CPUs (Central Processing Unit) is the heart of the computer or laptop. It controls all the input and output information. In computers, most of the external wire connections are routed to CPU as it is an important part. It processes all the information. A standard CPU will have ports for keyboard, mouse, USD, headphones, CD drive, and many more. If you want to know more about CPU and the types of CPU, you are in the correct place. In this article, we explained each and every type of CPU that you need to know.
Contents
What is the CPU?
The simple definition is the central processing unit. The explained meaning is, everything you type in a keyboard or you do in a mouse is sent to the CPU through signals, the CPU process those signals, send the processed signal back to monitor, and the monitor displays the end result. This is the basic working of a CPU. Based on types and the device, the in-depth working may vary.
The CPU has the master power switch. If you turn off your CPU, everything will be turned off. To the monitor, everything comes from the CPU, apart from the power supply. CPU is the component where you can change the processor, RAM, Hard disk, Motherboard, and so many things. A computer has a CPU, monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers (optional). Without a CPU, a computer is e-waste.
Types of CPU
Now, you know the importance and the basic working of CPU, let us dive into its types. The CPUs are classified into different types depending upon various factors like
- Manufactures
- Cores
- Usage
Manufactures
Intel and AMD (Advanced Micro Devices) are the popular CPU manufacturing companies. Most of the computers and laptops use CPUs from these two companies.
Under Intel, you have 75 types of CPUs. These types are different by their processing speed, usage, and time of release.
- Core i3
- Core i5
- Pentium
- Xeon
- Celeron
- Atom
- Core i7
- Core i9
are some of the popular types of CPU processor available under Intel. These processors will have different numbers of cores, threads, clock speed. For instance, Core i9’s processing speed is faster than the Core i7. And under each processor, there are subtypes. Like under Core i7, i7-1065G7, i7-1060G7, i7-10710U, and many more are available.
Under AMD, you have 58 types of CPU. Some of the popular ones are,
- Ryzen
- Athlon
- EPYC
- Opteron
and much more.
That’s you have under the manufactures.
Number of Cores
Under the number of cores, CPUs are classified into three types.
- Single-Core
- Dual-Core
- Quad-Core
Single-Core
Single-Core CPUs are the oldest types of CPUs. These CPUs can process one task at a time. They are not capable of multi-tasking. When multi-tasking processes are given, it will process the first task while keeping all the other tasks waiting. When the first task is processed, the next task will begin to process. The name Single-Core came from the chip inside the CPU has only one core to process the information.
In Single-Core CPUs, it takes time to complete an operation. Single-Core CPUs are no longer available.
Dual-Core
The slowness of the Single-Core CPUs is the main reason for the emergence of Dual-Core CPUs. These types of CPUs have two cores and two caches controllers in a chip. This makes two single-core CPU functions in one CPU. In Dual-core CPU, you can do multitasking and it faster than single-core CPUs.
All the Dual-core CPUs are powered with SMT (Simultaneous multi-threading technology). It allows you to process more than one task faster and efficiently. This is the common type of processor used in most laptops and computers.
Quad-Core
Quad-Core is the updated version of dual-core processors. In Quad-cores CPUs, a single chip is powered with more than two cores which allow you to perform tasks faster than dual-core CPUs. You can do multitasking with more than four processes.
These types of processors are used IoT applications, gaming laptops, and the developers who run multiple OSes.
Like these, there are 6 cores, 8 cores, 10 cores, and up to 72 cores of CPUs are available. These high number of core CPUs are used in servers.
Usage
Under Usage, the CPUs are classified into three types.
- Desktop CPU
- Laptop CPU
- Server CPU
Desktop CPU
Desktop CPUs are the ones that come with the computer. For daily purposes and gaming purposes, the specifications may vary. In these kinds of CPU, everything is isolated. Things like graphics cards are detached from the CPU. But in some modern-day desktop CPUs, the graphics card is integrated.
Laptop CPU
Laptop CPU doesn’t vary much from desktop CPUs in specification wise. But in laptop CPUs, everything is integrated into it. There is no isolation from the CPU. CPU with the same specification is available for both desktop and laptops, there will be some minor differences between the devices.
Server CPU
These CPUs are mainly used in working areas and companies. Usually, these CPUs will have a high number of cores to withstand large operations and huge tasks. These are expensive and capable of working 24/7.
That’s it. These are all the different types of CPU available in the market. These are the things that you need to know about CPU and its types. If you know any other types of CPU, mention that in the comments section.
Stay connected on our social media platforms, Facebook and Twitter.
