CPU

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

The CPU is the brains of the computer. Sometimes referred to simply as the processor or central processor, the CPU is where most calculations take place. In terms of computing power, the CPU is the most important element of a computer system. There are currently two manufacturers that own the majority of the market, Intel (Pentium & Celeron) and AMD (Athlon & Duron). There are two general flavors of processors:

• Socket - When the heatsink and the processor are completely removed from both the motherboard and each other you will observe that the processor itself is very small and very flat. The processor will only take up a portion of the "board" you remove. The board is there in order to separate the numerous pins you will find on the underside. The processor will usually be somewhat raised above the surface of the "board" in order to allow maximum contact with the heatsink.
• Slot - The slot form processor is being phased out, and you will not be able to find one on current x86 machines. This form of processor is much easier to install, but costs much more to manufacture. Intel felt that their market share was being threatened by lower cost AMD socket processors, and halted producted of their slot processors. You can recognize this processor from it's built-in heatsink and PCI-like contacts. To install this processor you simply push it down into the contacts.