- Aug 17, 2013
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Hello, Tom's Community.
I'm looking into building my own system and I want to be fairly knowledgeable about each main component. I'm going by the tech specs listed on newegg for my research, by the way.
Most of this information was copied from wikipedia, this forum, and possibly a few other sources...
The first main component I decided to research was the CPU... this is all the information I gathered on it, and I was wondering if anyone would mind scanning it to see if I made any glaring mistakes or missed something major...
Thanks so much! This forum is a lifesaver, and so helpful!
.. and sorry that the info I gathered is so.. long...
Also, the last bit about CPU parts, that was taken from a post someone made on here. I can't remember who, but I wanted to credit/thank them.
Sorry it's so freaking much.. it's fine if you just glance at the bold headers or something..
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CPU
1. CPU Socket:
A CPU socket or CPU slot is a mechanical component(s) that provides mechanical and electrical connections between a microprocessor and a printed circuit board (PCB). This allows the CPU to be replaced without soldering.
eg: the thing that you open and place the CPU chip on top of and then close again.
2. CPU Cache
A CPU cache is a cache used by the central processing unit of a computer to reduce the average time to access memory. The cache is a smaller, faster memory which stores copies of the data from frequently used main memory locations.
When the processor needs to read from or write to a location in main memory, it first checks whether a copy of that data is in the cache. If so, the processor immediately reads from or writes to the cache, which is much faster than reading from or writing to main memory.
Most modern CPUs have at least three independent caches:
1. an instruction cache to speed up executable instruction fetch,
2. a data cache to speed up data fetch and store
3. a translation lookaside buffer (TLB) used to speed up virtual-to-physical address translation for both executable instructions and data.
Multi-Level Caches
Larger caches have better hit rates but take a longer time. To address this tradeoff, many computers use multiple levels of caches, with small fast caches backed up by larger, slower caches.
L1, L2 and L3 Caches - What the terms really mean
L1, L2, and L3 are shorthand for Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3. Caches are organized hieraritcally, meaning the Level 1 Cache will be the smallest and fastest out of the three, and the Level 2 Cache will be the next in terms of size and speed, with the Level 3 Cache being the largest and slowest cache (if only three Levels are used in a CPU Cache)
Multi-level caches generally operate by checking the smallest level 1 (L1) cache first; if it hits, the processor proceeds at high speed. If the smaller cache misses, the next larger cache (L2) is checked, and so on, before external memory is checked.
3. Cores
Cores are what handle the arbitrary mathematical and logical workloads. They take high level machine instructions (x86, ARM, MIPS, etc...) and 'decode' them into physical circuit operations. Many other parts of the system, such as GPUs and chipsets operate in a similar manner but are designed with specific purposes in mind which makes them more efficient at these particular tasks. CPU cores are designed with a general purpose, making them jacks of all trades.
For example, the Core 2 Quad processors were actually two individual Core 2 Duo processors in the same package with some very simple supporting hardware to allow them to work together. This stands in contrast to the more modern Sandybridge processors which have all 4 cores and supporting hardware on one chip, a far more efficient design.
Multi-core technology allows a single processor to have more than one physical processor inside. For example, a computer with one dual-core processor acts as if it were a computer with two CPUs installed, working under a mode called symmetrical multiprocessing (SMP). Even though multi-core CPUS have more than one processor inside, they cannot be used independantly. The operating system is run by the first SPU core, and hte additional cores the CPU may have must be used by the same operationg system. So, based on any explanation, there is no difference between a single-core COPU and a multi-core one.
5. Operating Frequency
Microprocessor frequency specifies the operating (internal) frequency of CPU's core. The higher the frequency is for a given CPU family, the faster the processor is. Processor frequency is not the only parameter that affects system performance. Another parameter than greatly affects the performance is CPU efficiency, that is how many Instructions Per Clock (IPC) the CPU can process. Knowing these two parameters it's easy to calculate total number of instructions per second that can be processed by CPU: Frequency * IPC.
6. Manufacturing Tech
Manufacturing Tech refers to a process that is an advanced lithographic node used in volume CMOS semiconductor fabrication.
CMOS (Complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor): a technology for constructing integrated circuits.
Semiconductor Fabrication: the process used to create the integrated circuits that are present in everyday electrical and electronic devices.
Integrated Circut: An integrated circuit or monolithic integrated circuit (also referred to as an IC, a chip, or a microchip) is a set of electronic circuits on one small plate ("chip") of semiconductor material, normally silicon.
