Processors

Types and Characteristics of

Processors
• Processor
– Installed on motherboard
– Determines system computing power
• Two major processor manufacturers
– Intel and AMD

2
 How a Processor Works

• Three basic components

– Input/output (I/O) unit
• Manages data and instructions entering and leaving the
processor
– Control unit
• Manages all activities inside the processor
– One or more arithmetic logic units (ALUs)
• Performs all logical comparisons, calculations

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 3

 Types and Characteristics of
Processors (cont’d.)
• Features affecting processor performance and
motherboards
– System bus speeds
– Processor core frequency
– Motherboard socket and chipset
– Multiprocessing ability
– Memory cache
– Amount and type of DDR, DDR2, DDR3 memory
– Computing technologies the processor can use
– Voltage and power consumption
A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 4
 Figure 6-2 Since the Pentium processor was first
released in 1993, the standard has been for a
processor to have two arithmetic logic units so
that it can process two instructions at once
Courtesy: Course Technology/Cengage Learning

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 5

 How a Processor Works (cont’d.)

• Registers
– Small holding areas on processor chip
• Holds counters, data, instructions, and addresses ALU
is currently processing
• Processor internal memory caches (L1, L2, L3)
– Holds data and instructions to be processed by ALU
• Busses
– Front-side bus (FSB)
– Internal
– Back-side bus (BSB)
A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 6
 How a Processor Works (cont’d.)

• Processor frequency (speed)

– Speed at which processor operates internally
• Multiplier
– Factor multiplied against system bus frequency
• Determines processor frequency

• Motherboard firmware
– Automatically detects processor speed, adjusts
system bus speed accordingly

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 7

 How a Processor Works (cont’d.)

• Overclocking
– Running motherboard or processor at higher speed
than manufacturer suggests
– Override default frequencies
• Change setting in BIOS setup
– Disadvantages
• Overheating
• Voids most warranties
• Not recommended in business environment

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 8

 How a Processor Works (cont’d.)

• Throttling
– Offers some protection against overheating
• Throttle down, shut down system prevents permanent
processor damage
– Reduces power consumption when demands low

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 9

 How a Processor Works (cont’d.)

• Three methods to improve performance

– Multiprocessing
• Processor contains more than one ALU
– Multiple processors
• Installing more than one processor on a motherboard
– Multi-core processing
• Processor housing contains two or more cores
operating at same frequency, independently of each
other
• Dual core, triple core, quad core, octo core

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 10

 Figure 6-4 Quad-core processing with L1, L2, and
L3 cache and the memory controller within the
processor housing
Courtesy: Course Technology/Cengage Learning

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 11

 How a Processor Works (cont’d.)

• Memory cache (L1, L2, or L3)

– Holds anticipated data and instructions needed by
controller
– Improves performance
– Static RAM (SRAM)
• Holds data as long as power on

• Memory controller
– Included in processor package
– Significant increase in system performance

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 12

 Figure 6-5 Cache memory (SRAM) is used to
temporarily hold data in expectation of what the
processor will request next
Courtesy: Course Technology/Cengage Learning
A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 13
 How a Processor Works (cont’d.)
• Instruction set
– Microcode used for basic operations
• Processor computing technologies
– MMX (Multimedia Extensions) and SSE (Streaming
SIMD Extension)
– 3DNow! and SSE2
– Intel Hyper-Threading and AMD HyperTransport
– PowerNow! and Cool’n’Quiet
– Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology (EIST)
– Execute Disable Bit
– 32-bit and 64-bit instructions, operating systems
A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 14
 Intel Processors

Table 6-1 Current Intel processors

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 15
 Intel Processors (cont’d.)

Table 6-1 Current Intel processors (continued)

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 16

 AMD Processors

Table 6-2 Current AMD processors

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 17
 Cooling Methods and Devices

• Processor overheating results

– Processor damage and instability
• Entire system overheating results
– Sensitive electronic component damage
• Devices used to keep system cool
– CPU fans, case fans, coolers, heat sinks, liquid
cooling systems, dust-preventing tools
• Important
– Keep processor and entire system cool

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 18

 Coolers, Fans, and Heat Sinks
• Cooler sits on top of processor
• Maintains 90–110 degrees F temperature
– Consists of fan, heat sink
– Made of aluminum, copper, combination of both
– Bracketed to motherboard using wire, plastic clip
– Thermal compound eliminates air pockets
– Fan power cord connects to 4-pin fan header

Figure 6-9 A cooler sits on top of a processor to help keep it cool

Courtesy: Course Technology/Cengage Learning
A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 19
 Dealing with Dust

• Dust insulates PC parts like a blanket

– Causes overheating
• Dust inside fans
– Jams fans, causing overheated system
• Ridding PC of dust
– Make it a part of regular preventive maintenance
– Tools
• Antistatic vacuum
• Compressed air

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 20

 Problems with Installations
• Check simple things first
– Verify motherboard supports processor
– Check cooling fan installation
– Remove processor, examine, reinstall
– Reinstall old processor, flash BIOS, install new
processor
• Check other system items
– System and monitor plugs, peripheral connections
– Case door closure, power switches, voltage
– OS drivers
– Various motherboard connections
A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 21
 Problems with the Motherboard or
Processor
• reset passwords
• Verify CMOS battery
– Replace if necessary
• Symptoms of failing motherboard or processor
– System begins to boot, then powers down
– Error message displayed during boot
– System unstable, hangs, freezes at odd times
– Intermittent Windows or hard drive errors occur
– Motherboard components or connected devices do
not work
A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 22
 Problems with the Motherboard or
Processor (cont’d.)
• Check the simple things first
– Review power saving features
– Look at applications or OS
– Look at power cords, hard drives, overheating, failed
RAM, power supply
– Reduce system to essentials
• Remove unnecessary hardware
• See if problem resolved

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 23

 Problems with the Motherboard or
Processor (cont’d.)
• Hanging system problem persists
– Assume processor or motherboard at fault
• Verify solid installation of components and connectors
• Check BIOS setup, allow BIOS to report on full POST
• Flash BIOS to update firmware
• Look for physical damage
• Run diagnostic tests from motherboard CD
• Update board component drivers
• Disable failed components
• Verify motherboard supports processor
• Exchange processor or motherboard

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 24

 Problems with Overheating

• Temperature inside case

– Never exceed 100 degrees F (38 degrees C)
– Tools to monitor operating temperature
• BIOS readings, temperature sensor, utility software
– Symptoms of system overheating
• System hangs, freezes at odd times, or a few moments
after boot starts
• Windows error during boot (blue screen of death)
• Cannot hear fan running or fan makes whining sound
• Cannot feel air being pulled into or out of the case

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 25

 Problems with Overheating (cont’d.)

• Simple things to solve overheating problems

– Verify temperature in BIOS
– Remove dust
– Check airflow inside case
– Install additional fans, chassis air guide (if possible)
– Verify cables and cooler connection
– Allow case to breath
– Check for overclocking and too many peripherals
– Flash BIOS or replace thermal compound

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 26

 End……

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 27