The central processing unit is one of the most important components of a computer. It processes all of the raw data in your computer. The faster the speed of the Central Processing Unit the faster the data is processed. The CPU takes information from the Hard Drive and transfers it into the memory. The memory then returns it to the CPU to be processed into the output or monitor stage.
There are many different types of Microprocessors available on the market today, and many from the past. One of the most upgradable is the Slot One CPU. They have came up with SLOTKET adapters for these type of CPU's. Slotket Adapters use Socket 370 Processors, which were the latest about three years ago. For more information on upgrading a CPU see: CPU Upgrading.
One of the latest processors for the home computer was the Socket 478 from Intel now it is the Socket T 775. These have two processors that work well with socket. One is the Celeron and the other is the Pentium. The difference between these two processors is the size of the cache and the speed of the BUS. The BUS speed is the Binary User Speed, or the speed at which it is capable of handling one transaction. The cache is the part of the processor that handles basic functions. The bigger the cache the more basic functions it is capable of handling.
To further explain what a BUS is you can imagine a two lane road with traffic going both directions. Increasing that traffic to an 8 lane superhighway is about what they have done to increase the BUS speed of computers.
There is two BUS speeds that you need to consider; one is the CPU's BUS speed and the other is the Motherboards Bus Speed. The newest motherboards have an 200 + MHz BUS Speed, and the latest CPU's have a 800 + MHz Bus Speed.
One of the fastest processors on the market today is the Pentium 4 3+ Gigahertz. This Processor takes a special power supply with a higher rated amperage rating for the 5 volt lead.
The faster the CPU the more it will cost. A Celeron CPU will cost about half of the price of a Pentium CPU, and work well for your machine if you do not have many programs running on your machine at the same time.
There are also AMD CPU's and Cyrix CPU's. These are a little less costly compared to the Intel brand and do about the same thing. It is a matter of personal preference as to what kind of CPU based system you want to use.
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