All about processors (CPUs)

The central processing unit (CPU) of a device acts like its brain, telling other components what to do. Learn about different processor types, from ones that are great for everyday use to ones that give you more processing power for heavy-duty tasks.

• Processors tell everything from your graphics processing unit (GPU) to your disk drives and screens what to do.

• Intel and AMD are some of the most common manufacturers, and they each have different series of processors.

• In general, the higher the number in the series, the more power you'll have for processing tasks.

• Intel Core i5 and AMD Ryzen 5 series are great for everyday use, the 3 series are budget-friendly, and the 7 and 9 series are good for gaming and video and photo editing tasks.

• Processors are updated frequently, so if you purchase a new device, you're likely to have a recent version of the processor.