topic Re: The moderns Intel processors like a i7 or i9 has what kind of instruction set? RISC or CISC? in Mobile and Desktop Processors

The moderns Intel processors like a i7 or i9 has what kind of instruction set? RISC or CISC?

GFERN15 — Sat, 04 Apr 2020 07:07:25 GMT

I'm a student and this question arrised on a class and generate a controversy discuss.

These terms RISC and CISC are still used in moderns processors?

Thank you for your help!

n_scott_pearson — Sat, 04 Apr 2020 09:04:08 GMT

They are CISC devices.

...S

AlHill — Sat, 04 Apr 2020 09:06:41 GMT

Is there even a modern day RISC?

Doc

AlHill — Sat, 04 Apr 2020 09:30:48 GMT

This has me thinking - I wrote an article back in 1989 titled "CISC vs. RISC".

The companies involved in such a RISCy venture back then were:

Advanced Micro Devices, Inc

Intel Corporation

MIPS Computer Systems

Motorola, Incorporated

Sun Microsystems, Incorporated

Inmos Limited

VLSI Technology, Incorporated

Harris Semiconductor

I kept the original draft but not the magazine it appeared in. It was either "Workstation News", "Focus", or "DG Review".

Doc

AlHill — Sat, 04 Apr 2020 09:53:40 GMT

Some thoughts to generate more controversy.

Some of the RISC machines back then were AMD 29000, Intel 80960, Mips R2000/R3000, Motorola 88000, and Sun SPARC.

Should a RISC machine be cache and register rich?

Would a program on a RISC machine be 3 to 4 times larger than the same program on a CISC machine?

Consider the 88000 using 32 registers and scoreboarding, while the 29000 had 192 registers and no scoreboarding.

What about program portability and performance between different RISC machines?

Just some points to cause more controversy and upset the professor.<G>

Doc