System Architecture

System Architecture

1. Keywords

   • Processor
   • Hertz
   • Instruction
   • MHz
   • GHz
   • Execute
   • Embedded system
   • Clock speed
   • Cache
   • Core

2. What affects a computer performance

   • Cache Size
     • Cache Size. The size of the cache normally refers actually to the size of the data store, where the memory elements are actually stored. A typical PC level 2 cache is either 256 KB or 512 KB, but can be as small as 64 KB on older machines, or as high as 1 MB or even 2 MB.
   • Core Size
     • A core is usually the basic computation unit of the CPU - it can run a single program context (or multiple ones if it supports hardware threads such as hyperthreading on Intel CPUs), maintaining the correct program state, registers, and correct execution order, and performing the operations through ALUs.
   • Clock Speed
     • Also called clock rate, the speed at which a microprocessor executes instructions. Every computer contains an internal clock that regulates the rate at which instructions are executed and synchronizes all the various computer components. The CPU requires a fixed number of clock ticks (or clock cycles) to execute each instruction. The faster the clock, the more instructions the CPU can execute per second.

3. Moore's Law

   • Moore's Law is the observation that the number of transistors on a dense integrated circuit doubles approximately every two years
   • The observation is named after Gordon Moore
   • Heuristic Law stating that the number of transitions on a circuit doubles every two years

4. CPU

   • Central Processing Unit. The CPU (Central Processing Unit) is the part of a computer system that is commonly referred to as the "brains" of a computer. The CPU is also known as the processor or microprocessor. The CPU is responsible for executing a sequence of stored instructions called a program.