Computer Architecture Terms

Front

What is the CPU?

Back

Central Processing Unit – The “brain” of the computer that processes instructions.

Front

What does the Control Unit (CU) do?

Back

Directs the flow of data and manages the fetch–decode–execute cycle.

Front

What is the function of the Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)?

Back

Performs calculations and logical operations.

Front

What is the Fetch–Decode–Execute cycle?

Back

The process the CPU follows to run instructions step by step.

Front

What is a Register in the context of a CPU?

Back

A very small, very fast storage location inside the CPU.

Front

What does the Program Counter (PC) hold?

Back

The memory address of the next instruction to run.

Front

What is the purpose of the Memory Address Register (MAR)?

Back

Stores the address in memory that will be accessed.

Front

What does the Memory Data Register (MDR) hold?

Back

The actual data being transferred to or from memory.

Front

What is the role of the Accumulator (AC)?

Back

Stores temporary results of calculations from the ALU.

Front

What does the Instruction Register (IR) store?

Back

The current instruction being decoded or executed.