1.1.2 Types of processor

Complex instruction set computers.

Reduced instruction set computers.

Using a large instruction set, CISC sets out to accomplish tasks in a few lines of assembly language as possible.

Using only simple instructions that take a single clock cycle to execute, RISC can use pipelining to increase speed.

RISC has a smaller instruction set.

RISC has less complex circuitry and thus uses fewer transistors which means it requires less power.

Since instructions all take a single clock cycle to complete pipelining can be implemented to increase speed.

Since the code is relatively short, only a small amount of ram is required to store the instructions.

An extra processor used to supplement the functions of the primary processor.

A specialised electronic circuit which is very efficient in manipulating computer graphics and image processing.

To render models.

a GPU has a massively parallel architecture consisting of thousands of smaller efficient cores designed to handle multiple tasks at once.

Processing large blocks of visual data simultaneously.

Machine learning, oil exploration and financial transactions.

Each core acts as a separate processing unit so distributing a workload over multiple cores achieve significantly higher performance as opposed to a single core.

Because improvements in performance gained by using a multi-core system are dependant on the software being able to take advantage of parallel processing capabilities.

A mode of operation where a process is split into parts which are executed simultaneously on different cores within a CPU.