Computer architecture

Question 1

What is the average annual growth in processor performance prior to the mid-1980s?

Answer 1

22% per year, doubling performance every 3.5 years

Question 2

What architectural ideas contributed to the increase in growth to about 52% starting in 1986?

Answer 2

More advanced architectural and organizational ideas typified in RISC architectures

Question 3

What happened to uniprocessor performance from 2003 until 2011?

Answer 3

Slowed to 23% per year

Question 4

What was the annual improvement in processor performance from 2011 to 2015?

Answer 4

Less than 12%, doubling every 8 years

Question 5

What is the annual improvement in processor performance since 2015?

Answer 5

3.5% per year, doubling every 20 years

Question 6

What is the performance-centric design approach in computing architectures?

Answer 6

Focus on tools and techniques like shared memory architecture, cache memory hierarchy, pipelined execution, and more

Question 7

What are the classes of computers classified by functionality?

Answer 7

• Personal Mobile Devices (PMDs)
• Desktop computers
• Servers
• Cluster/warehouse scale computers
• Embedded computers

Question 8

What are the key features of servers in computing?

Answer 8

• Availability
• Scalability
• Throughput

Question 9

What is Flynn’s Taxonomy?

Answer 9

A classification proposed by Micheal Flynn in 1966 based on instruction and data streams

Question 10

What are the four classes of Flynn’s Taxonomy?

Answer 10

• Single instruction stream, single data stream (SISD)
• Single instruction stream, multiple data streams (SIMD)
• Multiple instruction streams, single data stream (MISD)
• Multiple instruction streams, multiple data streams (MIMD)

Question 11

What does RISC stand for?

Answer 11

Reduced Instruction Set Computing

Question 12

What is a key characteristic of RISC architecture?

Answer 12

Small and simple instruction set

Question 13

What does CISC stand for?

Answer 13

Complex Instruction Set Computing

Question 14

Fill in the blank: RISC architecture reduces the cycles per instruction while ______ architecture reduces the number of instructions per program.

Answer 14

CISC

Question 15

What is the main execution cycle characteristic of RISC?

Answer 15

Single-cycle execution

Question 16

What is meant by ‘Load/Store Architecture’ in RISC?

Answer 16

Only load and store instructions can access memory; all other instructions operate on registers

Question 17

What is a significant advantage of having a large number of registers in RISC?

Answer 17

Reduces the need to access slower main memory

Question 18

What does pipelining refer to in RISC architecture?

Answer 18

A technique that allows multiple instructions to be processed simultaneously at different stages

Question 19

List three common characteristics of RISC.

Answer 19

• Small instruction set
• Large number of registers
• High instruction throughput

Question 20

What is the significance of compiler optimization in RISC architecture?

Answer 20

RISC relies heavily on optimizing compilers to generate efficient code

Question 21

True or False: RISC architectures typically avoid complex, specialized instructions.

Answer 21

True

Question 22

What are some examples of RISC architectures?

Answer 22

• ARM
• MIPS
• SPARC
• PowerPC

Question 23

What is the primary goal of RISC architecture in terms of instruction execution?

Answer 23

Optimized for speed

Question 24

What does RISC stand for?

Answer 24

Reduced Instruction Set Computer

RISC architectures focus on a small set of simple instructions.

Question 25

What is a common characteristic of RISC architectures?

Answer 25

Small Instruction Set ## Footnote RISC architectures have fewer instructions compared to CISC architectures.

Question 26

What is meant by Single-Cycle Execution in RISC?

Answer 26

Most instructions complete in one clock cycle ## Footnote This characteristic allows for faster execution of instructions.

Question 27

What is Load/Store Architecture?

Answer 27

Only load/store instructions access memory; other instructions operate on registers ## Footnote This approach minimizes memory access and enhances performance.

Question 28

What is the significance of a Large Register Set in RISC?

Answer 28

Many general-purpose registers to minimize memory access ## Footnote The abundance of registers reduces the need to access slower memory.

Question 29

How does Efficient Pipelining benefit RISC architectures?

Answer 29

Instructions are optimized for pipelining, allowing high throughput ## Footnote Pipelining enables multiple instruction phases to occur simultaneously.

Question 30

Describe Simple Addressing Modes in RISC.

Answer 30

Limited and straightforward memory addressing modes ## Footnote Simplicity in addressing makes instruction execution faster and easier.

Question 31

What role do compilers play in RISC architectures?

Answer 31

Relies on compilers for efficient instruction scheduling and optimization ## Footnote Compilers optimize the use of available instructions and registers.

Question 32

What is the function of Microcode in RISC?

Answer 32

Executes instructions directly in hardware without needing microcode ## Footnote This reduces the complexity and overhead of instruction execution.

Question 33

How does High Instruction Throughput affect RISC performance?

Answer 33

High-speed instruction execution due to pipelining and load/store architecture ## Footnote This characteristic allows RISC processors to handle more instructions in a given time.

Question 34

What is the benefit of a Uniform Instruction Format in RISC?

Answer 34

Fixed-length instructions make decoding simpler and faster ## Footnote Uniformity in instruction length enhances the efficiency of the CPU's instruction decoding process.

Question 35

True or False: RISC architectures typically have more complex instructions than CISC architectures.

Answer 35

False ## Footnote RISC architectures focus on a smaller set of simpler instructions.

Question 36

Fill in the blank: RISC architectures are characterized by _______.

Answer 36

[a small instruction set] ## Footnote This characteristic is fundamental to the RISC design philosophy.