Correct option is D
Registers are high-speed storage devices within the CPU, used to temporarily store data and instructions during processing. They are much faster than other types of memory (RAM, Cache) and play a crucial role in the execution of instructions.
Registers are directly accessible by the CPU, making them critical for performing operations like arithmetic calculations, storing intermediate results, and managing addresses.
Important Key Points:
- Registers in the CPU:
- Registers are small and extremely fast storage units.
- They store data, instructions, and addresses needed for immediate processing.
- Types of Registers:
- Accumulator (AC): Stores intermediate arithmetic and logic results.
- Instruction Register (IR): Holds the current instruction being executed.
- Program Counter (PC): Keeps track of the address of the next instruction to be executed.
- Memory Address Register (MAR): Holds the address of data to be fetched or stored.
- Purpose of Registers:
- To minimize delays in data access.
- To facilitate quick execution of instructions by reducing dependence on slower memory.
Knowledge Booster:
- Why Not Other Options?
- a) Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU):
- Incorrect. ALU performs arithmetic and logical operations but does not store data temporarily.
- b) Auxiliary Memory:
- Incorrect. Auxiliary memory (e.g., hard drives, magnetic tapes) is used for long-term storage, not temporary high-speed data storage.
- c) Control Unit:
- Incorrect. The Control Unit manages and coordinates the execution of instructions but does not store data temporarily.
- Registers vs Cache:
- Registers: Located inside the CPU; faster and smaller.
- Cache: Located close to the CPU; larger but slower than registers.
- Interesting Fact:
- The number of registers and their size directly impact the performance of a processor, with modern CPUs having hundreds of registers.