Central Processing Unit

(The CPU )

(Central Processing Unit)

The CPU is the brains within your computer. It performs most of the calculations
within the computer and is responsible for the smooth running of

your operating system (Microsoft Windows) as well as your application programs, such
as word-processors, spreadsheets and databases.

There is a small amount of memory associated with the CPU, which it uses to perform
these operations. It also accesses and uses the main

memory(RAM - Random Access Memory) within your computer. In many ways, the CPU is the
single most important item within your computer

that governs the overall speed of your computer. The CPU's speed is measured in MHz.
This relates to the frequency that the CPU runs at and the

higher the MHz rating of your CPU the faster your computer will run. To give you some
indication of how PCs have advanced over the years, the

original IBM PC released in 1981 ran at less than 5 MHz while modern PCs can run at
speeds well in excess of 2000 MHz. Note that 1000 MHz is the same a 1 GHz.

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Memory

What is computer memory

You can store data on your hard disk, while data that is being processed is
stored in RAM (Random Access Memory).

Data that is stored on a hard disk can be permanent, while data in RAM is only
temporary. Normally when people

talk about memory in relation to a PC, they are talking about RAM.