1.1.2 Types Of Processors Flashcards
What does CISC stand for?
Complex instruction set computer
What is CISC?
A more complicated and expensive processor design that can execute a series of tasks in a single complex instruction built into the hardware.
Does RISC or CISC have different sized instructions?
CISC
Does RISC or CISC have less complicated processor design making it cheaper?
RISC
Why is CISC’s processor design more expensive?
Its circuitry has more transistors making it more expensive to produce
Does RISC’s or CISC’s instructions take different times to process?
CISC
Does RISC or CISC use more power?
CISC produces more heat therefor uses more power
Does RISC or CISC have less instructions?
RISC
Why are some instructions rarely used in CISC?
Because some instruction blocks are made for certain functions which are rarely required.
What is a Graphic processing unit (GPU)?
A specialised processing unit with a huge number of small cores that allow efficient parallel computation for tasks such as computer graphics, machine learning, data mining etc.
What is an instruction set?
All the commands that the CPU can carry out, these are unique to the cpu
What is a multicore processor?
A single processor which has more than one processing unit.
Each core can independently process instructions at the same time.
Whats the postitive of a multicore system?
The system can distribute the workload across multiple CPU cores, which they can work on in parallel, achieving higher performance
What is parallel processing?
Parallel processing is when a computer carries out multiple computations simultaneously to solve a given problem
Explain why not all problems are parrellelisable?
Tasks that depend on previous tasks are not able to be done in parallel as they have to wait for the previous instruction to complete.
What is distrubuted processing?
The sharing of processing tasks between physically separated processors on a network.
What are supercomputers?
Supercomputers have multiple processors and GPUs
What can supercomputers be used for?
They can be used for things like weather forecasting and testing aircraft design
How do Folding@home and SETI@home use distributed systems?
Volunteers download the software
When their processor is inactive it is sent jobs from the central sever
Thier CPU solves the job and send back the answers to the central server
The central sever will use that answer to form part of the answer to the bigger probelm
