Cambridge AS & A Level Computer Science
15.1Processors, parallel processing and virtual machines
Processors, parallel processing and virtual machines in Cambridge AS & A Level Computer Science: what the syllabus expects you to know, the learning objectives and how to practise.
Subtopic67 practice questions3 lessons
Learning objectives
What the syllabus expects you to be able to do.
- 15.1.1Compare RISC and CISC processors, including interrupt handling and the use of pipelining and registers.
- 15.1.2Describe the four basic computer architectures (SISD, SIMD, MISD, MIMD) and massively parallel computers.
- 15.1.3Explain virtual machines, with their benefits and limitations.
Lessons
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Parallel processing and computer architectures
40 min
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RISC and CISC processors and pipelining
45 min
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Virtual machines
35 min
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Sample question
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