Types of Processors

Question 1

What does RISC mean

Answer 1

Reduced Instruction Set Computer

Question 2

What does CISC mean

Answer 2

Complex Instruction Set Computer

Question 3

Describe RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computing) and CISC (Complex Instruction Set Computing)

Answer 3

CISC has more addressing modes

Question 4

What devices are RISC and CISC usually used in

Answer 4

• RISC - everyday devices
• CISC - embedded systems and microprocessors

Question 5

What is a graphics processing unit (GPU)

Answer 5

A co-processor made up of lots of independent processors

Question 6

How are GPU’s specialised for their job

Answer 6

GPU’s have a massively parallel architecture consisting of thousands of smaller, more efficient cores designed for handling multiple tasks simultaneously

Question 7

What are GPUs used for

Answer 7

Very efficient at completing repetitive tasks such as image processing, machine learning and financial transactions

Question 8

What is the main difference between a CPU and GPU

Answer 8

• A CPU has a few cores and is designed for general sequential processing
• GPUs has a massively parallel architecture consisting of thousands of smaller, more efficient cores designed for handling multiple tasks simultaneously

Question 9

What are multi-core systems

Answer 9

Systems that have multiple independent cores that complete separate fetch-execute cycles

Question 10

What are parallel systems

Answer 10

Systems where multiple instructions can be completed simultaneously without multi-cores, instead using techniques like pipelining and threading