Boolean Definition Boolean, or boolean logic, is a subset of algebra used for creating true/false statements. Boolean expressions use the operators AND, OR, XOR, and NOT to compare values and return a true or false result. These boolean operators are described in the following four examples: x AND y – returns True if both x and ..
Author : datacentersolutions
GPU Definition Stands for “Graphics Processing Unit.” A GPU is a processor designed to handle graphics operations. This includes both 2D and 3D calculations, though GPUs primarily excel at rendering 3D graphics. History Early PCs did not include GPUs, which meant the CPU had to handle all standard calculations and graphics operations. As software demands increased and graphics became more important (especially in video games), ..
Integer Definition An integer is a whole number (not a fraction) that can be positive, negative, or zero. Therefore, the numbers 10, 0, -25, and 5,148 are all integers. Unlike floating point numbers, integers cannot have decimal places. Integers are a commonly used data type in computer programming. For example, whenever a number is being incremented, ..
FPU Definition Stands for “Floating Point Unit.” An FPU is a processor or part of a processor that performs floating point calculations. While early FPUs were standalone processors, most are now integrated inside a computer’s CPU. Even without an floating point unit, a CPU can handle both integer and floating point (non-integer) calculations. However, integer operations use significantly different logic than floating ..
ALU Definition Stands for “Arithmetic Logic Unit.” An ALU is an integrated circuit within a CPU or GPU that performs arithmetic and logic operations. Arithmetic instructions include addition, subtraction, and shifting operations, while logic instructions include boolean comparisons, such as AND, OR, XOR, and NOT operations. ALUs are designed to perform integer calculations. Therefore, besides adding and subtracting numbers, ALUs often handle the multiplication of ..
APU Definition An APU is a processor that includes both the CPU and GPU on a single chip. The name “APU” was coined by AMD, which released the first APU in January, 2011. For many years, CPUs handled all non-graphics calculations, while GPUs were only used for graphics operations. As GPU performance increased, hardware manufacturers and software programmers realized GPUs had a lot of unused ..
Quad-Core Definition A quad-core CPU has four processing cores in a single chip. It is similar to a dual-core CPU, but has four separate processors (rather than two), which can process instructions at the same time. Quad-core CPUs have become more popular in recent years as the clock speeds of processors have plateaued. By including multiple cores in a single CPU, chip manufacturers ..
Dual-Core Definition A dual-core processor is a CPU with two processors or “execution cores” in the same integrated circuit. Each processor has its own cache and controller, which enables it to function as efficiently as a single processor. However, because the two processors are linked together, they can perform operations up to twice as fast as a single processor can. ..
Multiprocessing Definition For many years, the speed of computer processors increased through improvements in the architecture and clock speed of processors. However, in recent years, chip manufacturers have reached a limit in how small they can make the transistors inside CPUs without them overheating. Therefore, using multiple processors, or multiprocessing, has become the next step in increasing computing performance. Multiprocessing can ..
Clock Speed Definition Clock speed is the rate at which a processor can complete a processing cycle. It is typically measured in megahertz or gigahertz. One megahertz is equal to one million cycles per second, while one gigahertz equals one billion cycles per second. This means a 1.8 GHz processor has twice the clock speed of a 900 MHz processor. ..
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