I am going to continue to explain the inner workings of your computer this week by explaining a bit about CPU’s and motherboards. It should help in our understanding of how the computer does what it does. We all know that when a new computer user sets up their system fresh from the tore, they often refer to the big main box as the computer, or sometimes the tower. Most don’t realize that this box contains the real computer which is the CPU in conjunction with the “motherboard”, the heart of any PC.
The motherboard is also known as the system board, the main board, or the logic board. Commonly abbreviated as MoBo, the motherboard contains the central processing unit, or CPU, a microchip that is truly the brain of the PC. This CPU is part of a circuit board located on the motherboard, with also contains the main memory of the computer. This main memory is called RAM, or random access memory. Many people just refer to RAM as “memory” but this can be misleading because the motherboard of the computer will contain other types of memory as well. For instance, the video display card attached to the motherboard will have memory of its own, as will the sound card. As their names imply, the video card processes video images and the sound card processes audio. Both are vital motherboard components.
The motherboard will be connected to other parts of the computer system via ribbon cables and other connection devices. These parts include external data storage and retrieval such as the hard drive, the CD ROM (or CD reader writer), the DVD unit (which may be a player or a player writer), the floppy drive, though less common these days, and even connectors to tape backup systems.
The motherboard also connects through ports and cables to such devices as scanners and printers. Many units these days are combination printer fax and scanner in one package. They usually connect to the motherboard via a USB cable.
The most common peripherals, or outside connecting units, that the motherboard is attached to are the keyboard, monitor, and mouse. These are the parts that the user uses to see the program he or she is working with and to manipulate it and input data. In fact it has been said that the fastest upgrade that can be made to a motherboard as far as inputting information is simply in teaching the user to touch type, rather than hunt and peck.
Most people want to connect to the Internet. This is also accomplished by connecting to the motherboard. It is done by connecting a dial up modem to the motherboard directly or by using external cables to connect with a cable modem or DSL modem if high speed internet access is needed. Some users attach a network card to the motherboard and connect directly to a T1 for the ultimate in high speed Internet use. 
Motherboards vary in size and construction. Many lower-end desktop models try for compact size and connect all of the common cards usually attached to the motherboard in a space saving way by building them directly onto the motherboard. Some laptop or notebook computers do this as well. With a notebook computer a smaller motherboard is essential to keep size where it should be.
Since the computer revolution of the early 1980’s, motherboards have become smaller and smaller in size. The first computer built by Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, was an Altair, a kit computer that was enormous in size compared to today’s PC’s. Early home and small business computers were not compatible with each other. Most small business computers used CP/M as an operating system, which stood for control program microcomputer. Today’s users would hardly call them micros because they were larger than what we are used to now, but compared to the mainframes of the day they were micro. All of these CP/M computers from different manufacturers have different styles and sizes of motherboards. Then home computers from companies like Apple, Commodore, Radio Shack, Texas Instruments, Timex and Atari came into the picture, all with good products for their design, but totally lacking in compatibility with each other and the rest of the world. There was no way in the world an Apple motherboard would fit into a Timex case or run software for a Radio Shack or TI computer. Compatibility and the current computer, most using a Microsoft operating system called Windows, with similar motherboards, changed all that.
What Is A CPU?

