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Definition
| An internal communications pathway inside a computer that specifies the source and target address for memory reads and writes. It is measured by the number of bits of information it can carry. |
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Definition
| A significant number of features from an older chip can function on a newer chip. |
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| A path or channel between a computer’s CPU and the devices it manages, such as memory and disk storage. |
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Definition
| Internal computer hardware that manages the data going into and loaded from the computer’s cache memory. |
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| Special computer memory that temporarily stores data used by the CPU. It is physically close to the CPU, and is faster than standard system memory, enabling faster retrieval and processing time. |
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Term
| Complex Instruction Set Computing (CISC) |
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Definition
| A computer CPU architecture in which processor components are reconfigured to conduct different operations as required. |
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Definition
| An internal communications pathway that keeps the CPU informed of the status of particular computer resources and devices, such as memory and disk drives. |
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Definition
| The part of a processor used to read and execute instructions. |
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Definition
| An internal communications pathway that allows computer components, such as the CPU, display adapter, and main memory, to share information. |
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Definition
| First-level cache in a XEON CPU that stores decoded instructions and delivers them to the processor at high speed. |
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Term
| Explicitly Parallel Instruction Computing (EPIC) |
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Definition
| A computer CPU architecture that grew out of the RISC-based architecture, and enables the processor to work faster by performing several operations at once, predicting and speculating about operations that will come next (so that they are even completed before requested). |
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Definition
| The speed at which the processor communicates with the memory and other devices in the computer; usually one-fourth to one-half the internal clock speed. |
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Definition
| An Intel multithreading technology that enables a single processor to appear to the operating system as two separate processors, in which multiple threads of software applications are run simultaneously on one processor. |
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Definition
| In a computer CPU, the group of commands the processor recognizes. |
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Definition
| The speed at which the CPU executes internal commands, measured in megahertz or gigahertz. |
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Definition
| A request to the processor so that a currently operating process, such as a read from a disk drive, can be interrupted by another process, such as a write into memory. |
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Definition
| Cache memory that is part of the CPU hardware. |
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Definition
| Cache memory that, in most computer CPU designs, is located on hardware separate from, but close to, the CPU. |
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Definition
| Cache memory that is located on a chip, which is separate from, but close to the CPU, when L1 and L2 cache are both already built into the CPU. |
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Definition
| A module optimized to perform complex math calculations. Early system architectures have a processor and an optional slot for this. |
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Term
| Multimedia Extension (MMX) |
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Definition
| A CPU design that permits the processor to manage certain multimedia operations—graphics, for example—faster and more directly. |
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Definition
| A computer that uses more than one CPU. |
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Definition
| Running several program processes or parts (threads) at the same time. |
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Definition
| A CPU design that permits the processor to operate on one instruction at the same time it is fetching one or more subsequent instructions from the operating system or application. |
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Term
| Reduced Instruction Set Computing (RISC) |
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Definition
| A computer CPU design that dedicates processor hardware components to certain functions. This design reduces the number and complexity of required instructions and, in many cases, results in faster performance than CISC CPUs. |
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Term
| single-processor computer |
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Definition
| A computer capable of supporting only a single CPU. |
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Term
| Streaming SIMD Extensions |
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Definition
| Single-instruction, multiple-data stream processing for enhanced multimedia. |
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Term
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Definition
| The computer hardware design that includes the processor (CPU), and communication routes between the CPU and the hardware it manages, such as memory and disk storage. |
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Term
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Definition
| Used to hold data or programming code in a computer. The size varies among computers. |
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