Chapter 4: Microprocessors Flashcards
multicore processing
CPU cores can divide work independently of the OS, unlike Hyper-Threading, in which applications need to be written specifically to take advantage of it
ARM
a type of chip made by ARM Holdings - a reduced instruction set (RISC) chip mostly used for mobile devices
arithmetic logic unit (ALU)
handles integer math in a CPU
LGA 2011
High-end Intel socket, replaces LGA 1366. Supports Sandy Bridge, Ivy Bridge, Haswell, Broadwell
code name
names used by CPU companies to refer to specific CPUs
microprocessor
another name for CPU
central processing unit (CPU)
performs calculations, is the “brains” of your computer
Hyper-Threading
(Intel only) parallel execution technique that actually makes one processor core appear to be two to the OS
LGA 1155
Mainstream Intel socket, replaces Intel socket LGA 1156 (Supports Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge processors)
AM2
AMD socket, supports Athlon 64-Phenom
thermal paste
enables heat transfer from the CPU to the cooling device
throttling
reducing the speed of the CPU to save energy/reduce heat
cache
small amounts of high-speed memory built onto the CPU package itself - used to hold data the CPU might need
dynamic RAM (DRAM)
memory that must have an electrical charge to maintain data - used for main system memory
FM2
AMD socket for APUs
bit
one ‘cell’ on a spreadsheet representing data. 1/8th of a byte.
wait state
clock cycles in which the CPU is idle - happens because CPUs run much faster than RAM.
address bus
connection between the CPU and the memory controller chip - can be 32 or 64 bits
dual-core
two CPUs on a single chip
integrated memory controller (IMC)
replaces the front- and backside bus - moves those chip functions from the motherboard into the CPU chip itself.
FM1
Supports early APUs.
LGA 775
First LGA socket
clock cycle
represents a single charge on the clock wire (on-off)
zero insertion force (ZIF) socket
CPU sockets that don’t require any force to insert the chip
heat sink
a metal device with fins that helps to radiate heat away from a processor
memory
any device that holds data that can be accessed by the CPU
LGA 1366
High-end Intel socket, supports Core i7, etc.
external data bus (EDB)
connects the CPU to the memory controller
AM4
AMD socket. Achieves unity between high-end (previously AM3+) and lower-end APUs.
overclocking
running a CPU at a higher clock speed than the manufacturer intended.
NX bit
enables the CPU to protect certain sections of memory from malware
LGA 1156
Mainstream Intel socket supports Core i3, i5, etc.
64-bit processing
CPUs that use a 64-bit address bus can access more than 4 GB of RAM (the limit on 32-bit systems)
liquid cooling
uses a liquid (usually water) and a radiator to move heat away from the CPU
AM3
AMD socket. AM3 processors can run on AM2 and AM2+ motherboards with BIOS updates.
memory controller chip (MCC)
can access any byte of RAM and place it on the external data bus
FM2+
AMD socket for APUs. Replaced by AM4
floating point unit (FPU)
handles math involving decimal amounts
backside bus
connected the CPU to the L2 cache
byte
8 bits. Data is transferred to and from RAM in byte-sized chunks.
frontside bus
(in older systems) connected the CPU, MCC, and RAM - “faster” connections
graphics processing unit (GPU)
a processor specifically for graphics
registers
quickly accessible location to a CPU (worktable)
machine language
the set of commands a CPU uses to operate
AM3+
AMD socket. Supports Phenom II - FX
