A central processing unit (CPU) is the electronic circuitry within a computer that carries out the
instructions of a computer program by performing the basic arithmetic, logical, control and input/output
(I/O) operations specified by the instructions. The term has been used in the computer industry at least
since the early 1960s. Traditionally, the term "CPU" refers to a processor, more specifically to its
processing unit and control unit (CU), distinguishing these core elements of a computer from external
components such as main memory and I/O circuitry.
The form, design and implementation of CPUs have changed over the course of their history, but their
fundamental operation remains almost unchanged. Principal components of a CPU include the arithmetic
logic unit (ALU) that performs arithmetic and logic operations, processor registers that supply operands to
the ALU and store the results of ALU operations, and a control unit that fetches instructions from memory
and "executes" them by directing the coordinated operations of the ALU, registers and other components.
Most modern CPUs are microprocessors, meaning they are contained on a single integrated circuit (IC)
chip. An IC that contains a CPU may also contain memory, peripheral interfaces, and other components
of a computer; such integrated devices are variously called microcontrollers or systems on a chip (SoC).
Some computers employ a multi-core processor, which is a single chip containing two or more CPUs
called "cores"; in that context, single chips are sometimes referred to as "sockets".
Array processors or vector processors have multiple processors that operate in parallel, with no
unit considered central.
