How Computer
System Works?
Today, most computers are not even
recognizable as such: they are embedded
in everything from microwave
ovens to cellphones and digital radios.
What makes computers flexible enough to
work in all these different appliances?
How come they are so phenomenally
useful? And how exactly do they work?
.
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Input – Process – Output - Storage
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What is CPU?
The central processing unit (CPU) of a
computer is a piece of hardware that carries
out the instructions of a computer program.
It performs the basic arithmetical, logical,
and input/output operations of a computer
system. The CPU is like the brains of the
computer - every instruction, no matter how
simple, has to go through the CPU.
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CPU Components
A typical CPU has a number of components. The
first is the arithmetic logic unit (ALU), which
performs simple arithmetic and logical operations.
Second is the control unit (CU), which manages the
various components of the computer. It reads and
interprets instructions from memory and transforms
them into a series of signals to activate other parts
of the computer. The control unit calls upon the
arithmetic logic unit to perform the necessary
calculations.
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CPU Components
Third is the cache, which serves as
high-speed memory where instructions
can be copied to and retrieved. Early
CPUs consisted of many separate
components, but since the 1970s, they
have been constructed as a single
integrated unit called a microprocessor.
This CPU is about two inches by two
inches in size.
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CPUs are located on
the motherboard. Motherboards
have a socket for this, which is
specific for a certain type of
processor. A CPU gets very hot
and therefore needs its own
cooling system in the form of a
heat sink and/or fan.
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The ALU is where the calculations occur, but
how do these calculations actually get carried out?
To a computer, the world consists of zeros and
ones. Inside a processor, we can store zeros and
ones using transistors. These are microscopic
switches that control the flow of electricity
depending on whether the switch is on or off. So
the transistor contains binary information: a one (1)
if a current passes through and a zero (0) if a
current does not pass through.
Transistors are located on a very thin slice of
silicon. A single silicon chip can contain thousands
of transistors. A single CPU contains a large
number of chips. Combined, these only cover
about a square inch or so. In a modern CPU,
however, that square inch can hold several
hundred million transistors - the very latest high-
end CPUs have over one billion! 9
RAM | Hard Drive | CPU
RAM HDD CPU
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“ Click the link and
watch the video!
[Link]
internet/how-computers-work/v/khan-academy-and-codeorg-introducing-
how-computers-work
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Thanks!
Any questions?
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References:
Books
Jemma, inc. Information Technology Resource (2018).
Understanding PC Hardware. PC Assembly and Basic
Troubleshooting.
Jemma, inc. Information Technology Resource (2019).
Understanding PC Hardware. PC Assembly, Upgrade,
and Repair.
iBook Development Group. (2020). PC Assembly and
Troubleshooting. iBook Publishing, Inc.
Central Processing Unit (CPU): Parts, Definition &
Function. (2020, July 30). Retrieved from
[Link]
[Link].
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References:
Electronic References
∙ [Link]
[Link]
∙ [Link]
∙ [Link]
org/computers-and-the-internet/how-computers-
work/v/khan-academy-and-codeorg-what-makes-
a-computer-a-computer
∙ [Link]
∙ [Link]
∙ [Link]
∙ [Link]
∙ [Link]
∙ [Link]
∙ [Link]
RAM-work-together-to-run-an-application
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