This category is about how computers process information. It is a natural extension of digital electronics, but with a more confined scope to only computing binary data.
- Describe what a CPU is.
- What is the difference between RISC and CISC architecture?
- What is a Turing Machine, and how does it relate to how we design computers?
- What is the canonical RISC 5-stage pipeline? Describe each step.
- Why do some architectures have more/less than 5 stages?
- Describe what pipelining is, and why it is important for computers.
- What is prefetching?
- Why is accessing memory so slow?
- Describe some limitations on your CPU design if you have to manufacture it into a real computer.
- AMD and Intel are 2 popular chip manufacturers. What are some difference between their CPU architectures?