GCSE Computer Science · key term

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

Definition

The processor that executes program instructions and processes data.

Used by OCR

Paper 1

The processor that processes data, carries out program instructions and controls the computer’s operations.
The Central Processing Unit (CPU) is the processor that carries out program instructions, processes data and controls the computer’s operations. A program is a set of instructions telling the computer what to do. Instructions are commands; data is the information those commands act on.
Revise: Purpose of the CPU
The processor that fetches, decodes and executes program instructions.
Revise: CPU Components and Functions

1
When explaining the CPU’s purpose, say that it processes data and executes program instructions; calling it the computer’s ‘brain’ is not enough.
2
Cache does not replace RAM: it holds a small selection of information that the CPU is likely to need.

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