microarchitecture
CPU internal design
Microarchitecture is the specific internal design of a computer processor—how its components are organized and connected to execute instructions.
Different processors may share the same instruction set but differ in microarchitecture, affecting speed, power consumption, and efficiency: Intel's latest microarchitecture promises 15% better performance.
The term distinguishes hardware implementation from the abstract architecture it realizes.
Long-distance fluid transport tube
- out-of-orderNonfunctional or misordered
- decodeConvert from cipher
- dispatchSend with speed
- executeCarry out fully
stall · flush · microcode · prefetch · rename · retirement · commit
Processing rate over time
- latencyDelay in system response
- bottleneckConstriction limiting throughput
- parallelismMatching structural elements
- efficiencyProductive without waste
bandwidth · speculation · workload · benchmark · optimization · scalability · frequency · utilization
Partial electrical conductor
- waferThin crisp disk
- nanometerMetric unit, billion-fold smaller
- dieStop being alive
- photolithographyLight-transfers patterns onto silicon
etching · doping · silicon · substrate · Intel · Samsung · foundry · yield
Concealed storage spot
- write-backReply to correspondence
- evictionForced departure from rental
- coherenceLogical internal consistency
- inclusionBeing made part
L1 · exclusion · scratchpad
Semiconductor signal switch
- gateHinged barrier in fence
- registerRecord officially; vocal range
- bufferProtective intermediate space
- latchDoor-securing catch
flip-flop · multiplexer · decoder · encoder · adder · comparator · ALU · bus
Simplified technical diagram
- floorplanOverhead architectural diagram
- synthesisCombining parts into whole
- verificationProving something accurate
- simulationImitation of real processes
pipeline
Long-distance fluid transport tube
- out-of-orderNonfunctional or misordered
- decodeConvert from cipher
- dispatchSend with speed
execute · stall · flush · microcode · prefetch · rename · retirement · commit
throughput
Processing rate over time
- latencyDelay in system response
- bottleneckConstriction limiting throughput
- parallelismMatching structural elements
efficiency · bandwidth · speculation · workload · benchmark · optimization · scalability · frequency · utilization
semiconductor
Partial electrical conductor
photolithography · etching · doping · silicon · substrate · Intel · Samsung · foundry · yield · lithography
cache
Concealed storage spot
- write-backReply to correspondence
- evictionForced departure from rental
- coherenceLogical internal consistency
L1 · inclusion · exclusion · scratchpad
transistor
Semiconductor signal switch
- gateHinged barrier in fence
- registerRecord officially; vocal range
- bufferProtective intermediate space
latch · flip-flop · multiplexer · decoder · encoder · adder · comparator · ALU · bus · interconnect
schematic
Simplified technical diagram
- floorplanOverhead architectural diagram
- synthesisCombining parts into whole
- verificationProving something accurate
simulation · layout · HDL · sign-off
microarchitecturesoftware architecture
Program structure and components
operating system · firmware · system software · virtual machine