Microchip implanted in a CPU's hard drive that processes instructions sent to it by the computer and software programs. Processors come in a number of sizes and are manufactured by such corporations as Intel and Advanced Micro Devices. The greater the gigahertz capacity of the processor, the quicker the computer will be able to process instructions sent to it. Some corporations have developed a dual processor, which allows one processor to process multiple instructions at the same time without slowing down performance.