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Factors That Determine The Performance of A Computer System

The three most important factors that determine the performance of a computer system are the CPU, compilers, and memory. The CPU architecture and generation affects performance, with newer generations usually performing better. Compilers that efficiently translate programs to machine language can improve performance. Memory performance is impacted by the amount of RAM, cache size, and minimizing data transfers between memory and the CPU. Other factors like processor clock rate, data bus width, and instruction set design also influence overall system performance.

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169 views

Factors That Determine The Performance of A Computer System

The three most important factors that determine the performance of a computer system are the CPU, compilers, and memory. The CPU architecture and generation affects performance, with newer generations usually performing better. Compilers that efficiently translate programs to machine language can improve performance. Memory performance is impacted by the amount of RAM, cache size, and minimizing data transfers between memory and the CPU. Other factors like processor clock rate, data bus width, and instruction set design also influence overall system performance.

Uploaded by

Samgishika
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Factors that determine the performance of a computer

system

The most important measure of the performance of a


computer system is how quickly it can execute programs. The
speed in which a computer executes programs is affected by the
design of its hardware and its machine language. These two
factors categorize the other factors which are mentioned below.

The CPU

The CPU architecture is very important the higher the generation


the better. For example because of high performance new
features, Pentium 75(fifth generation with the clock rate 75MHZ)
outperforms 80486D×100(which is the fourth generation CPU
with the clock rate 100MHZ).

Compilers

Because programs are usually written in a high level language,


performance is affected by compilers that translate programs into
machine language. That is why it is necessary to design the
compiler, the machine instruction set, and the hardware in a
coordinated way. The compiler may rearrange program
instructions to achieve better performance.

Memory
The amount of RAM really depends on your applications. Adding more RAM will speed
up the performance if you run several applications at the same time or work with large
files and documents. At the start of the execution, all program
instructions and the required data are stored in the main memory.
A program will be executed faster if the movement of instructions
and data between the main memory and the processor is
minimized, which is achieved by using the cache. The bigger the on-
chip cache size - the better, since more instructions and data can be stored on the chip,
reducing the number of times the processor has to access slower off-chip memory
areas to get data.
Processor clock

This affects the processor performance. Processor circuits are


controlled by timing signal called a clock. The clock defines
regular time intervals, called clock cycles. To execute a machine
instruction, the processor divides the action to be performed into
a sequence of basic steps, such that each step can be completed
in one clock cycle. The inverse of the clock cycle is its clock rate
which is measured in cycles per second (hertz), the higher the
clock rates the faster the processor.

Clock rate
Since any step of processing can happen only on the "tick" of the clock, the faster the
clock rate the quicker the CPU works. We can increase the clock rate by improving the
IC technology which makes the logic circuits faster which reduces the time needed to
complete a basic step

Data bus width.


80486 processors have data bus width of 32 bits wide, whereas Pentiums are 64 bit
processors, thus Pentiums can transfer twice as much data at a time compared to fourth
generation CPUs.

Instruction set

Simple instructions require a small number of basic steps to execute. Complex


instructions involve a large number of steps. For a processor that has only simple
instructions a large number of instructions may be needed to perform a given
programming task.

The basic performance equation

Suppose the average number of basic steps needed to execute one machine instruction
is S, where each basic step is completed in one clock cycle. If the clock rate is R cycles
per second, the program execution time is given by

T=N×SR

This is often referred to as the basic performance equation. The number N is the actual
number of instructions executions, and is not necessarily equal to the machine
instructions in the object program. To achieve high performance, the computer designer
must seek ways to reduce the value of T, which means reducing N and S, and
increasing R.

References:

KENYA METHODIST UNIVERSITY


Name : SAM GICHO WAMBUI

Reg No : BIT -1 -0560-2/2009

Faculty : BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT STUDIES

Department : BUSINESS

Course Code : BBIT 122

Course Name : COMPUTER ORGANIZATION

Lecturer :G. Kamau

Question : Factors that determine the performance of a


computer system
Due date :29/1/2010.

Carl.H,Zvonko.V,Safwat.Z(2002),Computer Organization,The Mcgraw-Hill


companies,Singapore Pg13-18

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