Component 2 - Key Definitions

Question 1

The differences between and uses of CISC and RISC processors.

Answer 1

CISC – Complex Instruction Set, RISC – Reduced Instruction Set. CISC processors are those made by AMD and Intel, they have large instruction sets designed to make them easier to program for. However, there are downsides. Complex instructions take more cycles to execute and the CPU’s are usually more power hungry and produce more heat
RISC CPU’s are those found usually in phones such as those made by Apple, ARM, Snapdragon etc. They have the advantage that each instruction usually takes one cycle to execute, they consume low amounts of power and produce less heat. However, they are have the disadvantage of fewer instructions, meaning more may be needed to carry out similar tasks than on CISC processors

Question 2

GPUs and their uses (including those not related to graphics).

Answer 2

Graphics Processors are highly optimised to perform calculations in parallel on large amounts of data. Other than making them ideal for generating graphics, this also makes them suitable for scientific research, medical research, cryptography and cryptocurrency applications.

Question 3

Multicore and Parallel systems

Answer 3

A core is a discrete processing unit inside a CPU – The more cores a CPU has, the more instructions can be executed simultaneously. Has a direct impact on the multitasking ability of a CPU
Parallel systems are those that are optimised for running multiple tasks simultaneously.