NM: Short for "nanometer"
The lower the Manufacturing Tech (32 nm vs 33 nm) the faster the CPU.
7. Hyper-Threading
An implementation used to improve parallelization of computations (doing multiple tasks at once) performed on PC microprocessors.
Hyperthreading simulates an additional processor per CPU core. For example, a dual-core CPU with Hyperthreading iss seen by the operating system as if it were a quad core cpu. The hyperthreading technology has the same effect as the multi-core technology.
8. Integrated Memory Controller Speed
The memory controller is a digital circuit which manages the flow of data going to and from the main memory.
The Integrated memory controller (IMC) is integrated on the microprocessor in order to reduce memory latency.
Memory controllers contain the logic necessary to read and write to DRAM, and to "refresh" the DRAM by sending current through the entire device. Without constant refreshes, DRAM will lose the data written to it as the capacitors leak their charge within a fraction of a second (not less than 64 milliseconds according to JEDEC standards).
DRAM: Dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) is a type of random-access memory that stores each bit of data in a separate capacitor within an integrated circuit.
9. Virtualization Technology Support
This technology enables a CPU to act as if you have several different computers, in order to enable several operating systems to run at the same time on the same machine.
10. Integrated Graphics
A CPU that has graphic capabilities integrated into it. Inferior to stand alone video cards.
11. Thermal Design Power
Thermal Design Power, or TDP, is a statistic that is expressed in watts. It’s an expression of the amount of power a processor is expected to dissipate to prevent overheating. For example, a part with a 12W TDP will could potentially be cooled by a very small fan or a passive heatsink. A part with a 95W TDP, on the other hand, is going to need a substantial dedicated heatsink with a reasonably large fan (probably 80mm).
A lower thermal design power generally results in lower power consumption which means greater (CMOS) battery life.
CPU Parts:
Processor / CPU: The combination of one or more 'cores' with supporting hardware and shared resources.
Processor package: The physical casing in which one or more processors or CPUs is contained. The pinout from the package is what allows the processor to interface with the rest of the system. Some processor packages may contain more than one processor die inside of them, or may have the cores and shared resources on separate pieces. The contents of the processor package and how it is organized are up to the manufacturer, hence the distinction between Processor and Processor Package.
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I'm looking into building my own system and I want to be fairly knowledgeable about each main component. I'm going by the tech specs listed on newegg for my research, by the way.
Most of this information was copied from wikipedia, this forum, and possibly a few other sources...
The first main component I decided to research was the CPU... this is all the information I gathered on it, and I was wondering if anyone would mind scanning it to see if I made any glaring mistakes or missed something major...
Thanks so much! This forum is a lifesaver, and so helpful!
.. and sorry that the info I gathered is so.. long...Also, the last bit about CPU parts, that was taken from a post someone made on here. I can't remember who, but I wanted to credit/thank them.
Sorry it's so freaking much.. it's fine if you just glance at the bold headers or something..
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CPU
1. CPU Socket:
A CPU socket or CPU slot is a mechanical component(s) that provides mechanical and electrical connections between a microprocessor and a printed circuit board (PCB). This allows the CPU to be replaced without soldering.
eg: the thing that you open and place the CPU chip on top of and then close again.
2. CPU Cache
A CPU cache is a cache used by the central processing unit of a computer to reduce the average time to access memory. The cache is a smaller, faster memory which stores copies of the data from frequently used main memory locations.
When the processor needs to read from or write to a location in main memory, it first checks whether a copy of that data is in the cache. If so, the processor immediately reads from or writes to the cache, which is much faster than reading from or writing to main memory.
Most modern CPUs have at least three independent caches:
1. an instruction cache to speed up executable instruction fetch,
2. a data cache to speed up data fetch and store
3. a translation lookaside buffer (TLB) used to speed up virtual-to-physical address translation for both executable instructions and data.
Multi-Level Caches
Larger caches have better hit rates but take a longer time. To address this tradeoff, many computers use multiple levels of caches, with small fast caches backed up by larger, slower caches.
L1, L2 and L3 Caches - What the terms really mean
L1, L2, and L3 are shorthand for Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3. Caches are organized hieraritcally, meaning the Level 1 Cache will be the smallest and fastest out of the three, and the Level 2 Cache will be the next in terms of size and speed, with the Level 3 Cache being the largest and slowest cache (if only three Levels are used in a CPU Cache)
Multi-level caches generally operate by checking the smallest level 1 (L1) cache first; if it hits, the processor proceeds at high speed. If the smaller cache misses, the next larger cache (L2) is checked, and so on, before external memory is checked.
