A processor is the main component of a computer that executes arithmetic and logical operations at high speeds. Processors have transistors on a single integrated circuit and determine a system's computing power. The first processors introduced were 4-bit and 8-bit models by Intel and Robert Noyce in the early 1970s, while 32-bit processors launched in 1986 marked the beginning of modern processors. Processors are either CISC or RISC architectures and major manufacturers include Intel and AMD.