Overview
The ALU is the most fundamental component of a processor. It handles the basic mathematical operations that form the core of almost all computing tasks.
Operations
- Arithmetic: Addition, subtraction, and sometimes multiplication/division.
- Logical: AND, OR, NOT, XOR.
- Bit-Shifting: Moving bits left or right within a register.
- Comparisons: Determining if one number is greater than, less than, or equal to another.
Modern CPUs
Modern high-performance cores typically have 4 to 6 ALUs, allowing them to process multiple integer instructions every cycle.