Flashcards

the cpu

Will Aitkens Computing GCSE English 5 cards

Cards in this deck (5)

1clock speedFor many years clock speed was the headline figure for processors.
Processors kept getting faster by increasing the clock speed
In the 90’s clock speed was measured in MHz (millions of clock cycles per second)
By 2000, a 1GHZ (billion cycles per second) processor launched. By 2005, a 3GHz processor was available.
2cache sizeThe last way to increase processor speed is by giving it a bigger cache
The cache is the data storage space within the processor.
The cache can contain frequently used instructions and data.
Having a large cache means the processor doesn’t have to keep requesting data from memory, saving time.
3address bus widthThe bus width is how many bits of data can be transferred along a bus in one go.
A 64-bit address bus means that more RAM can be used, as higher addresses can be represented.
4data bus widthA 64 bit bus width can transfer twice as many bits of data in one cycle than a 32 bit bus, meaning less time waiting for data.
Software must be optimised for 64 bit busses for this to work.
5summary

Description: GCSE Computing Flashcards on the cpu, created by Will Aitkens on 20/01/2020.
Created by: Will Aitkens
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