The document provides an introduction to CPUs and their role in computer systems. It discusses how various CPU specifications like clock speed, cache size, and number of cores affect performance. Faster clock speeds, larger caches, and more cores allow the CPU to process more instructions simultaneously and improve performance by reducing idle cycles waiting for data. The document aims to explain the purpose of the CPU and how upgrades like increasing clock speeds or the number of cores can boost performance for tasks like gaming.

1. Introduction to the CPU A451 – 2.12 Computer Hardware (GCSE Computing)

4. Computer Performance Number of cores Clock speed Cache size RAM (Random Access Memory)

8. Clock speed

9. Clock speed Slow Less cycles per second = less instructions processed per second Fast More cycles per second = more instructions processed per second Cycles per second are measured in Hertz (Hz). A gigahertz (GHz) is 1000 million cycles per second!

11. Cache size RAM CPU Count the number of unused (missed) cycles whilst the CPU waits for data to arrive from the RAM.

12. Cache size RAM The Cache acts like a holding area for instructions from the RAM ensuring that the CPU is always busy. Cache CPU

14. Number of Cores RAM Core 1 Core 2 Dual-core processor Two instructions can be carried out in the same cycle. The cores work simultaneously and share the processing load.

21. Play your CPUs right Nice to see you, to see you nice! I’m going to show you a series of computer specifications and I want you decide whether they are higher or lower performance than the previous computer.

22. Play your CPUs right 900MHz 1MB Cache Single Core Processor 1GB RAM 1 GHz 1MB Cache Single Core Processor 1GB RAM

23. Play your CPUs right 1 GHz 1MB Cache Single Core Processor 1GB RAM 1 GHz 0MB Cache Single Core Processor 1GB RAM

24. Play your CPUs right 1 GHz 0MB Cache Single Core Processor 1GB RAM 900MHz 1MB Cache Dual Core Processor 2GB RAM

25. Play your CPUs right 900MHz 1MB Cache Quad Core Processor 2GB RAM 900MHz 1MB Cache Dual Core Processor 2GB RAM