I've been writing on CPU technology here at Ars for almost five years now, and during that time I've done my best to communicate computing concepts in as plain and accessible a manner as possible ...

There was a time when owning a computer meant you probably knew most or all of the instructions it could execute. Your modern PC, though, has a lot of instructions, many of them meant for specialized ...

SAN MATEO, Calif. — MIPS Technologies Inc. has entered the race to deliver microprocessor cores that accept custom-made instructions, saying the move gives designers an alternative to hardwired logic ...

A microprocessor is a complex, programmable integrated circuit (IC) on a single chip that can execute instructions. This generally includes CPUs found in computers but also refers to the ...