Multicore and Parallel Processors

• Multicore & Parallel Processors 

  • A multicore system has more than one processing unit in a single processor which can independently process instructions at the same time 
  • When a computer has multiple cores it can use parallel processing where each core can work on the same task to complete it more quickly, or each core can work on separate tasks at the same time 
  • Parallel processing can also be achieved by utilising more than one processor (a CPU and a GPU) 
• Benefits and Limitations of Multicore and Parallel Processors

  
• What are the benefits of using multicore processors? #1

  • Multitasking 
  • Each core can work on a different task - this is particularly effective when the user has multiple applications open at the same time 
  • Background tasks 
  • When using a single core processor, a background task like anti-malware scans can slow down the user's other task. A multi-core processor can assign the background task to one core, to reduce the impact on the other task 
• What are the benefits of using multicore processors? #2

  • Improved responsiveness 
  • If a program becomes unresponsive, it won’t slow the user's computer down as much if they're using multi-core as other cores will continue running their task