Analyzing a Computer System, Bit by Bit

Analyzing a Computer System, Bit by Bit
The processor runs the show and is the nucleus of any computer system. Regardless of the complexity of the hundreds of different computers sold by various manufacturers, each processor, sometimes called the central processing unit or CPU, has only two fundamental sections: the control unit and the arithmetic and logic unit. These units work together with random-access memory (RAM) to make the processor—and the computer—go. Let's look at their functions and the relationships among them.