CPU Definition and Meaning
According to abbreviationfinder, CPU is an acronym of the English language that refers to the expression central processing unit (in our language, “central processing unit”). With that name is known the hardware whose function is to interpret the instructions of a software through logical and arithmetic operations.
Computers (computers) can have one CPU or more than one. Today’s CPUs are housed on an integrated circuit (chip) called a microprocessor. It should be noted that a single chip can host multiple CPUs, giving rise to so-called multi-core processors.
The socket or CPU socket is located on the motherboard and allows the connection of the microprocessor, which in most cases is not soldered so that it can be removed at another time. Devices such as mobile phones, tablets and consoles, on the other hand, do have their components soldered onto the motherboard, since the companies that make them do not expect their customers to modify the products.
This gives rise to two types of configurations: a closed one, in which modifications are not allowed unless the client wishes to lose the coverage legally offered by the manufacturing company through the guarantee; an open one, the one that desktop computers usually have, ideal for fans of the computer world, who want to renew components very frequently to always be up to date.
The arithmetic-logical unit (ALU) is located in the CPU, which is responsible for solving the logical and arithmetic operations that come from the software. The control unit (CU), for its part, decodes and executes the instructions that it extracts from memory and calls on the ALU when necessary.
At a general level, it can be said that the main function of the CPU is to execute the software (that is, the set of instructions that we know as a computer program). Software representation is done through code stored in the computer ‘s memory, which the CPU reads, decodes, executes, and finally writes.
The faster the CPU to perform these steps, the faster the response speed the user gets when using a computer. In colloquial language, we can indicate that a powerful CPU allows us to run advanced software quickly.
It is important to note that the CPU does not work alone, but often splits tasks with other components, such as the GPU (graphics processing unit). The GPU is considered a coprocessor, since it is a microprocessor that serves to complement the operation of the CPU; this is not to say that it is not important or even essential in the design of a device that needs to print graphics on the screen, as almost all those in use today.
NVIDIA Corporation, an American company founded in 1993 that specializes in the development of GPUs and integrated circuit technologies, introduced in 2007 a concept it called GPU-accelerated computing, which involves using a graphics processing unit to assist to the CPU and achieve acceleration of certain applications in the field of engineering, analysis and deep learning.
It is worth mentioning that deep learning is a group of algorithms with which it is intended to model high-level abstractions through architectures that are composed of multiple nonlinear transformations. In simpler words, it is a series of methods that allow computers to assimilate data so that they can automatically learn to solve certain problems. This task is so complex and demanding that the combination of a CPU with a GPU is ideal to obtain results in less time.
