Microprocessor

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What Does Microprocessor Mean?

A microprocessor is a component that performs the instructions and tasks involved in computer processing. In a computer system, the microprocessor is the central unit that executes and manages the logical instructions passed to it.

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A microprocessor may also be called a processor or central processing unit, but it is actually more advanced in terms of architectural design and is built over a silicon microchip.

Techopedia Explains Microprocessor

A microprocessor is the most important unit within a computer system and is responsible for processing the unique set of instructions and processes. A microprocessor is designed to execute logical and computational tasks with typical operations such as addition/subtraction, interprocess and device communication, input/output management, etc. A microprocessor is composed of integrated circuits that hold thousands of transistors; exactly how many depends on its relative computing power.

Microprocessors are generally classified according to the number of instructions they can process within a given time, their clock speed measured in megahertz and the number of bits used per instruction.

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Margaret Rouse
Technology Specialist
Margaret Rouse
Technology Specialist

Margaret is an award-winning writer and educator known for her ability to explain complex technical topics to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles in the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret’s idea of ??a fun day is to help IT and business professionals to learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.

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