3. Cores
Cores are what handle the arbitrary mathematical and logical workloads. They take high level machine instructions (x86, ARM, MIPS, etc...) and 'decode' them into physical circuit operations. Many other parts of the system, such as GPUs and chipsets operate in a similar manner but are designed with specific purposes in mind which makes them more efficient at these particular tasks. CPU cores are designed with a general purpose, making them jacks of all trades.
For example, the Core 2 Quad processors were actually two individual Core 2 Duo processors in the same package with some very simple supporting hardware to allow them to work together. This stands in contrast to the more modern Sandybridge processors which have all 4 cores and supporting hardware on one chip, a far more efficient design.
Multi-core technology allows a single processor to have more than one physical processor inside. For example, a computer with one dual-core processor acts as if it were a computer with two CPUs installed, working under a mode called symmetrical multiprocessing (SMP). Even though multi-core CPUS have more than one processor inside, they cannot be used independantly. The operating system is run by the first SPU core, and hte additional cores the CPU may have must be used by the same operationg system. So, based on any explanation, there is no difference between a single-core COPU and a multi-core one.
5. Operating Frequency
Microprocessor frequency specifies the operating (internal) frequency of CPU's core. The higher the frequency is for a given CPU family, the faster the processor is. Processor frequency is not the only parameter that affects system performance. Another parameter than greatly affects the performance is CPU efficiency, that is how many Instructions Per Clock (IPC) the CPU can process. Knowing these two parameters it's easy to calculate total number of instructions per second that can be processed by CPU: Frequency * IPC.
6. Manufacturing Tech
Manufacturing Tech refers to a process that is an advanced lithographic node used in volume CMOS semiconductor fabrication.
CMOS (Complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor): a technology for constructing integrated circuits.
Semiconductor Fabrication: the process used to create the integrated circuits that are present in everyday electrical and electronic devices.
Integrated Circut: An integrated circuit or monolithic integrated circuit (also referred to as an IC, a chip, or a microchip) is a set of electronic circuits on one small plate ("chip") of semiconductor material, normally silicon.
NM: Short for "nanometer"
The lower the Manufacturing Tech (32 nm vs 33 nm) the faster the CPU.
7. Hyper-Threading
An implementation used to improve parallelization of computations (doing multiple tasks at once) performed on PC microprocessors.
Hyperthreading simulates an additional processor per CPU core. For example, a dual-core CPU with Hyperthreading iss seen by the operating system as if it were a quad core cpu. The hyperthreading technology has the same effect as the multi-core technology.
8. Integrated Memory Controller Speed
The memory controller is a digital circuit which manages the flow of data going to and from the main memory.
The Integrated memory controller (IMC) is integrated on the microprocessor in order to reduce memory latency.
Memory controllers contain the logic necessary to read and write to DRAM, and to "refresh" the DRAM by sending current through the entire device. Without constant refreshes, DRAM will lose the data written to it as the capacitors leak their charge within a fraction of a second (not less than 64 milliseconds according to JEDEC standards).
DRAM: Dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) is a type of random-access memory that stores each bit of data in a separate capacitor within an integrated circuit.
9. Virtualization Technology Support
This technology enables a CPU to act as if you have several different computers, in order to enable several operating systems to run at the same time on the same machine.
10. Integrated Graphics
A CPU that has graphic capabilities integrated into it. Inferior to stand alone video cards.
11. Thermal Design Power
Thermal Design Power, or TDP, is a statistic that is expressed in watts. It’s an expression of the amount of power a processor is expected to dissipate to prevent overheating. For example, a part with a 12W TDP will could potentially be cooled by a very small fan or a passive heatsink. A part with a 95W TDP, on the other hand, is going to need a substantial dedicated heatsink with a reasonably large fan (probably 80mm).
A lower thermal design power generally results in lower power consumption which means greater (CMOS) battery life.
CPU Parts:
Processor / CPU: The combination of one or more 'cores' with supporting hardware and shared resources.
Processor package: The physical casing in which one or more processors or CPUs is contained. The pinout from the package is what allows the processor to interface with the rest of the system. Some processor packages may contain more than one processor die inside of them, or may have the cores and shared resources on separate pieces. The contents of the processor package and how it is organized are up to the manufacturer, hence the distinction between Processor and Processor Package.
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