RISC and CISC processors

Question 1

What does RISC stands for?

Answer 1

Reduced Instruction Set Computers

Question 2

What does CISC stands for?

Answer 2

Complex Instruction Set Computers

Question 3

Talk about RISC processors

Answer 3

In these processors, there is a small set of instructions, and each instruction is approximately one line of machine code, taking one clock cycle.

Question 4

Talk about CISC processors

Answer 4

In these processors. there is a large instruction set and thus tasks are executed in fewer lines of machine code with respect to using RISC instructions set thanks to the built-in hardware instructions.

Question 5

Where are CISC processor commonly used?

Answer 5

microcontrollers and embedded systems

Question 6

Pros of using RISC processors

Answer 6

Pipelining is possible since each instruction takes one clock cycle
it requires less transistors and, thus, it is smaller in size, requiring less power and generating less heat

Question 7

Pros of CISC processors

Answer 7

less RAM is required as there are less lines of code
the compiler has less work to do translate from high level code to machine code
compilers are easier to design

Question 8

Cons of RISC processors

Answer 8

More RAM is required to store code
Compiler has to do more work to translate high level code to machine code and the high level code is more likely to be complicated.

Question 9

Cons of CISC processors

Answer 9

inefficient use of space as many specialised instructions may be never or rarely used
requires more transistors and a large physical size thus requiring more power and generating more heat.