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Computing Fundamentals for Cybersecurity Professionals

Course by zooboole,

Last Updated on 2023-09-16 13:04:36

The Central Processing Unit

The Central Processing Unit is the engine of the computer. All operations and most parts that make up the computer’s work are located inside that case. The whole case is just a packing to help hold all pieces together. The main Internal Hardware that give the case its power are:

  • CPU: The “Actual” Central Processing Unit. It’s the crunching unit. Modern CPUs are small and square and contain multiple metallic connectors or pins on the underside. The CPU is inserted directly into a CPU socket, pin side down, on the motherboard. It has circuits that can perform binary arithmetic, logic calculation, and can control the processing flow. Everything that happen in the whole computer passes through the CPU.

  • RAM or Primary Storage: Random Access Memo or RAM is a storage used to store data temporally. The CPU uses the RAM to keep its instructions and the data required to process them. The RAM is a short term memory. It keeps data as far as it’s powered. Once the power is out, all data in it disappears.

  • HARDDrive or Mass Storage: The mass storage is the container of your virtual information. Everything you have as virtual asset is kept in that storage including your files, work documents, photos, emails, songs, and your applications. When you install a software, its code and resources are copied to a special location on the hard drive. Every time you launch the software, its code is copied to the RAM to be accessed by the CPU.

  • GPU: The GPU is the Graphics Processing Unit is like the CPU except the GPU helps to convert most CPU data into visuals. It allows you to see what you are doing on a monitor if the monitor. Some CPUs have integrated graphics processing units.

  • Motherboard: All these parts mentioned above and many others are all glued together on a board called the “mother board”. One of the core features of the motherboard is the “data bus”. It’s used to drive data through the various parts above.