Processing

Processing If someone had to find the brains of the computer they would most certainly say its the microprocessor.  The microprocessor is often referred to as the CPU (Central processing unit).  The microprocessor is a chip the size of a postage stamp.  The processor is the one part of the computer that is most important to the computer.  The microprocessor controls how data is sorted and directs the flow of data. To a great extent a computer is defined by the power of its microprocessor.  Chips with higher processing speed and more recent design offer the greatest performance and access to new technologies.  Most microprocessors made for PCs are made by Intel or by companies that clone Intel chips, such as Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and Cyrix.
The early Intel chip came in models called 286, 386, and 486.  The 586 chip was given the name Pentium.  The series of Pentiums were given the following names:  Pentium Pro, Pentium with MMX, and Pentium II.  The newer processors hold more transistors and thus more computing power on a single chip.
Microprocessor

Processor	No. of Transistors	Bus Width
80286	134,000	16 bit
80386	275,000	32 bit
80486	1,600,000	32 bit
Pentium	3,300,000	64 bit external/  32 bit internal
Pentium Pro	5,500,000	64 bit
Pentium w/ MMX	4,500,000	64 bit external/  32 bit internal
Pentium II	7,500,000	64 bit
The processor has come a long way and now some of the latest processors are: Celeron · Pentium Dual-Core · Core 2 · Core i5 · Core i7 · Xeon · Itanium  and who know what will come out next?