CPU Central Processing Unit

This is the device that actually performs the computing tasks. In a sense, the CPU is
the computer. Some people even refer to the entire computer case and everything
inside of it as the CPU, but thats not accurate. CPUs are often simply called
processors, although processors can be used outside of the central role of a
computer.
The processor occupies a tiny amount of space inside a computers case. A modern
CPU sits inside a flat package about the size and shape of a saltine cracker. Thats
just the package; the actual processor inside is even smaller. Because of its small
size and flat, square shape, the CPU and other packaged circuits inside computers
are called chips.
Next to the CPU is the main memory, which is where the computer stores programs
and data while it is on.

Simplified Computer Architecture

On the right of the diagram youll see the kinds of devices discussed later:
keyboard, mouse, monitor, printer, hard drive, CD-ROM drive, and so on. The CPU,
main memory, and all the other devices are connected by an electrical path called
the bus.
Like a city bus, this bus is a shared resource, too. If you were to get on a bus at First
Avenue and plan to get off at Tenth Avenue, youd have to sit through all the stops
in between. Likewise, a computer bus carries traffic to and from all the devices that
are connected. Mostly this means data traveling to and from the CPU, but in some
cases data travels directly from one device to another without involving the CPU.
All this activity means that the bus can get congested, which erodes performance.
Because of this, computers have multiple buses, which ease the congestion. For
example, because the CPU and main memory have to communicate so frequently,
theres often a bus just between them.

Main Memory
Main memory consists of RAM, which is supplemented by virtual memory.
RAM
The main memory in a computer is made of RAM, which stands for Random Access
Memory. The term random access means that the data in the memory can be
accessed in any order.
RAM is made of capacitors, which are devices that store small electrical charges. Each
capacitor stores one bit. If the capacitor is mostly charged, its considered a 1 bit,
and if its close to empty, its a 0. There are two categories of RAM. Dynamic RAM uses
capacitors that must be recharged periodically. Static RAM uses capacitors that hold
their charge indefinitely. Static RAM is faster because it doesnt have to waste time
with the periodic recharge, but dynamic RAM is much cheaper to make. Because
main memories are so large, they use dynamic RAM.
RAM is divided into cells of memory called words, which may be a single byte (eight
bits) or multiple bytes. Each words location in RAM is specified by a unique address,
which is just a whole number that starts from 0. For example, if a computer system
has
256 megabytes of RAM, then it has 268,435,456 bytes (remember from Chapter 2
that mega in this context is 1,048,576, not 1,000,000). Thus, on this system the
addresses range from 0 to 268,435,455. If a word on this system is two bytes, for
instance, then only the even numbers in that range are legitimate addresses.
The capacitors in RAM are wired into grids. Think of a piece of graph paper with a
capacitor wherever the lines cross. The lines on the graph would be wires called
control lines. Although every control line has many capacitors on it, if one vertical
line and one horizontal line are selected, the lines cross in only one place. In the
same way, the capacitors are wired to respond only when both of their control lines
are activated.
A.

B.