5 Questions
In computer architecture, what is multithreading and how does it differ from multiprocessing?
Multithreading is the ability of a CPU to provide multiple threads of execution concurrently, sharing the resources of a single or multiple cores. This differs from multiprocessing, where multiple complete processing units are included in one or more cores.
What resources do threads share in a multithreaded application?
Threads in a multithreaded application share resources such as computing units, CPU caches, and the translation lookaside buffer (TLB).
How does multithreading aim to increase utilization of a single core?
Multithreading aims to increase utilization of a single core by using thread-level parallelism, as well as instruction-level parallelism.
Why has the multithreading paradigm become more popular since the late 1990s?
Efforts to further exploit instruction-level parallelism have stalled, allowing the concept of throughput computing to re-emerge. Most computer systems are multitasking among multiple threads or programs, and techniques that improve the throughput of all tasks result in overall performance gains.
What is the relationship between multithreading and multiprocessing in modern systems architectures?
In modern systems architectures, the two techniques are complementary and are combined in nearly all systems with multiple multithreading CPUs and with CPUs with multiple multithreading cores.
Test your knowledge of computer architecture with this quiz on multithreading. Explore the concept of concurrent execution, thread sharing, and the differences between multithreading and multiprocessing.
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