Systems architecture - AQAFactors affecting CPU performance
Computer systems are a combination of both hardware and software working together. Hardware is the physical components of a computer and software is the programs that run on a computer.
Even though today's CPU/processorCentral processing unit - the brain of the computer that processes program instructions. are tremendously fast, their performance can be affected by a number of factors:
clock speedThe speed of a computer's CPU, measured in hertz. This indicates the number of fetch-decode-execute cycles that can run per second.
cache memoryA piece of temporary memory. It can refer to a part of the RAM, storage disk, CPU, or an area for storing web pages. size
number of coreA processing unit within a CPU. CPUs can have multiple cores.
Clock speed
Clock speed is the number of pulses the central processing unit's (CPU) clockA component of the CPU that sends out regular pulses. Its job is to synchronise the computer's hardware components. generates per second. It is measured in hertzThe unit of frequency, symbol 'Hz'. 1 Hz is 1 wave or cycle per second..
CPU clocks can sometimes be sped up slightly by the user. This process is known as overclocking. The more pulses per second, the more fetchRetrieve data from memory.-decodeInterpret an instruction.-executeCarry out an instruction. cycles that can be performed and the more instructions that are processed in a given space of time. Overclocking can cause long term damage to the CPU as it is working harder and producing more heat.
Cache size
Cache is a small amount of high-speed RAMRandom access memory. This is volatile memory that is constantly being written to and read from. It does not retain its contents without a constant supply of power. When a computer is turned off, everything stored in its RAM is lost. built directly within the processor. It is used to temporarily hold dataUnits of information. In computing there can be different data types, including integers, characters and Boolean. Data is often acted on by instructions. and instructionA single action that can be performed by a computer processor. that the processor is likely to reuse.
The bigger its cache, the less time a processor has to wait for instructions to be fetched.
Number of cores
A processing unit within a CPU is known as a core. Each core is capable of fetching, decoding and executing its own instructions.
The more cores a CPU has, the greater the number of instructions it can process in a given space of time. Many modern CPUs are dual (two) or quad (four) core processors. This provides vastly superior processing power compared to CPUs with a single core.