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CPU stands for Central Processing Unit. It is also known as the brain of a computer and is mounted on the CPU socket inside the motherboard. It is responsible for performing logical and arithmetic operations and transmitting commands and programs of the computer. CPU is also referred to as the processor that consists of the arithmetical logical unit (ALU) and control unit (CU).
History of CPU
Following are some important events that occurred in the history of CPU:
- 1823: Baron Jons Jackob discovered SILICON, the basic component of processors.
- 1903: Nikola Tesla patented the electrical logic circuits.
- 1947: Invention of the first transistor at Bell Laboratories by John Barden, Walter Brattain, and William Shockley.
- 1958: Robert Noyce and Jack Kilby developed the first integrated circuit.
- 15 November 1971: Intel introduced Intel 4004, the first microprocessor.
- March 1991: Introduction of the AM386 microprocessor family.
- 22 March 1993: Release of a 60 MHz processor with 3.1 million transistors named Pentium processor.
- 4 January 2000: Release of Celeron 553 MHz bus processor.
- 22 April 2006: Release of Core 2 Duo processor E6320.
- November 2008: Release of the first Core i7 desktop processors.
- January 2010: Release of the first Core i5 Mobile processors.
Types Of CPU
CPU is mainly of three types:
1. Transistor type CPU
2. Large Scale Integration type CPU
3. Small Scale Integration type CPU
Different parts of the CPU
There are three main parts of a CPU:
1. Arithmetical Logical Unit (ALU): Helps supervise all numerical and logical functions.
2. Control Unit (CU): The main component that directs a task to the whole system and regulates the occurring computer activities.
3. Memory or Register: A device for memory that stores the information that the CPU needs to process or has already processed.