CPU vs. GPU
Both are processors for specific domains.
| CPU | GPU | |
|---|---|---|
| Core number | One up to a few | Huge number |
| Clock time | Higher | Lower |
| Instruction set | More complex | Less complex |
| Domains | General-purpose computing | Rendering, Big data, Machine learning |
| Examples | Intel Core, AMD Ryzen | AMD Radeon, NVIDIA GeForce |
A CPU is like having a few PhDs. A GPU is like having an army of kindergarteners. Want to calculate complex math? Hand it to the PhDs. Want to draw color by numbers? Hand it to the kindergarteners.
CISC vs. RISC
Both are instruction set architectures (ISA).
| CISC | RISC | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of instructions | Less | More |
| Complexity of instructions | Higher | Lower |
| Instruction size | Variable | Fixed |
| Instruction execution time | ≥ One clock cycle | One clock cycle |
| Code size | Smaller | Larger |
| RAM consumption | Lower | Higher |
| Typical manufacturer | AMD / Intel | ARM |
| Typical devices | Desktop computers | Mobile devices |
Usually with a RISC processor the physical size is smaller and the power consumption is lower, than with a CISC processor.
32-bit vs. 64-bit
They are both processor architectures.
| 32-bit | 64-bit | |
|---|---|---|
| Register/Integer size | 32 bit | 64 bit |
| Addressable space | 232 | 264 |
| Example architecture | x86 (created by Intel) | x64 (created by AMD) |