The CPU is the brain of a computer.
But despite doing all these, can it store any data?
So, without further ado, lets begin!
Where does the CPU store its Computational Data?
But while calculating the instructions, the CPU needs to hold that data in faster memory.
For this, it uses the register, which is similar to RAM & Cache.
Registers are part of a special memory unit that is only used by the CPU because its ultra-fast.
The CPU needs faster memory to perform any instructions.
Modern high-endx86-baseddesktopCPUs can execute100 billioninstructionsin a second.
Jaw-dropping amount, right?
The CPU uses the register because its faster and more efficient than the cache or RAM.
The registers are unchangeable because they are part of the system microarchitecture.
But it has a lesser memory capacity than other memories, but those are blazing fast.
Thats why the CPU uses the register to utilize the instructions faster.
And there are several types of registers, that Ill talk about later in this article.
When you launch any program or app, theCPU requires to execute lots of processes.
To execute those instructions, the CPU fetches those data from other substantial memory units.
After that, it stacks those data into its cache and then registers for storage and computing.
After finishing those calculations, the CPU sends the data to the RAM for a temporary hold.
Thats whyRAM is called temporary memory.
In the meantime, the CPU gets enough space for new data analysis, and the cycle keeps running.
But the storage space is tiny compared to the main memory and hard drives.
And the processor can move from one memory segment to another effortlessly while executing instructions.
But L1 is faster than L2, and L3 is the slowest memory.
Cache memory is also known asSRAMorstatic RAM, and its a lot faster than DRAM.
There are mainly three cache levels in modern multicore processors.
Among these three, the first two (L1 & L2) are shared among each core.
Whereas the last one, the L3, is available for all the cores.
After fetching data from the RAM, cache memory passes that data to the register.
I bet now you have a clear vision of the CPU memory hierarchy.
But registers, cache, and RAM can only hold the data as long as they are powered.
And the data gets destroyed when you turn off the system.
Types of Registers & How Do They Work?
There are two types of CPU registers, thegeneral&controlregister.
The general register does the data calculations and stores addresses.
But when it needs to hold data more than 32-bit, it can shift to 64-bit mode.
Registers are also referred to asL1 cache, which is the fastest memory in the CPU cache segment.
These registers in the CPU mainly stand beside theALU(Arithmetic Logic Unit) on the chip.
But I will give you a basic idea of different types of common registers and their working purposes.
So, a register can be8-bit,16-bit,32-bit, or64-bit.
For example, A CPU with10 coresand20 threadsmeans two virtual cores per single physical core.
And the idea of multithreading comes from multiple sets of registers.
So, against 10 CPU cores, it has 20 sets of registers, meaning2 registersper core.
How Computer Memory Works?
The computers temporary memory A.K.ARAM works tightly with the CPU.
Technically speaking,Primary&secondarystorage, are the two main computer storage areas.
The primary section consists of RAM, Cache, and Registers.
Primary storage memories are faster than permanent ones.
If the CPU had to fetch instruction data from the hard drive, the processing would be much slower.
Next, the RAM transfers that data to the CPUs cache memory.
As you know, cache memory is much faster than RAM but has much less memory capacity.
So, it holds that data for the CPU and transfers it when the CPU calls for it.
And also there is an L2 cache which is also called an external cache.
L2 cache catches the recent data accesses from the CPU that were not captured by the L1.
After finding that data, it passes through the registers.
Registers sit at the top of the CPUs memory hierarchy.
Secondary storage is the largest storage for a computer system.
So, when the data passes from the secondary to the primary, the instruction execution cycle begins.
Thats how the total cycle ends, and this is the total working procedure of a computers memory.
Thats why the memory unit of a computer system plays an important role.
So, lets take a look at how memory works in a glimpse.
FAQs
Can the CPUs memory store data permanently?
CPUs memory such as cache, and register can store the data till the system is turned on.
When you turn it off, the data within those memories get destroyed too.
Which memory collects data from the secondary storage?
Then it passes the data to the CPU.
What does the CPU store?
The CPU has specific memory for storing data in it.
Final Words
Now you know that the CPU can store data in the register and cache memory.
There are several types of registers and caches in a CPU, and each of these has individual purposes.
In this article, I have shown an in-depth analysis of CPU memory and how it works.
See you at the next one, and have fun!
