The Processor

The processor is the heart of the computer, it controls all instructions that are sent to the RAM and ROM. The processor speed is also the same speed at which the memory cache runs, meaning that for some programs, it does not have to wait for the RAM to send the infomation to it. It can have various speeds ranging from 8x all the way up to 20x speed. It is connected to the mother board by pins which connect into a slot

                                                 The Pins on a processor chipset

To take out the Processor, you need to carefully remove the heatsink, then you should see the processor and a small lever on the side, what you need to do is to carefully lift the lever up, then gently lift the processor off. To re-insert the processor, you need to align the small triangle with the one on the motherboard, then gently press down on the processor to push it in, after this you then need to lower the lever and lock it in position.

When choosing a processor to install, take note of the speed of it , as this will affect what speed the Cache RAM will run at.