Computer Science GCSE - The CPU Diagram

Questions and Answers

What does the CPU do?

Process all the data and instructions that make the computer system work.

What characteristics does the power of the CPU depend on?

Clock speed, number of cores and cache size.

What does the CPU architecture describe?

The main components of the CPU, their interaction with one another, and their interaction with other parts of the computer system.

What are the three main parts of the CPU?

Control Unit, Arithmetic Logic Unit and Cache. Signup and view all the answers

What is the main job of the Control Unit (CU)?

To execute program instructions by following the fetch-decode-execute cycle. Signup and view all the answers

What does the Control Unit (CU) control?

The flow of data inside the CPU and outside the CPU. Signup and view all the answers

What does the Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) do?

Completes mathematical calculations and performs logic operations and binary shifts. Signup and view all the answers

What is contained within the ALU?

The accumulator register. Signup and view all the answers

What is the cache?

Very fast memory in the CPU - faster than RAM, slower than registers. Signup and view all the answers

What is stored in cache?

Regularly used data so that the CPU can access it quickly. Signup and view all the answers

What are the different levels of cache memory?

L1 (quickest but lowest capacity), L2 (slower but higher capacity), L3 (slowest but can hold even more). Signup and view all the answers

What goes here? (to identify the Program Counter)

Program Counter. Signup and view all the answers

What goes here? (to identify the Memory Address Register)

Memory Address Register. Signup and view all the answers

What goes here? (to identify the Memory Data Register)

Memory Data Register. Signup and view all the answers

What goes here? (to identify the Accumulator)

Accumulator. Signup and view all the answers

What goes here? (to identify Memory)

Memory. Signup and view all the answers

What goes here? (to identify Input Device)

Input device. Signup and view all the answers

What goes here? (to identify Output Device)

Output device. Signup and view all the answers

What does the Program Counter do?

Holds the memory address of the instruction for each cycle. Signup and view all the answers

What does the Accumulator do?

Stores intermediate results of calculations in the ALU. Signup and view all the answers

What does the Memory Address Register do?

Holds any memory address about to be used by the CPU. Signup and view all the answers

What does the Memory Data Register do?

Holds the actual data or instruction fetched from memory or waiting to be written to memory. Signup and view all the answers

What does the memory do?

Holds the program data and program counter. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

CPU Overview

The CPU processes all data and instructions necessary for the computer system to function effectively.
Power of the CPU is influenced by clock speed, number of cores, and cache size.

CPU Architecture

Describes main components of the CPU and their interactions with each other and other computer parts.

Main Components of CPU

Control Unit (CU): Executes program instructions through the fetch-decode-execute cycle.
Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU): Responsible for mathematical calculations, logic operations, and binary shifts.
Cache: A type of very fast memory that is quicker than RAM but slower than registers, used to store frequently accessed data.

Control Unit Details

CU manages data flow inside and outside the CPU.

Arithmetic Logic Unit Details

Contains the accumulator register, which temporarily holds results from operations performed by the ALU.

Cache Memory Levels

L1 Cache: Fastest but has the lowest capacity.
L2 Cache: Slower than L1 but offers greater capacity.
L3 Cache: Slowest of the cache levels but with the highest capacity.

Registers and Their Functions

Program Counter: Holds the memory address of the instruction being executed in each cycle.
Accumulator: Stores intermediate calculation results from the ALU.
Memory Address Register (MAR): Holds the memory address currently being accessed by the CPU.
Memory Data Register (MDR): Holds the data or instruction fetched from memory or awaiting storage.
Memory: Contains program data and works in conjunction with the program counter.
Input Device: Facilitates data input into the computer system.
Output Device: Transfers data from the computer system to the user.

Key Functional Roles

The cache is prioritized by the CPU for quick data access; if not found there, it checks RAM.

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Description

This quiz covers key concepts related to the CPU, including its functions, the factors that affect its power, and the architecture. Test your understanding of how the CPU processes data and interacts with different components of a computer system.