1.1.2 - Types of Processor Flashcards
Name the two different types of processors.
Reduced instruction set computers (RISC) and complex instruction set computers (CISC).
Describe the features of a RISC processor.
In a RISC processor, there is a small instruction set. Each instruction is one line of machine code and takes a single clock cycle to complete.
Describe the features of a CISC processor.
In a CISC processor, there is a large instruction set and the aim is to try and accomplish tasks in as few lines as possible.
In terms of compilation time, which processor has to do less work?
In a CISC processor, the compiler has less work to translate high level code into machine code.
Which processor stores less data in RAM?
A CISC processor as the code is shorter.
Which processor is capable of supporting pipelining?
A RISC processor is capable of supporting pipelining as each instruction takes a single clock cycle.
What is a multi-core CPU?
Multi-core CPUs have multiple independent cores that can complete instructions separately which results in a higher performance.
What is a parallel system?
Instead of using multiple cores, they complete tasks using a single core by using threading.
Generally, does a multi-core system or a parallel system perform better?
A multi-core system.
What type of processor is a GPU?
A co-processor.
How does a GPU improve efficiency?
A GPU has lots of independent processors which work in parallel. This makes a GPU very efficient at completing repetitive tasks such as image processing.
