factors affecting the cpu

Question 1

Clock speed

Answer 1

The clock speed is determined by the ​system clock​. This is an electronic device which generates signals​, switching between 0 and 1.

All processor activities begin on a clock pulse, and each CPU operation starts as the clock changes from 0 to 1. The clock speed is the time taken for one clock cycle to complete.

Question 1

Number of cores

Answer 1

A core is an ​independent processor​ that is able to run its own fetch-execute cycle. A computer with multiple cores can complete ​more than one​ fetch-execute cycle at any given time.

A computer with dual cores can theoretically complete tasks ​twice as fast​ as a computer with a single core. However, not all programs are able to utilise multiple cores efficiently as they have not been designed to do so, so this is not always possible.

Question 2

Amount and type of Cache Memory

Answer 2

Cache memory is the ​CPU’s​ ​onboard memory​. Instructions fetched from main memory are copied to the cache, so if required again, they can be accessed quicker. As cache fills up, unused instructions are replaced.