What does CPU stand for?

If you’ve spent any time comparing gaming PCs, you might have wondered what ‘CPU’ stands for. The little chips are some of the most important parts of any computer and have an outsized effect on your rig’s performance. Let’s get into what their name means and why.

What does CPU stand for?

‘CPU’ is an acronym which stands for central processing unit and, in a broad sense, it does exactly what it says on the tin, working as the main component responsible for processing information in your computer. However, this offers only a surface-level understanding of a CPU and can leave you with even more questions than you started with. A closer look at the name can tell you more about these powerful bits of kit and what they do.

Let’s start with the word ‘processor’. Any computing device out there has a processor of some kind. What is being processed is external information, external in the sense that it is not the CPU itself which is storing this data. There are all kinds of processors in any gaming PC. If you’ve ever wondered what GPU stands for, you’ll be familiar with seeing this word in a computing context. So how does the processing a CPU does differ from what your GPU is doing? Again, we can find the answer in your CPU’s name.

What does CPU stand for in gaming?

As the central processing unit, your CPU is almost like the brain of your computer. It sends instructions and commands to other components and processes the results.

Let’s take a look at a simple example. Say you are in a game and you press the key to open your map. Your CPU receives the input from the keyboard and interprets it as a command to open the game map. It sends a request to memory to access the game map and to update the game state to reflect that it has been opened. Your CPU then sends this updated game state to your computer’s GPU. The GPU renders the digital display, generating the appropriate pixels, which are then sent to your monitor. This is a very simplified example, but gives a good overview of the kind of coordinating and calculating your CPU is doing. Modern chips, especially the best CPUs for gaming are immensely powerful and capable of conducting many thousands of these kinds of operations every second.

The CPU’s position is as the central coordinating unit for your other components. Because of this, it is no surprise that it has a huge impact on any PC’s gaming performance. The more powerful your chip, the more commands it can interpret and execute each second, making it less likely that there will be any bottlenecking, even under the intense workloads that modern gaming creates.

Frequently asked questions

Understanding computer hardware can be as confusing as it is interesting. Despite our excellent explainer above, there will undoubtedly be more questions you might have. We’ve tried to answer some of them here.

Where is the CPU located in a computer?

The CPU is housed within the motherboard of your PC. Despite its name, this does not necessarily mean the chip is in the centre of your computer.

Does a computer need a CPU?

Yes, without a CPU the other components of your gaming PC will be unable to communicate with each other, and your computer will not function.