What is the microprocessor and what is it used for? What types are there + features?

The microprocessor or central processing unit, CPU (Central Processing Unit), is the brain of a computer. It receives information from the outside via other devices, interprets it, carries out instructions and emits a response, just like the brain of any living thing.

Just as a brain is made up of different types of neurons, microprocessors are made up of a silicon chip or tablet, which contains integrated circuits, transistors, and is protected by a ceramic and plastic coating.

As one might deduce from its name, the microprocessor is a microscopic circuit composed of millions of transistors integrated in a single part thin flat. The microprocessor (micro) is responsible for carrying out all the calculation operations and controlling what happens in the computer, receiving information and giving orders for the other elements to work.

Functions of a microprocessor

From a technical point of view, microprocessors are used to retrieve, interpret, execute instructions and function as a system computer , capable of performing arithmetic and logical operations.

Programs stored in main memory must be executed, and this is where the microprocessor that processes the data works. Its speed is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz) , where 1 MHz is equivalent to 000 GHz.

Hertz sometimes express the number of operations a microprocessor can perform per second. For example, it happens that a 1 GHz processor is capable of performing up to 1 billion operations in just a second. As expected, the higher this value, the faster the processor.

Types of microprocessors and their characteristics

Microprocessors are classified based on various factors. These factors are designed to gauge the speed of the processor and the amount of information it can transfer.

Microprocessor speed ratings are measured in gigahertz or megahertz as we said before, while the amount of information they can transfer is measured in kilobytes or megabytes .

Obviously, the best and fastest processors are the most expensive on the market. In this sense, there is inexpensive processors (with less than GHz) and others of enormous power. Some have been designed for specific tasks:

• Carry out graphic work.
• To be used as servers.
• For browsing the web only.
• To run office processes.

The most common way to classify microprocessors is their speed . The speed of the microprocessors is one of the most important characteristics of your choice. And it has a lot to do with the requirements of the Internet.

The digital network is more and more inclined to multimedia content, which deserves higher connection speed , and therefore a much faster processor.

We have the case of the highest range of Intel, which are the Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7 . It is a group of processors with up to 4 cores. They have an Intel x86-64 architecture. Their speeds range from 1,06 GHz to 2,66 GHz in the case of laptops.

It's worth saying that in the case of PCs, they're really fast. They range from 2,93 GHz to an impressive 3,46 GHz. What is Intel's fastest processor? It's about Core i9 . Their speeds are between 3,2 GHz and 3,7 GHz, they are undoubtedly equipment that mark a real milestone in terms of speed.

For its part, AMD is also committed to increasing the speed of its processors. This is the case with AMD Phenom. They are the first multicore processors of this company. This is how the Phenom II and Athlon II models appear. In particular, the Phenom has a capacity of 65nm to 45nm. Thanks to that, cache memory is increased .

The two companies, Intel and AMD are leading the way in the creation of microprocessors, so it is only natural to wonder which are the differences between Intel and AMD microprocessors and which ones are better.

Finally, we leave you a summary of the fastest microprocessors on the market:

• AMD Ryzen Threadripper 299WX : 4,2 GHz speed and 32 cores.
• Intel Core i9 7980XE : 2,60 GHz speed and 18 cores. In addition to a memory of 128 GB.
• Intel Core i9 7940x : 3,10 GHz speed, 14 cores and 19,25 MB of cache memory.
• AMR Ryzen Threadripper 2950x:  4,4 GHz speed and 40MB cache memory.