Module 3 - Performance

Question 1

What design effort can improve the performance of a computer?
Increase the clock cycles used by the program.
Decrease the CPI
Increase the clock period
Decrease the clock rate

Answer 1

Decrease the CPI

Question 2

What formula do we use to define the performance of a computer?
  Speed = 1 / Execution Time
  Performance = Clock Period
  Performance = Execution Time
  Speed = 1 / Throughput

Answer 2

Speed = 1 / Execution Time

Question 3

What design effort can improve the performance of a computer?

Decrease the clock cycles used by the program.
Increase the CPI
Increase the clock period
Decrease the clock rate

Answer 3

Decrease the clock cycles used by the program.

Question 4

For a given program, Clock period x CPI (average clock Cycles Per Instruction) * IC (Instruction Count) = ?
Clock Period
Execution Time of the program
Average Execution time of One Instruction
Instruction Count

Answer 4

Execution Time of the program

Question 5

Which of the follow best matches this definition: The duration of one clock cycle in seconds.
  Instruction Count
  Average Cycles Per Instruction
  Clock Rate
  Clock Period
  Execution Time

Answer 5

Clock Period

Question 6

In comparing two computers, we execute a benchmark on each and measure the resulting speeds:

Computer A: 5

Computer B: 9

How many times faster is Computer B than Computer A?

Answer 6

1.8

Question 7

What design effort can improve the performance of a computer?
Increase the clock cycles used by the program.
Increase the clock period
Increase the clock rate
Increase the CPI

Answer 7

Increase the clock rate

Question 8

Which of the follow best matches this definition: The duration of one clock cycle in seconds.
  Instruction Count
  Average Cycles Per Instruction
  Clock Rate
  Clock Period
  Execution Time

Answer 8

Clock Period

Question 9

In comparing two computers, we execute a benchmark on each and measure the resulting execution times:

Computer A: 538

Computer B: 158

How many times faster is Computer B than Computer A?

Answer 9

3.4

Question 10

In comparing two computers, we execute a benchmark on each and measure the resulting execution times:

Computer A: 925

Computer B: 820

How many times faster is Computer A than Computer B?

Answer 10

.89

Question 11

A designer chooses to use a manufacturing process that increases the feature size on the processor. All else being constant, will the performance likely increase, decrease, or stay the same?
State the Same
Decrease
Increase

Answer 11

Decrease

Question 12

A designer chooses to use a manufacturing process that decreases the feature size on the processor. All else being constant, will the performance likely increase, decrease, or stay the same?
Decrease
State the Same
Increase

Answer 12

Increase

Question 13

A designer chooses to use a cheaper polymer for packaging that decreases the transfer of heat to a heat sink. All else being constant, will the performance likely increase, decrease, or stay the same?
Stay the Same
Decrease
Increase

Answer 13

Decrease

Question 14

A designer chooses to use an organization that increases the logic depth of the processor. All else being constant, will the performance likely increase, decrease, or stay the same?
Increase
Decrease
Stay the Same

Answer 14

Decrease

Question 15

A designer chooses to use a new polymer for packaging that allows the increased transfer of heat to a heat sink. All else being constant, will the performance likely increase, decrease, or stay the same?
Increase
Decrease
Stay the Same

Answer 15

Increase

Question 16

A designer chooses to use an organization that increases the logic depth of the processor. All else being constant, will the performance likely increase, decrease, or stay the same?
Stay the Same
Decrease
Increase

Answer 16

Decrease

Question 17

A designer chooses to use a new polymer for packaging that allows the increased transfer of heat to a heat sink. All else being constant, will the performance likely increase, decrease, or stay the same?
Increase
Stay the Same
Decrease

Answer 17

Increase

Question 18

A designer chooses to use an organization that decreases the logic depth of the processor. All else being constant, will the performance likely increase, decrease, or stay the same?
Decrease
Increase
Stay the Same

Answer 18

Increase

Question 19

A designer chooses to use a manufacturing process that increases the feature size on the processor. All else being constant, will the performance likely increase, decrease, or stay the same?
Decrease
Increase
State the Same

Answer 19

Decrease

Question 20

Select the items below that a designer can modify to effect propagation delay (select all that apply).
  Heat
  Clock Rate
  Processor Organization
  Manufacturing Process
  Plastic Packaging

Answer 20

Processor Organization

Manufacturing Process

Question 21

A compiler produces a program with the following mix of instructions:

Instruction Class	Count
1				21
2				51
3				30
If it is executed on a 49 MHz processor with the following Instruction Class CPIs, what is the execution time in microseconds?  Round to the nearest 0.1 microseconds.

Instruction Class CPI
1 8
2 3
3 7

Answer 21

10.8

Question 22

A compiler produces a program with the following mix of instructions:

Instruction Class	Count
1				8
2				8
3				7
If it is executed on a processor with a clock period of 4 microseconds, and the following Instruction Class CPIs, what is the execution time in microseconds?  Round to the nearest 0.1 microseconds.

Instruction Class CPI
1 7
2 6
3 4

Answer 22

528

Question 23

A compiler produces a program with the following mix of instructions:

Instruction Class	Count
1	9
2	4
3	5
If it is executed on a processor with a clock period of 5 microseconds, and the following Instruction Class CPIs, what is the execution time in microseconds?  Round to the nearest 0.1 microseconds.

Instruction Class CPI
1 9
2 10
3 5

Answer 23

730

Question 24

A compiler produces a program with the following mix of instructions:

Instruction Class	Count
1	81
2	97
3	40
If it is executed on a 6 MHz processor with the following Instruction Class CPIs, what is the execution time in microseconds?  Round to the nearest 0.1 microseconds.

Instruction Class CPI
1 1
2 8
3 2

Answer 24

156.2

Question 25

A compiler produces a program with the following mix of instructions:

Instruction Class	Count
1	7
2	5
3	4
If it is executed on a processor with a clock period of 2 microseconds, and the following Instruction Class CPIs, what is the execution time in microseconds?  Round to the nearest 0.1 microseconds.

Instruction Class CPI
1 9
2 2
3 5

Answer 25

186