Microprocessor

The microprocessor, (or CPU), is the brain of the computer. The picture
above shows a slot 1 processor with heatsinks and a fan, which prevent it
from overheating. Below is the processor without the heatsinks and fan,
being inserted into a slot 1 motherboard connection. Slot 1 processors
have the microprocessor and level 2 cache memory mounted on a circuit
board, (or card), which is enclosed inside of a protective shell.

The enclosed slot 1 processor card contains the central processing unit,
(or CPU), with its level 1 cache memory. The central processing unit also
 contains the control unit and the arithmetic/logic unit, both working
together as a team to process the computer's commands. The control unit
controls the flow of events inside the processor. It fetches instructions
from memory and decodes them into commands that the computer can
understand. The arithmetic/logic unit handles all of the math calculations
and logical comparisons. It takes the commands from the control unit and
executes them, storing the results back into memory. These 4 steps,
(fetch, decode, execute, and store), are what's called the "machine cycle"
of a computer. These 4 basic steps are how the computer runs each and
every program. The microprocessor's level 1 cache memory, is memory
that is contained within the CPU itself. It stores the most frequently
used instructions and data. The CPU can access the cache memory much
faster than having to access the RAM, (or Random Access Memory).
Below is a picture of what's inside of a Pentium 3 processor. The control
unit, arithmetic/logic unit, and level 1 cache are contained within the
center CPU chip. Level 2 cache memory is visible on the right-hand side of
the processor card.

Level 1 cache memory is memory that is included inside of the CPU itself.
It is usually smaller and faster than level 2 cache memory. Level 2 cache
memory is memory between the RAM and CPU. It is used when the level 1
cache memory is full or is too small to hold the intended data. Originally it
was not directly on the CPU chip itself. *Read the update at the bottom
of this page.* The photo above shows level 2 cache memory on the
processor card, beside the CPU. Below are two photos of a CPU. The
 photo on the bottom is a view of the CPU chip from the outside. The
photo on the top is a large map of the inside of the CPU, showing the
different areas and what their function is. See if you can find the areas
that fetch, decode, and execute the instructions. Can you also find the
level 1 cache areas that store information? The pipelined floating point
area, logic areas, and superscalar integer execution units area are part of
what? Did you guess the arithmetic/logic unit? If so, you're right!

At the top you can also see the clock driver. The clock driver is what
times, or sets the pace, for the computer. The clock's speed, is how CPUs
are rated. Each machine cycle consists of two beats. Each beat the
control unit fetches and decodes data, which is called the "instruction
cycle." At the same time the arithmetic/logic unit executes and stores
data, which is called the "execution cycle." The speed of a clock is rated
by how many beats per second it can accomplish. 1 billion beats per second
is referred to as 1Ghz. For every beat, (except the very first), a machine
cycle is completed. Common CPUs available today perform at 3Ghz and
faster. This means that a 3Ghz CPU can execute 3,000,000,000
instructions in a single second!

*Update*
The slot 1 processor is no longer being produced. Below are two photos of
an AMD Athlon 64 FX socket 939 processor and one photo of a Pentium 4
Extreme Edition socket 775 processor. These are later model processors
than the slot 1. Currently AMD is using the socket 939, socket 940, and
socket 754 processors. Pentium is using the socket 775 and socket 478
processors. All of these processors look similar, but they do have some
differences, including the number of contact points, (or pins), that they
have. Another difference in some of the newer processors is that the
level 2 cache memory is located directly on the CPU chip itself. Any cache
memory located outside of a CPU like this is called level 3 cache memory.
The usage is still the same though. Level 1 cache memory is still located
closest to the core of the CPU and is still usually smaller and faster than
the level 2 cache memory. Some of the newer processors even have level
3 cache memory located directly on the CPU itself. Any cache memory
located outside of a CPU like this is called level 4 cache memory. As with
the other levels of cache memory, the higher the level, the further away
from the core of the CPU it is located. The higher levels of cache memory
also are usually larger and slower than the smaller levels. The first photo
below shows the front and back of a Pentium 4 Extreme Edition socket
775 processor. It has level 3 cache memory located directly on the CPU
itself. The second photo below shows the front and back of an AMD
Athlon 64 FX socket 939 processor. It has level 2 cache memory located
directly on the CPU itself. The third photo below shows the AMD
processor installed on a motherboard with a heatsink and fan.