registers question
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Rob Philpott wrote:
I think the term CPU is somewhat antiquated, from the days when you did have a central processing unit. Now we have lots of them and they are known as cores.
In my observation, your usage of "core" isn't quite right. My understanding is that a machine can have multiple CPUs and a CPU can have multiple cores. What distinguishes a core from a CPU is use of common cache, and ability to synchronize a subset of memory operations. A room full of compute servers is not a single CPU. In 2007, I purchased a machine that contained 2 dual core CPUs. To be fair, this is still vague and the terminology needs some polishing.
I'm retired. There's a nap for that... - Harvey
I wouldn't argue with that, but I think it hangs on interpretation. I tend not to use the term CPU any more, rather just 'processor'. 2 Processors with 4 cores each. For me, having two CPUs doesn't sound right as they can't both be central (arguably...) and I think the term belongs in the era where there was just one 'central' processor. I think the problem arises because people use them differently. A CPU could be a collection of processors (chips), a single processor (chip) or a core (sub-chip). What's the CPU in one of those mega-computers with thousands of cores, I wonder...
Regards, Rob Philpott.