Difference Between System Unit and CPU

Summary: Difference Between System Unit and CPU is that The system unit is a case that contains electronic components of the computer used to process data. System units are available in a variety of shapes and sizes. While The central processing unit (CPU), interprets and carries out the basic instructions that operate a computer. The processor significantly impacts overall computing power and manages most of a computer’s operations.

System Unit

Whether you are a home user or a business user, you most likely will purchase a new computer or upgrade an existing computer at some time in the future. Thus, you should understand the purpose of each component in a computer. A computer includes devices used for input, processing, output, storage, and communications. Many of these components are part of the system unit.

The system unit is a case that contains electronic components of the computer used to process data. System units are available in a variety of shapes and sizes. The case of the system unit is made of metal or plastic and protects the internal electronic components from damage. All computers and mobile devices have a system unit.

On desktop personal computers, the electronic components and most storage devices are part of the system unit. Other devices, such as the keyboard, mouse, microphone, monitor, printer, USB flash drive, scanner, Web cam, and speakers, normally occupy space outside the system unit. An all-in-one desktop personal computer is an exception, which houses the monitor and the system unit in the same case.

CPU

The central processing unit (CPU), interprets and carries out the basic instructions that operate a computer. The processor significantly impacts overall computing power and manages most of a computer’s operations. On a personal computer, all functions of the processor usually are on a single chip. Some computer and chip manufacturers use the term microprocessor to refer to a personal computer processor chip.

Most processor chip manufacturers now offer multi-core processors. A processor core contains the circuitry necessary to execute instructions. The operating system views each processor core as a separate processor. A multi-core processor is a chip with two or more separate processor cores. Two common multi-core processors are dual-core and quad-core. A dual-core processor is a chip that contains two separate processor cores. Similarly, a quad-core processor is a chip with four separate processor cores.

Each processor core on a multi-core processor generally runs at a slower clock speed than a single-core processor, but multi-core processors typically increase overall performance. For example, although a dual-core processor does not double the processing speed of a single-core processor, it can approach those speeds. Multi-core processors also are more energy efficient than separate multiple processors, requiring lower levels of power consumption and emitting less heat in the system unit.

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