Processzor

Processzor, or processor, is the central component of a computer that executes instructions. It performs basic operations needed by programs, including arithmetic, logic, data movement, and control flow. A typical processzor contains an arithmetic-logic unit, a control unit, and a set of registers, and it works with a memory hierarchy that includes caches. Modern CPUs often have multiple cores for parallel execution and use features such as pipelining, out-of-order execution, branch prediction, and simultaneous multithreading to boost performance.

CPUs implement an instruction set architecture (ISA), such as x86-64, ARM, or MIPS. The ISA defines the available instructions and their encoding. CPU designs are commonly described as CISC or RISC; many modern CPUs blend ideas from both. In many devices, CPUs are part of a system on a chip (SoC) that combines processing cores with memory, graphics, and I/O controllers.

Manufacturing and history: Processors are built on semiconductor technology using lithography at progressively smaller nodes (for example 7 nm or 5 nm). The history spans from early microprocessors such as the 4004 (1971) to today's highly parallel, energy-efficient designs with many cores.

Performance is described by clock speed, instructions per cycle, core count, cache size, and power use (TDP). Processors are used in desktops, servers, mobile devices, and embedded systems, with ongoing goals of higher performance and greater energy efficiency.