Chapter 2: Picking Your Processor
Exam Objectives
Understanding CPU characteristics
Identifying popular CPUs
Identifying sockets
Installing a processor
Although all components of the computer function together as a team, every team needs a leader — someone who gives instructions and keeps everyone working toward the same goal. If any PC component were considered the team leader, it would probably be the central processing unit (CPU), also known as the processor. The key word here is central, which implies “center” or “focus.” The CPU can be considered the focus of the computer because it controls a large number of the computer system’s capabilities, such as the type of software that can run, the amount of total memory that the computer can recognize, and the speed at which the system will run.
In this chapter, you get a look at some of the features of the CPU that are responsible for regulating the capabilities of the computer system. This chapter also discusses the importance of the CPU and its role as a PC component, and also identifies some of the main characteristics that make ...