What is a CPU? New users ask that question a lot. They often refer to the system box, which houses the motherboard on which the CPU sits, as the CPU. But this is not correct. CPU stands for central processing unit, the very core of the computer, and the artificial brain that allows the rest of the computer to operate. The CPU is the most important part of the computer, and without it a computer would not function. It is a tiny microchip that receives data and instructions from the user through the software he or she is using and processes that data. In essence, the CPU tells the rest of the computer what to do and how to do it. Some people refer to the CPU as the chip because it actually is a silicon microchip containing the equivalent of thousands and thousands of transistors. Microchips like the CPU allow modern computers to be small and more powerful than their mainframe ancestors that were gigantic and temperamental. Original computers often took up all the room in large warehouses and had to be air-conditioned to keep the tubes at the proper temperature, with filtered air to keep out dust.
The invention of the microchip in the 1970’s led to the creation of the CPU and changed the world. Home computers can now be built much smaller and even more powerful. An entire new industry was created by the CPU and all other industries in the world were affected as well. Those under age 30 probably don’t remember a world without home computers and CPU’s, but older adults, especially those over 40 look back in amazement at the changes made to their world.
The CPU is not only unique to home computers but several other devices used on a daily basis may contain a CPU. A digital camera or even a modern film camera will have a central processing unit to control the camera’s actions and make the photographer’s life easier and sometimes make him appear to be more talented than he is. Cell phones also contain CPU’s, as do the cell towers they constantly communicate with. Trying to keep track of all of those individual towers and thousands upon thousands of voice and data signals being transmitted is a job no human could handle. CPU’s can and do keep track of thousands of signals.
CPU’s are also found in automobiles. Today’s cars are much safer and more fuel efficient than those made 30 years ago. Look at the dashboard of a modern car and you’ll see tiny lights that tell you when fuel is low, or when you need to have your engine checked. The CPU tells the rest of the car how to operate, and keeps track of such items. Many cars today also have global positioning systems or GPS systems built in for safety and convenience. GPS systems are dependent on CPU’s to process complex data sent to them by satellite transceivers. Think that’s all that a CPU will do for you in your car? Think again. Satellite radio is very common these days as are satellite telephones. Both use CPU’s in their operations.
The invention of the CPU also affected industry with the growing field of robotics. Industrial robots contain CPU’s and are used to perform tasks in factories and on assembly lines. The use of CPU’s saves these companies millions of man hours per year and allows them to make more profit for stockholders. They also save human lives by letting robots take on the more dangerous and repetative jobs.
With life saving in mind, think of the average modern hospital. How many devices in the hospital are computerized these days? And remember that if they are computerized they include a CPU. This includes devices to monitor patients in their hospital beds, laser surgery instruments, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems, life support systems and many more. And of course remember that hospitals use ambulances to bring emergency patents in their doors – vehicles using CPU’s. They even use personal computers built around CPU’s for patient admitting, record keeping and billing. CPU’s are utilized in every conceivable fashion in our world. So much so, that it is hard to imagine a world without the CPU.
Processor Speed Explained (sort of)

When selecting a processor for your computer, keep in mind that the type itself is not as important as its compatibility with the system’s motherboard. The motherboard, with its slots and other built-in components, must be able to work with the processor in order for the computer‘s capabilities to be utilized properly, as well as its host of upgrade potentials to be exploited as effectively as possible. The computer’s motherboard holds the computer’s processor chip in place and then in turn allows all the other components to connect up to it.
In the “old” days of computing, the Intel 8080 was the first processor on one chip that was used for the personal computer market. It was first manufactured in 1974. These days we are in the age of the Pentium 4, also manufactured by Intel, which can run the same processes as the 1974 Pentium. This newer version can run at more than 5,000 times the speed. What has caused this increase in speed? The answer, for a large part, lies with the number of transistors. The more transistors a processor holds, the quicker commands may be processed. The Pentium 4 “Prescott,” for example, holds 125,000,000 transistors, which hugely increases the processor’s clock speed, by allowing for the execution of several concurrent commands.
Another functionality improving aspect of a processor is its data width. The good old Intel 8080 offered a mere 8 bits of width, while the Pentium 4 “Prescott” sports an impressive 32 bits and 64-bit bus. These innovations greatly enhance a personal computer’s performance, yet how do users truly benefit?
While those computer users who do extensive video or photographic editing on a variety of large images will most certainly need this 64-bit technology, the average computer user who creates word documents, visits chat rooms, reads e-mail, and perhaps browses the Internet will not use the processor to its full capabilities and hence will not need the latest and the greatest processor. Thus, should you consider upgrading your computer processor or perhaps replacing it with another mode? You should keep in mind that, unless you are truly using it to its full capacity with some of the applications mentioned above, it will essentially allow for two main improvements:
1. Programs which have specifically high processor requirements may be run on the machine.
2. The computer system will open and load computer programs at higher speeds. This increase in speed is very often unnoticeable to the average user, unless a significantly older processor is exchanged for a significantly newer model .
So what should an average computer user consider prior to sticking a toe into the murky waters of computer processor purchasing and upgrading? Here is a list of three important questions:
1. Do you really need to incur the expense of upgrading your processor? Bigger might be better, but would you really notice the improvement? If you are already running a processor that it less than four years old, and if your computer use is truly average, you will most likely not notice any benefit of a bigger, better processor. Instead, you leave yourself open to the headache of installing a new component, which may bring with it a host of opportunities for capability issues, extensive troubleshooting sessions in case of faulty installation, and a waste of money if you do not truly utilize it to its full potential.
2. How old is your currently used personal computer? While the familiarity with an old machine is most certainly comforting in day to day work, it might be more cost effective to upgrade the entire system rather than just the processor — especially if the increased functionality of the processor requires the addition or upgrade of other system components. This is an important consideration when it comes to the attached video and audio output capabilities.
3. Who manufactured your motherboard? If your system is relatively new, and you decide that a processor upgrade is the best course of action, please remember that the new processor actually needs to be totally and completely compatible with the motherboard!
I hope this helps you to understand the internal workings of your computer a little more. We will continue learning next week in Nathan’s Plain Tech Talk so join me there.

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