1.1.2 - CPU Performance
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Name the three characteristics that affect processor performance
Clock speed, number of cores and cache size
What is L1 cache?
Cache that has an extremely fast transfer rate, but is expensive so is usually small in capacity L1 cache holds the most frequently used instructions and data
What is L2 cache?
Cache that has a larger capacity than L1 cache but has slower transfer rates. L2 cache holds instructions and data that aren’t needed as frequently
Explains how different amounts of cache affect the processors performance
The larger the cache size, the less time a processor has to wait for instructions to be fetched. This is because it is faster to transfer data to and from cache than to and from RAM This leads to increased processor performance.
What is a core in the CPU?
A core is a processing unit in the CPU that can do its own fetch-decode-execute cycle
Explain how different numbers of cores affect a processor’s performance
An increased number of cores allows more simultaneous instructions to be processed. This improves the efficiency of the CPU
What is the purpose of a clock in the CPU?
The clock sends out electrical impulses to keep all the components working in time
What is clockspeed?
The speed of the clock. It is the number of fetch-decode-execute cycles that can run per second. Measures in Hertz
Explain how an increased clockspeed will affect the processor’s performance
An increased clockspeed is called over clocking. This allows more cycles to be execute and means more instructions can be processed over time. However, it will damage the CPU quicker than normal long term as it is working harder and heating up more.
Why may a computer with more cores not be faster than a computer with less cores
• The lower core computer may have a higher clock speed - more FDE cycles per second • Not all software supports multicore processing • Some tasks can’t be split evenly across the cores so only one core may be used for an instruction • Cache size and amount of RAM can also affect the performance of the system