Factors that affect processing performance Flashcards

1
Q

Name the 6 things that affect processing performance.

A

Clock Speed, Number of Cores, type and size of Cache Memory, Word Length, Address Bus Width, Data Bus Width

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2
Q

How does Clock speed affect processing performance?

A
  • The faster the clock speed the more cycles the CPU executes per second.
  • However if the clock speed is too high it can damage the CPU
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3
Q

How does Cache Memory affect processing performance?

A

Cache memory can be accessed faster than main memory because it sits close to the processor.

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4
Q

How does Word Length affect processing performance?

A

It improves performance as more bits of data can be handled in a second.

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5
Q

How does Address Bus Width affect processing performance?

A

-The larger the width of the address bus the more memory locations can be accessed, in one trip

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6
Q

How does Data Bus width affect processing performance?

A

-The larger the width of the data bus the more data can be carried in one fetch operation so it increases processor speed

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7
Q

How does the number of cores affect processing performance?

A
  • Increasing the number of cores gives the computer more power to process multiple programs simultaneously.
  • It can process more instructions per second if multiple programs are running.
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8
Q

In what case may a computer with multiple cores be slower than a computer with one core?

A

If only one program is being run and the computer with one core runs at a faster rate than the computer with multiple cores then the computer with one core will be able to complete the task quicker.

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9
Q

What is word length?

A

The number of bits the CPU can process simultaneously

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