Systems ArchitectureIntroduction
The Restaurant Kitchen
Part of CPU Architecture — GCSE Computer Science
This introduction covers The Restaurant Kitchen within CPU Architecture for GCSE Computer Science. Revise CPU Architecture in Systems Architecture for GCSE Computer Science with 15 exam-style questions and 12 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 1 of 7 in this topic. Use this introduction to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Topic position
Section 1 of 7
Practice
15 questions
Recall
12 flashcards
The Restaurant Kitchen
Imagine you're the head chef in a busy restaurant kitchen. You (the Control Unit) read orders from the waiters (instructions from memory), tell your sous chefs (the ALU) exactly what to cook, and use the counter space (the Registers) to temporarily hold ingredients while preparing dishes. The pass-through window and kitchen intercom (the Buses) connect you to the dining room and storage areas. Just as nothing gets cooked without you coordinating every step, nothing happens in a computer without the CPU orchestrating every single operation - billions of times per second!