Processors

A processor is a hardware component (a physical part of a computer system) that performs calculations on data, and then outputs the calculated result for further use.

It’s hard to overstate the importance of the processor in our modern lives. Almost every electronic device we interact with daily, from our smartphones and smartwatches to our cars, contains one or more processors.

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

The CPU is the “main” processor. It performs basic calculations, and logical comparisons and handles input and output (“I/O”) on the instructions (“code”) that it receives from a computer software program.

The CPU usually consists of an integrated circuit with millions or billions of microscopic silicon transistors. Many of the original companies involved in the early development of silicon transistors were based in California between San Francisco and San Jose, which is why this area has been given the nickname Silicon Valley.

A brief diversion into Bits and Bytes

Modern processors comprises millions of microscopic transistors. Each transistor acts like a switch that can be turned on or off, representing 0 (off) or 1 (on).

Computers use a binary system to store information, and a binary digit (commonly known as a bit) is the smallest unit of data in computing, represented by 0 or 1. If we want to store the current state of a bit (0 or 1), we can use a transistor on a processor, with the ‘off’ state of the transistor representing 0 and the “on” state representing 1.

A byte is a unit of 8 bits (so eight 0s or 1s in a line, like 01000101). A byte is commonly used to represent a single text character, like the letter E.

Multicore Processors

Most modern CPUs contain two or more processing units, or “cores”. A multicore processor can split out instructions to be run on multiple cores simultaneously, increasing the speed at which computer programs can run.

Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)

GPUs are a special type of processor designed to process graphical data (the data output to a screen – images, video, 3D graphics etc) much faster than a standard processor. They are commonly found in personal computers, laptops, gaming consoles and smartphones. In the past few years, there has also been a huge demand for GPUs in the crypto mining (e.g. Bitcoin) and deep learning (a form of Machine Learning) industries, as the chips work very well with the software these industries use.

Modern CPUs and GPUs are incredibly difficult to produce, and only a small number of processor fabricators (“fabs’’) have the technical capabilities to manufacture them. The limited supply combined with the great demand has led to periods of global GPU shortages – if you struggled to find a PlayStation 5 a few years ago, this is likely why.