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The CPU
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- 1CPU speedThe CPU’s job is to fetch and execute instructions from memory.
The more instructions it can fetch in a second, the faster the processor is. - 2Clock SpeedA CPU contains a clock, which transmits a regular pulse signal
Each time the clock pulses, the processor performs a single operation.
A 2.8GHz processor does 2.8 billion clock pulses per second - 3Clock 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. By 2000, a 1GHZ (billion cycles per second) processor launched. By 2005, a 3GHz processor was available. - 4Number of coresThe most common way to increase speed nowadays is to increase the number of cores.
Each core is its own processor
A quad-core processor can do 4 operations every clock cycle - 5Number of coresThe processor needs to have the ability to divide up the operations between the cores
- 6Cache sizeThe 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. - 7Address 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. - 8Data 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.
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- Fichas sobre The CPU, creado por Ed Allen el 20/01/2020.
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- Ed Allen
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