Yksiproessorijärjestelmä

Yksiproessorijärjestelmä refers to a computer system that utilizes a single central processing unit (CPU). This single processor is responsible for executing all the instructions and performing all the computations required by the operating system and applications. In contrast to multi-processor systems that have two or more CPUs working in parallel, a single-processor system has a unified processing core.

The design of a single-processor system is simpler and often less expensive to manufacture compared to its multi-processor counterparts. Historically, most personal computers and many embedded systems were single-processor systems. While they are capable of handling a wide range of tasks, their performance can be a bottleneck for highly demanding applications or when running multiple complex processes simultaneously. The speed at which a single-processor system can operate is determined by its clock speed and its architecture.

Modern single-processor systems can still be very powerful due to advancements in CPU technology, such as increased clock speeds, multi-core architectures within a single physical processor package (which technically allows for parallel processing but is still often referred to as a single-processor system in a broader context of physical CPU units), and efficient instruction sets. However, for applications requiring significant parallel processing power, such as high-performance computing, complex simulations, or servers handling many concurrent users, multi-processor or distributed systems are generally preferred.