Next Generation Computer Architecture: Important Questions

Computer Organization and Architecture

Chapter 6: Next Generation Computer Architecture

Important Questions

1.What is a multicore processor ?

2. Why do modern systems prefer multicore processors instead of increasing clock speed?

3.Explain the classification of multicore architectures.

4.What is the difference between logical and physical cores?

5.What is a shared bus in multicore processors?

6.What is cache coherence?

7. What do UMA and NUMA stand for?

8. Define hyperthreading.

9. Explain hyperthreading architecture.

10. What is a classic multiprocessor system?

11. What is a true multicore processor?

12. Discuss the architecture and advantages of true multicore processor systems.

13. List any two advantages of multicore processors.

14. What are the challenges of multicore design?

15. What do you mean by superscalar processor?

16. List the issues which must be considered in implementation of superscaler processor.

17. Discuss various instruction issue policies.

18. What is register renaming?

19. What is the concept of Very Long Instruction Word (VLIW) architecture?

20. Explain the role of the compiler in VLIW execution.

21. Describe the major components of a VLIW processor architecture.

22. List and explain the core features of VLIW processors.

23. Compare VLIW and superscalar architectures.

24. State the advantages of VLIW architecture.

25. State the disadvantages of VLIW architecture.

26. State the applications of VLIW architecture.

27. What is a multicore system?

28. Explain the architecture and working of a multicore processor. How do multiple cores execute instructions in parallel?

29. Describe the four multicore cache organizations with examples of processors using each.

30. What are the key advantages of using shared L2 or shared L3 caches in multicore processors ?

31. State and explain the major advantages and disadvantages of multicore systems.

32. What is a multiprocessor system?

33. List and explain the advantages and disadvantages of multiprocessor systems.

34. Compare multicore and multiprocessor systems.

35. What is GPU?

36. State key features of GPU.

37. Explain the GPU architecture.

38. Give comparison between CPU and GPU.

39. What is CUDA, and how does it enable general‒purpose computing on GPUs (GPGPU)?

40. State various features of CUDA.

41. How does CUDA organize threads into a hierarchical structure for efficient parallel execution?

42. What are the different memory types in CUDA, and how do they impact performance?

43. What are the main components of CUDA architecture, and what are their roles?

44. How does CUDA optimize memory access through shared memory, texture memory, and load/store units?

45. Compare the key features of NVIDIA G80 and GT200 architectures in terms of CUDA capabilities.

46. What is the role of the CUDA programming model in bridging the gap between applications and GPU hardware?

47. How does CUDA handle memory management between the host (CPU) and the device (GPU)?

48. What are the three main steps involved in running a CUDA program?

49. How is a CUDA kernel different from a regular C/C++ function in terms of execution?

50. What is the hierarchical thread organization in CUDA, and how does it optimize parallel processing?

51. What are the different types of CUDA memory?

52. How does CUDA handle thread cooperation and memory sharing within blocks?

53. Explain the process of kernel execution.

54. What are some real‒world applications of CUDA in high‒performance computing?

55. Lists the benefits of CUDA.

56. What are the primary limitations of CUDA?

57. What is ANN?

58. What is the need for specialized hardware for ANN processing?

59. What is an NPU?

60. Explain the key characteristics of the NPU.

61. Give a comparison between NPU, CPU and GPU.

62. State the applications of NPU.

63. Name some major companies developing NPUs and explain how they integrate NPUs into their products.

64. Explain the concept of AI Processing Chips (AI PCs).

65. What are the specialized hardware components used in AI PCs

66. Why is specialized hardware required for AI processing? Discuss the limitations of traditional CPUs and how AI PCs overcome them.

67. State the major benefits of AI PCs.

68. List the commonly used AI processing chips.

69. Explain the major application areas of AI PCs.

70. Explain the concept of Next Generation Processors.

71. Why have traditional processors become insufficient for modern computing workloads ?

72. Describe the heterogeneous architecture of next generation processors.

73. What is on‒device AI acceleration?

74. Explain how integrated NPUs enable edge AI applications.

75. With suitable examples describe the key components of next generation processors and discuss their major application areas.