Ch 3 · Registers · Theory

Topic 3 of 10 in Computer Architecture — Inside the CPU — 2 lessons.

The CPU's Notepads

Registers are the fastest storage in the whole machine — but there are only a handful, each holding one value. Key special-purpose registers you must know:

How They Cooperate

To read from memory: the address goes into the MAR, a read is triggered, and the value arrives in the MDR. To run a program: the PC says where the next instruction is, it lands in the CIR to be decoded, and any calculation's result sits in the ACC.

All topics in Theory Computer-architecture

1. The Von Neumann Model
2. Inside the CPU
3. Registers
4. The Fetch–Decode–Execute Cycle
5. Buses
6. The Memory Hierarchy
7. What Makes a CPU Fast
8. Assembly Language & Addressing Modes
9. Virtual Machines & Parallel Processing (A Level)
10. Check Your Understanding