1.1.1- Factors Affecting Performance Flashcards
What is clock speed?
The number of clock cycles completed per second
What is cache memory?
CPUs onboard memory which can be accessed a lot faster than main memory which saves time
What is a core?
Complete copy of a CPU
How does clock speed improve performance?
The faster the clock cycle, the more instructions can be executed per second.
So the program takes less time to run
How does cache improve performance
More cache means cpu faster
More space for data/instructions in cache memory.
RAM accessed less frequently
Quicker process
Accessing cache is quicker than RAM
What is a disadvantage of cache
Size is limited so it has a smaller storage than main memory
Unused instructions are replaced
How does CPU CORES help performance
More cores allow multiple programmes to run at the same time.
More FDE cycles
What is a problem with cores
Have to communicate with each other to keep everything in sync which is time consuming
Many programmes not designed to use multiple cores
What determines clock speed?
System clock
