Which hardware component handles the operations performed on data?

Peripheral devices such as printers, scanners, and external hard drives are used to expand the capabilities of a computer system but do not directly handle operations on data. These devices provide input/output functions or additional storage capacity, enhancing the user experience but relying on the processing unit for data manipulation.

Primary storage, such as random access memory (RAM) or cache memory, is used to temporarily hold data and instructions that the CPU needs to access quickly during operation. While primary storage plays a vital role in providing fast access to data, it does not directly handle the actual operations performed on data—that task falls to the processing unit.

Secondary storage devices like hard disk drives (HDDs) or solid-state drives (SSDs) are used for long-term storage of data that is not actively being processed by the CPU. These devices retain information even when the computer is powered off but are not involved in the real-time execution of operations on data, which is the primary function of the processing unit.