1.1.1 Architecture of the CPU Flashcards
what is the fetch decode execute cycle
This is where the CPU fetches the next instruction to be processed from the memory (RAM), decodes the instruction and then executes it.
what does a core contain
ALU, control unit and registers
what do cores share
level 3 cache
what are multi core processors
Processors which have more than one core
what is clock speed
the number of fetch-execute cycles that they can carry out per second
what is clock speed measured in
MHz or GHz
what is the ALU
is responsible for all arithmetic operations and all logical operations
What is the control unit
it controls the timing of the units and the flow of data in the CPU.
what is cache
A small amount of high speed memory and is used to temporarily hold instructions and data that the CPU is likely to reuse
what are registers
A small amount of fast memory stored in the CPU
how does cache work in a CPU
Level 1 cache is the fastest but contains the smallest amount of memory and if the CPU needs data that isn’t in level one it will move up the levels until it reaches RAM,
How does the clock speed affect CPU performance?
If you increase the clock speed, you increase the amount of fetch-decode-execute cycles which take place per second meaning that the CPU will be able to process data faster.
How does the cache size affect CPU performance?
If you increase the cache size it means that there is more storage for you to quickly read and write data to. And there is less chance of needing to go to the RAM which is slower
How does the number of cores affect CPU performance?
Because more cores allows multiple cores (ALU, control units,cache, etc) to work simultaneously to complete more fetch-decode-execute cycles at once.
Why does a dual core processor not always operate twice as quick as a single core processor?
Because some codes need to be processed one after the other, so the processors wont be able to work simultaneously.
