CPU

CPU

The central processing unit is the core of the computer, it does all the processing.
It has two main components: the control unit, this uses to direct and execute instructions in stored programs,  the ALU(arithmetic and logic unit) this carries out all arithmetic and logical operations including addition, subtraction and comparisons.

 The CPU also runs an endless fetch execute cycle. This is when the CPU fetches the next instruction before decoding it and finally executing it. this happens infinitely until you turn the computer off.

Clock speed

The clock speed is the speed that the microprocessor executes each instruction or each vibration of the clock. The CPU requires a fixed number of clock ticks, or cycles, to execute each instruction. The faster the clocks rate, the faster the CPU, or the faster it can execute instructions. Clock Speeds are usually determined in MHz, 1 MHz representing 1 million cycles per second, or in GHz, 1 GHz representing 1 thousand million cycles per second. The higher the CPU speed, the better a computer will perform, in a general sense.

Cache size

This is very fast memory that can work at a similar speed as the CPU, however it is very expensive and can only be used to store data waiting to be processed by the CPU.