A set of all the instructions written in machine code that can be recognised and executed by the CPU
Compiler
A specialised programme that translates high-level code into machine code
Instructions set
A set of all the instructions that are written in machine code that can be recognised and executed by the CPU
CISC
Complex instruction set computer which aims to complete the taks in the fewest lines of machine code possible
RISC
reduced instruction set computer which aims to use simple instructions that will be executed within a single clock cycle
Job of the compiler in CISC vs RISC
In CISC, the compiler has little work to do.
In RISC, the compiler has more work to do as it has to translate more lines of code.
Amount of RAM needed in CISC and RISC
CISC doesn't need as much RAM
RISC requires more RAM
Hardware in CISC and RISC
RISC has a simpler hardware design
CISC has a more complex hardware design
Clock cycle in CISC and RISC
in CISC, some instructions may take multiple clockcycles to complete.
in RISC, all instructions take one clock cycle
Instructions set length
in RISC, all instructions are of fixed length
in CISC, instructions can be variable in length
RISC one clock cycle
In RISC, all instructions being completed in one clock cycle allows for pipelining which further increases the efficency of processes
Price of CISC and RISC
CISC is more expensive as it is more complex.
RISC is cheaper as it is simpler.
Amount of instructions available in CISC and RISC
In CISC, many complex instructions are available.
In RISC, not many simple instructions are available.
GPU
Graphicalprocessingunit, Is a co-processor that contains thousands of cores and is used alongside the CPU to imporve the overall speed and efficiency of specific instructions
What does the GPU use in order to improve the speed of certain calculations?
Parallel processing
What is an example of an operation that the GPU excels in?
Floating point arithmetic
What is a Co-processor?
An additinal processor that works alongside the CPU to improve performance
What is a multi-core processor?
A single chip that contains two or more processing units
What is a chip with multiple cores on it refered to as?
Chip multi-processor (CMP)
What do you call a chip with 2 cores on it?
Dual-core processor
What do you call a chip with 4 cores on it?
Quad-core CPU
How can multicore use be further enhanced?
By the use of shared cache
What is parallel processing?
The processing of program instructions by dividing them between multiple cores/processors
What is an example of how parallel processing can be used
Assiging one of the 3 stages of the Fetch decode execute cycle to 3 different cores
What is a limitation of parallel processing?
The task may not be designed to utilise parallel processing