A
multi-core processor is a single
computing component with two or more independent actual
processing units (called "cores"), which are the units that read and execute
program instructions. The instructions are ordinary
CPU instructions such as add, move data, and branch, but the multiple cores can run multiple instructions at the same time, increasing overall speed for programs amenable to
parallel computing. Manufacturers typically integrate the cores onto a single
integrated circuit die (known as a chip multiprocessor or CMP), or onto multiple dies in a single
chip package.