requested task.
There is no set standard to how many connections, ports, or expansion slots are on a motherboard. The best method of determining how many connections, ports, or slots are available for your motherboard is to look up the specifications contained in its documentation. If you've lost or discarded your motherboard's documentation, you can often download a free PDF version from the manufacturer's website.
History of Central Processing Unit
The history of Central Processing Unit is often referred to the different generation of computing device. In every generation also will have a top or faster Central Processing Unit to meet the human needed. Evolution of Central Processing Unit will change the way of how computer operate, how the computer increase the result display, computer become smaller, computer become cheaper, computer become more powerful and become more efficient to the computer user who request high technologies of computer. Nowadays, only five generation of Central Processing Unit that I knew in my knowledge which is Vacuum Tubes, Transistors, Integrated Circuits, Microprocessors and Artificial Intelligence.
First Generation (1940 – 1956) Vacuum Tubes
Vacuum Tubes are the first generation of Central Processing Unit. The first computer is using Vacuum Tubes and Magnetic Drums for memory. It is very big size and it uses the entire rooms. So, it is very expensive. When this Central Processing Unit is working, it must use a great deal of electricity. So, it will make the Central Processing Unit generated a lot of heat. Sometimes, computer will over heat. It is the way that often the cause of computer malfunctions. First generation computer are relied to the machine or programming language. The computer only understood the lowest level machine of programming language. First generation computer only can solve only one problem at a same time. In this generation, computer input was using the punched cards or paper tape and the output was displayed and printouts on the punched cards or the paper tape.
Second Generation (1956 – 1963) Transistors
Transistors are the second generation Central Processing Unit. It is replaced the first generation Central Processing Unit. Transistor was invented in 1947, but it is did not widespread use in the computer. Transistor was far greater to the vacuum tubes. Transistor made the computers to become cheaper, become smaller, faster than the first generation Central Processing Unit, more energy efficient and transistor is more reliable than the vacuum tube. Transistors were widespread using in the computer at the late 1950s. But, transistor still has the same problem with the vacuum tube which is generated the heat and easy to make the computer malfunctions. It was a vast improvement. Second-generation computers still using the punched cards to input and printouts the result.
Third Generation (1964 – 1971) Integrated Circuits
Integrated Circuits are the hallmark of the third generation Central Processing Unit. In integrated circuits, user can interact with the computer using keyboards and monitors and interfaced with an operating system. It was not using punched cards and printouts. This integrated circuit can run more than one program at once times. It is run with the central program that monitored the memory. This is the first computer that the mass audiences are affordable to buy a computer because Integrated Circuit was smaller and cheaper than the Vacuum Tubes and Transistors.
Fourth Generation (1971 – Present) Microprocessors
Microprocessors are brought the fourth generation Central Processing Unit. Microprocessors are far superior to the predecessors. Because it like got a thousands of integrated circuits are build on a single chip. Compare with the first generation central processing unit, we can simple hold microprocessors in our hand. In 1971, the Intel 4004 chip was developed. This processors are located all the components of the computer. From the central processing unit and memory to I/O controls also on a single chip.
Fifth Generation (Present and Beyond) Artificial Intelligence
Based on the Artificial Intelligence is the fifth generation Central Processing Unit. This is the Central Processing Unit that still in development. But still have some application are being used today, such as voice recognition. By the way, it is still in process. The goal of Artificial Intelligence is develop a device that can respond to input the natural language and that is capable of learning.
In the CPU, there are two primary components.
Over the history of computer processors, the speed (clock speed) and capabilities of the processor have dramatically improved. For example, the first microprocessor was the Intel 4004 that was released on November 15, 1971, and had 2,300 transistors and performed 60,000 operations per second. The Intel Pentium processor has 3,300,000 transistors and performs around 188,000,000 instructions per second.
In the past, computer processors used numbers to identify the processor and help identify faster processors. For example, the Intel 80486 (486) processor is faster than the 80386 (386) processor. After the introduction of the Intel Pentium processor (which would technically be the 80586), all computer processors started using names like Athlon, Duron, Pentium, and Celeron.
Today, in addition to the different names of computer processors, there are different architectures (32-bit and 64-bit), speeds, and capabilities. Below is a list of the more common types of CPUs for home or business computers.
As with any device that utilizes electrical signals, the data travels very near the speed of light, which is 299,792,458 m/s. How close to the speed of light a signal can get depends on the medium (type of metal in wire) through which the signal is traveling. Most electrical signals are traveling at about 75 to 90% the speed of light.
No. Although GPU's can process data and do many of the same things as a CPU, it lacks the ability to perform many of the functions required by typical operating systems and software.
No. All computers require some type of CPU.