During which phase of the fetch-execute cycle does the computer access memory for the next instruction?

The fetch-execute cycle is a fundamental process in computer architecture that describes how computers retrieve and execute instructions. During the fetch phase, the computer accesses memory to retrieve the next instruction that is to be executed. This is the initial step in the cycle where the Program Counter (PC) holds the address of the next instruction to be fetched from memory.

Once the instruction is fetched, it is then sent to the register for further processing and later decoded and executed in subsequent phases. Therefore, it is clear that the memory access for the next instruction specifically occurs during the fetch phase, making it the correct choice.

Understanding the fetch phase is crucial as it lays the groundwork for all subsequent phases, ensuring that the necessary instructions are made available for the CPU to process.