A processor has two main tasks: processing data and executing instructions. The processor contains a quartz clock that sends tiny electrical pulses at regular intervals. Each time the clock ticks, the processor can process data or execute an instruction. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Although it may seem like the processor can multitask, it can actually only process one instruction at a time. However, it processes instructions so quickly that it appears to be multitasking. A processor with a clock speed of 3 GHz, for example, can process three billion instructions per second. When you insert a DVD into an optical drive, the program you are running may pause for a moment. While the processor is busy processing program instructions, devices such as a DVD player, printer, or camera may need CPU resources to perform an operation. To let the processor know it needs attention, a device signals an interrupt. When the processor is interrupted, it stores its current state in memory, executes the instructions for the device, then restores its previous state and continues executing the program where it left off. The difference between a slow computer and a fast computer is the power and speed of the processor, which depends on the number of transistors on the processor chip and its clock cycle. Advances in technology have allowed processor manufacturers to place increasing numbers of transistors on a single processor chip to create powerful processors suitable for small devices such as mobile phones and tablets. A typical smartphone has about 193,000 percent more transistors on its processor chip than a personal computer from the early 1990s, and its clock runs about 16,600 percent faster. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized document from our expert writers now. .Get a Custom EssayA computer with two processors runs almost twice as fast as a computer with a single processor. Placing multiple processors on a single chip is another common method for making faster computers. Displaying infographics requires a significant number of processor cycles, which can slow down other tasks a computer performs. To relieve the CPU, manufacturers have developed the graphics processing unit, or GPU. A processor often has an integrated GPU on the same chip. The two processors work in tandem to provide the resources requested by the device, with the CPU offloading much of the graphics work to the GPU..