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noun

CPU

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CPU (noun) means the main chip inside a computer that carries out the instructions of a program, performing the calculations and logical decisions that make software run. Example: “The laptop felt slow because every browser tab was fighting for the same CPU.”

noun
1
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."
"She checked which process was pinning the CPU at 100 per cent."
2
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."

How to use CPU

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe chip that does the actual thinking in a computer.

When to use it

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

Memory tip

Pronounce it letter by letter. It takes an article: say the CPU, not just CPU.

Trace the full origin ↓
Easily confused with
GPU → RAM → processor →
Common pairings
CPU usage CPU core multi-core CPU CPU-intensive CPU temperature
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The laptop felt slow because every browser tab was fighting for the same _____.

Etymology

An initialism of central processing unit.

Origin: English

Synonyms

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processor central processing unit chip microprocessor tower system unit desktop box mainframe

Related words

bit piece nick jail tower crack column chip

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.
What is the meaning of CPU?
"CPU" (noun) means the main chip inside a computer that carries out the instructions of a program, performing the calculations and logical decisions that make software run.

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Definitions: FreeDict original editorial