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central processing unit (CPU)
a component of a computer system, which contains the circuitry necessary to fetch, decode, and execute program instructions from and to main memory
arithmetic logic unit (ALU)
the part of the CPU that does all the arithmetic and logical calculations
registers
small, very fast circuits that store intermediate values from calculations or instructions inside the CPU
buses
the connecting wires that connect the CPU to other devices, carrying instructions to / from components
basic input output system (BIOS)
a small program that allows the computer to know what to do to find the operating system to ‘boot’ the computer after power is restored
cache
a type of small, high-speed memory inside the CPU used to hold frequently used data, so that the CPU needs to access the much slower RAM less frequently
fetch-execute cycle
the basic operation of a computer
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