CPU & Processing Flashcards

What is a CPU?

The CPU (Central Processing Unit) is the brain of the computer. It fetches, decodes, and executes instructions from programs.

What is the ALU?

ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit) performs all arithmetic (+, -) and logical (AND, OR, NOT) operations inside the CPU.

What is the Control Unit?

The Control Unit directs all CPU operations — it fetches instructions from memory, decodes them, and coordinates execution.

What is clock speed?

Clock speed (GHz) measures how many instruction cycles the CPU executes per second. Higher = faster processing.

What is pipelining?

Pipelining overlaps instruction stages (fetch → decode → execute) so the CPU processes multiple instructions simultaneously.

What is a multi-core processor?

A multi-core CPU has 2+ processing units on one chip, allowing true parallel execution of multiple tasks.

What is an instruction set?

An instruction set (ISA) is the complete list of commands a CPU understands, like ADD, MOV, JMP. Examples: x86, ARM.

What is context switching?

Context switching is when the OS saves one process state and loads another, enabling multitasking on a single CPU.

What is throughput?

Throughput is the number of instructions or tasks a CPU completes in a set time — a key performance metric.

What is a bus?

A bus is an electrical pathway that transfers data between CPU, RAM, and peripherals. Types: data bus, address bus, control bus.