Layman's Guide to CPUs ~ Real Basic explanation

fastsilicon.com ^ | Tuesday, 19 September 2006 | Madhusoodanan.K.P

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Introduction

When we buy a computer, there is some thing that we certainly need to know about its most significant part, its brain, its grey matter and that is the CPU. The Central Processing Unit, often called the processor, is where the brain of the computer is located. That is where every thing, every process of thinking by the computer happens. Re arrangement of the input, processing of the information and the passage of the data through the different mechanisms within a computer, all these things happen within the CPU.

Manufacturers

Integrated Electronics (now INTEL) and their competitor AMD are the companies that manufacture the largest quantities of CPUs used in PCs.

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[SeanOGuano]

Pretty basic but I have one question. I am building a computer with parts that I inherited from a friend who moved away and didn't want to take them with him. He gave me a motherboard that supports a socket A processor. Is that the same as the socket AM2 mentioned in the article?

[yhwhsman]

No, socket A is an older CPU type, not sure but you may only be able to find them on ebay now.

[SeanOGuano]

Thanks. I found a bunch of socket A's on e-bay. They were around $15. I think I'll get one and finish the computer.