Central Processing Unit (CPU)

The 'brain' of the computer — its three core components and how they work together to execute instructions.

📖 ~4 min read 💻 RRB NTPC / Group D — Computer Awareness

The CPU (Central Processing Unit) is the primary component that executes instructions and processes data — often called the "brain" of the computer.

Component	Function
ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit)	Performs arithmetic (add, subtract) and logical (comparison) operations
CU (Control Unit)	Directs and coordinates the operations of the entire computer, fetching and interpreting instructions
Registers	Small, high-speed storage locations inside the CPU for temporary data during processing

CPU speed is measured in Hertz (Hz) — modern CPUs are rated in GHz (Gigahertz), representing billions of cycles per second.

💡 The Fetch-Decode-Execute cycle is the basic operational cycle of the CPU: fetch an instruction from memory, decode what it means, then execute it.

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