What is a Core in a Computer

I am writing this article for those of you who have little technical understanding of computers but do use
them frequently in your daily lives. I will start with the basics and gradually build on that until you can be
explained what a Core is in a computer. I will be using various questions as topics and their answers as
the progressive explanations.

What is a Computer?
Let us begin by discussing some definitions of what a computer is.

“A programmable usually electronic device that can store, retrieve, and process
data.”

(Source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ )

“A device that computes, especially a programmable electronic machine that

performs high-speed mathematical or logical operations or that assembles, stores,
correlates, or otherwise processes information.”

(Source: http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/computer)

“Technically, a computer is a programmable machine. This means it can execute a

programmed list of instructions and respond to new instructions that it is given.
Today, however, the term is most often used to refer to the desktop and laptop
computers that most people use. When referring to a desktop model, the term
"computer" technically only refers to the computer itself -- not the monitor, keyboard,
and mouse. Still, it is acceptable to refer to everything together as the computer.”

(Source: http://www.techterms.com/)

A Brief History of Computers

Let me tell you a bit about the history of computers. Ever since mankind has invented numbers, humans
have had to do calculations. Tools, like the Abacus, were developed to help with more difficult
calculations.

Fast forwarding to the beginning of the digital age, there were calculators as we know them even today,
which are still used by accountants and cashiers etc. for performing mathematical calculations.

Complex circuitry was built around fast calculating machines and used even in space exploration
alongside business computing machines used in large banks and other organizations.
Today’s computers are similar to the computing machines I have discussed and are extremely complex
and yet have been drastically reduced in size. None the less, my point is the at their heart, all Computers
are basically extremely fast computing machines.

What kinds of Computers are available today?

So, you must be knowing that computers are available in various shapes and forms based on what you
need them for. They could be any of the following,

Desktop computers
As the name suggests, these computers are typically in the shape of a box that is placed on the top of
desks or in a rack under the desk. They need to be connected to keyboard, mouse and screen using
cables.

Laptop Computers
These are computers in the shape of a book, which when you open, consists of a screen on the top side
and a keyboard on the base. Laptop computers are portable computers that you can carry with you
everywhere you go.

Tablet Computers / Smart Phones

Tablet Computers and Smart Phones are very similar. The major difference being that tablet computers
are much larger that smart phones. Another difference is that tablet computers do not always have
cellular network features like smart phones have. They commonly communicate using Wifi only.

Server Computers
These are large and powerful computers placed in data centers and used by companies for commercial
purposes.

Other Computers
It is needless to say that computers are available these days in virtually all types electronic appliances
and gadgets you can think of.

What are Peripherals

If you just think for a moment about how you use a computer and what you use it for, some tasks like
browsing the internet, playing audio or videos, chatting or video chatting using Whatsapp or Skype etc.
will come to mind. For each of these examples, you will be utilizing some devices for input of
information into the computer or output of information from the computer.

Examples of input devices are keyboard, mouse, touch-screen, Microphone, video camera, Wifi etc.

Examples of output devices are Screens (LED, Projector), Audio Speaker, Printer, Wifi etc.

Note here that Wifi acts both ways for input and output of information between the computer and the
Internet.
What is a Motherboard
You may have seen the inside of a computer in case you took it for repair or on some YouTube video.
There is a board of circuitry almost as big as the computer and it has all sorts of electronic parts
connected to it. This is the motherboard and it not only holds all the components together but also
connects them together though printed circuits. Hence the name “Motherboard”.

What are Computer Memory types?

Data Storage
Again, considering the examples of computer usage, when you browse on the internet, you can
download various files onto your computer. Where do these files go? They are stored in computer
memory better known as Hard drive, SSD or Internal Memory.

RAM (Random Access Memory)

Similarly, when you talk about your Smartphone or Tablet specs, you discuss how much RAM (Random
Access Memory) it has e.g. 8GB, 16GB, 32GB, 64GB, 128GB. This is the memory that gets full if you have
too many apps open at one time. The computer needs RAM during all the time it is ON and working, for
temporary storage of information. The applications you run, get loaded into the RAM and are removed
when you close the applications. The temporary information gets erased when the computer shuts
down.

ROM (Read Only Memory)

When you turn the computer or tablet ON, how does the computer or the tablet know what to do?
There is a component in every computer called the ROM (Read Only Memory) which contains
instructions that guide the computer when it is turned ON. These instructions do not get erased,
regardless of whether the computer is ON or OFF.

What is a Microprocessor or CPU?

All of the computers mentioned above contain a component called the Microprocessor. It is also known
as the CPU (Central Processing Unit) or simply referred to as the Processor. I will call it the CPU going
forward.

Have you heard of the brand names Intel or AMD? These are companies that manufacture CPUs. If you
look at your Laptop or Desktop, it is highly likely that you will see a sticker on it that says something like
“Intel Inside” or “AMD”. It tells you the brand name of the CPU in your computer.

A CPU is an absolutely essential component of every computer. Its basic function is to perform
calculations according to various instructions. You can very well say a CPU in a computer is like the brain
in humans. No matter what the computer is doing at any instant, it is bound to be using the CPU to
execute instructions. Here, the performing of calculations in the CPU according to the provided
instructions is termed as the executing of instructions.
What is the Clock Speed of CPU?
The CPU and in fact the whole computer, works on electronic pulses which have an extremely short
duration. We can alternatively view this as many many pulses or clock cycles in one second; practically
these clock cycles are of order of 1 to 2 GHz (Giga Hertz) or 1 Billion to 2 Billion clock cycles per second.
This is referred to, as the clock speed of the CPU. The faster the clock speed, the faster the instruction
execution and hence the greater the performance of the computer.

Over the past five or so decades, effort has continuously been made to increase the computing speeds
of the CPUs. Researchers have found better materials and better techniques of fabricating CPUs with
smaller size and faster clock speeds. The race for greater computing speeds has pushed companies like
Intel and AMD to find newer ways and means. At a certain point, however, scientists were faced with
physical limitations to further increase of clock speed.

The race for faster computing speeds will always be on. So far, the manufacturers have to come up with
a few alternative methods of increasing computational speed besides the earlier option of increasing the
clock speed. The answer so far, lies in parallel processing techniques.

What is a Core?
The basic CPU consists of a core component, the Core, and a bus interface. The Core executes the
instructions using some information and outputs resulting information and instructions. The bus
interface passes the instructions and information to-and-fro between the CPU and the Motherboard.

What is the significance of a Core?

One parallel processing technique is to use more than one Core and split the instructions between the
multiple Cores for execution. What this practically means is that these companies developed CPUs
having a single package but more than one cores. So, how is a Core different from a CPU?

A CPU has one bus interface which connects its Core with the Motherboard.

A CPU has one die or chip.

A CPU has one heat-sink for cooling.

A CPU having multiple Cores still has one bus interface, one die or chip and one heat-sink. The number
of Cores in a CPU are normally in multiples of two, so a CPU can have 2, 4, 6, 8 or 12 Cores for example.

Final Word
So, the Core of a computer is at the very core of a computer and performs the thinking or computations,
which also give the computer its name. A computer can have multiple cores to increase its
computational performance. The multiple cores reside in a single CPU. The race for faster computing will
continue as newer methods get devised, but the Core of a computer is bound to remain, no matter
what.