Specific knowledge required for AS and A Level:
- Candidates need to understand the differences between the CISC and RISC processors and the key features and benefits of each.
- Candidates should be aware of the relative benefits of each architecture.
- Candidates need to understand what is meant by a parallel system and the benefits and limitations of parallel processing.
- Candidates need to understand that parallel processing can be achieved through different (i.e. multiple processors in the same computer or distributed or multiple cores in a CPU or GPU).
- Candidates need to understand the benefits of a multicore system in terms of parallel processing and running multiple programs at the same time.
Specific knowledge required for A Level ONLY:
- Candidates need to understand the purpose of GPUs and what applications they are used for (candidates need to understand how GPUs are used to aid graphics, but also other applications for example their use in modeling, data mining, etc.).
- Candidates should understand the benefits and using GPUs and why they are suited to certain tasks (specialist instructions, multiple cores and SIMD processing).
Static link to the videos for this topic:
We update our flipped classroom videos from time-to-time to keep them relevant. This can be troublesome if you put links to the videos on your VLE because the hyperlink address will change with each update. The link below will take you to a static playlist for all the videos in this section that you can safely put on your VLE, ensuring you always have a path to the latest videos, and no broken links.
