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Factors affecting CPU performance
Explain how each of these factors affects CPU performance.
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Marking points
- 1 Explains one creditworthy clock speed effect.
- 2 Explains a second creditworthy clock speed effect.
- 3 Explains one creditworthy processor core effect.
- 4 Explains a second creditworthy processor core effect.
- 5 Explains one creditworthy cache size effect.
- 6 Explains a second creditworthy cache size effect.
Full-mark answer
A higher clock speed gives more clock pulses per second, so more instructions can start each second. More processor cores can allow more instructions to be executed at the same time, especially where software can split work across cores. A larger cache can hold more frequently used instructions and data close to the CPU, so the CPU can access them faster than from main memory.
Why this answer loses marks
Lists clock speed, cores and cache but gives no effect for any of them.
The command is explain, so each named factor needs a causal link to CPU performance.