RISC and CISC

• Reduced instruction set computers (RISC) have a smaller instruction set
• Complex instruction set computers (CISC) have a larger instruction set
• Instructions are built into hardware on CISC and RISC processors
• Each instruction on a RISC processor is approximately one line of machine code
• Each instruction on a RISC processor takes one clock cycle to complete
• Using a RISC processor means the compiler has to do more work to translate high level code into machine code.
• RISC processes require more RAM to store the code.
• Pipelining is possible with RISC processors since each instruction takes one clock cycle.
• A disadvantage of using a RISC processor compared to a CISC processor is that there are fewer instructions available so some tasks may not be able to be performed as easily or efficiently.
• An example of a RISC processor is the ARM Cortex.
• The main advantage of using a CISC processor over a RISC processor is that it can perform complex operations quickly, making it suitable for scientific calculations.
• An example of a CISC processor is the Intel Pentium.
• One disadvantage of using a CISC processor compared to a RISC processor is that pipelining cannot be used because different instructions take varying amounts of time to complete.
• A disadvantage of using a CISC processor compared to a RISC processor is that pipelining cannot be used due to the complexity of the instructions.
• Using CISC processors mean the compiler has less work to translate high level code into machine code.
• Less RAM is required for CISC processors since code is shorter.
• CISC processors have many specialised instructions