FPU, System Bus, Cash Memory
Monday, September 6th, 2010Q: What is FPU ?
A: FPU, it is a Floating Point Unit. And better to say, it is the block making operations with a floating point (often speak as a comma) or the mathematical coprocessor. FPU helps the basic processor to carry out mathematical operations over material numbers. Here it is necessary to specify that at first it was applied optionally, as the additional processor. Directly in crystal of processor the FPU was integrated for the first time in 1989 (processor Intel 80486).
Q: What is System Bus?
A: System Bus (FSB = Front Side Bus or System Bus) serves for the communication of the processor with other computer. The processor has two frequencies: internal and external. Internal, it is which is its basic characteristic. External frequency, is frequency of work of the system bus. For Pentium 3 frequencies of the system bus in 100 and 133Mhz were characteristic. At the first Pentium 4 real frequency of the bus makes 100Mhz, but is transferred four packages of the data for a step, i.e. Speed of data transmission has turned out as at 400Mhz. A resultant (effective) frequency in that case – 400Mhz, at 133MHz FSB – accordingly already 533Mhz, and at 200MHz – 800MHz. At Athlons transfer goes on both fronts of a signal, as a result effective speed doubles. Also the system bus is a basis for formation of frequency of other buses of data transmission of the computer – AGP, memory, PCI, by multiplication to certain factor. For the inquiry – the frequency of the bus PCI – 33MHz, AGP 1x – 66MHz, AGP 2x accordingly 133 MHz and so on. For example, at FSB 100 MHz frequency PCI is formed by multiplication FSB on 1/3. Though there are also exceptions – a chipset nVidia nForce2, where the given frequencies (PCI/AGP) are tacked separately.
Q: For what is necessary the cache memory of the processor ?
A: Modern processors work faster, than memory (besides – various “blocks” of processors work on various frequency (speed)), and in due course rupture between these speeds becomes more and more. The more slower the memory, the more processor has to wait for new data from it and to do nothing. In a memory cache there are machine words (it is possible to name them the data) which are used by the processor more often. If it needs any word at first it addresses to a memory cache. Only if there is not there, it addresses to the basic memory.
There is a localization principle on which into a cache together with a word demanded at present are loaded as well the words next to it , because there is a high probability that they will be necessary in the near future. In modern desktop processors exist two levels of cache-memory (for servers exists processors with the third level of a cache, it also has P4 Extreme Edition).
The cache of the first level (Level 1 = L1) is usually halved, half is allocated for the data, and other half under instructions. The cache of the second level (Level 2 = L2) intends only for the data. Throughput of operative memory is certainly high, but the cache memory works several times faster. At old processors (Pentium, K6, etc.) microcircuits of cache L2 were on the motherboard. Speed of work of a cache thus was enough low (equaled to frequency FSB), but it was enough.
Normal at present is considered to be the volume of cache L2 512Kb for Pentium 4, and 256Kb for Athlon ?? (though processors on kernel Barton also have 512Kb). In some cases the big cache is rather useful (games, 3D-renering, work with databases). However on the one hand, the more the cache, the better, but on the other hand, with the cache increase g increases sample time (search and extraction) the data from it. Though the increase in cache L2, despite it, almost always gives (different in size) a gain on speed.
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