What exactly does a processor do?

[Phalanx]

Hi, i've been trying to get my finger on this, i just don't understand wat a processor does. can anyone shed some light on this for me please?
thx

[ktkendall]

One class I took briefly touched on that and what we learned were the 2 major functions of the processor are the instruction register, and the program counter. In real simple terms it gives instructions to the many other devices on the PC, (tells them what to do), and it keeps trac of things. I also remember from basic digital electronics class that the processor really just keeps trac of all the 1's and 0's at what we call the machine language level and at that level also it is really telling the many other parts of the PC when to change their state form a 1 or a 0. So just as it's name states it processes information within the PC by basically giving instructions and keeping trac of everything.. It's all quite logical actually...

[Phalanx]

thx for the help

[gamer4life]

well from my microprocessor class.....the software is coded into assembly language and loaded into the ram. the processor starts reading the code bit by bit, keeping track of where of its place is by "pointers" which is just a string of hexadecimal values, by placing the pointers onto the stack(cache).
each coded value the processor reads, indicates what the processor should do, like jump to another place in the program, add 2+2, read what is coming in the inputs on the back of your computer, outputing text to the screen, almost everything and anything you can think of goes through the processor, even the letters i'm typing right now is going throught the cpu and then through the video card and then onto the screen. you could write a book at all the cpu does but i think i'll stop there.

hope that helps.

[Phalanx]

that was very helpful thx

[Hi Ho]

How microprocessors work.

[slotzintin]

It's an intel patented process to futher miniaturize nuggets and tiny wheels

http://www.wsu.edu/~twylie/Pictures/Nugget.jpg