Inside Computer Hardware: Architecture and Trends
Inside Computer Hardware: Architecture and Trends Understanding computer hardware helps you see why a device feels fast or slow. Hardware is built in layers, from cores and caches to memory, storage, and I/O. Each layer carries a specific job, and the way they connect decides how smoothly programs run, games render, and data moves through the system. Today’s machines blend several parts to handle many tasks at once. Processors today mix CPU cores, GPU units, and sometimes dedicated accelerators in a single package or across multiple chips. General purpose CPUs handle everyday tasks—opening apps, browsing, editing text—while GPUs shine at parallel work like graphics, video editing, and AI workloads. New designs also include specialized AI accelerators that speed up machine learning tasks without overloading the main CPU. This mix makes systems flexible for work, play, and study. ...