CPU

8 synonyms for CPU, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — The main chip inside a computer that carries out the instructions of a program, performing the calculations and logical decisions that make software run.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

chip tower

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

processor

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

central processing unit microprocessor mainframe system unit desktop box

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun

The main chip inside a computer that carries out the instructions of a program, performing the calculations and logical decisions that make software run.

“The laptop felt slow because every browser tab was fighting for the same CPU.”

processor central processing unit chip microprocessor mainframe

2. noun informal

Loosely, the desk-side box that houses a desktop computer's internals, as opposed to the monitor and keyboard.

“He kicked the CPU under the desk and knocked the power cable out.”

tower system unit desktop box

How to use CPU

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

CPU usage CPU core multi-core CPU CPU-intensive CPU temperature

Standard in technical and everyday computing use. The sense meaning the desktop tower is informal and disliked by specialists.

Etymology

An initialism of central processing unit.

Full origin of CPU →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a CPU and a GPU?

A CPU handles a modest number of tasks but can switch between very different kinds of work quickly, so it runs the operating system and most ordinary programs. A GPU has thousands of much simpler cores that do the same kind of arithmetic on huge batches of data at once. A GPU is not a better CPU; it is built for a different shape of problem.

What do cores and threads mean?

A core is a complete processing unit within the chip, so a four-core CPU can genuinely work on four things at the same time. Threads are the separate streams of instructions the operating system hands out, and some CPUs let one core juggle two threads to keep it busy.

Does a higher clock speed always mean a faster CPU?

Not on its own. Clock speed in gigahertz counts cycles per second, but how much work a chip completes per cycle differs between designs and generations. Two chips at the same gigahertz figure can perform very differently.

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tower chip processor microprocessor mainframe

Nearby words

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