Hyper-threading is an optimization technique that allows you to run more than one thread on a single CPU core. It is Intel’s implementation of a technique known as simultaneous multithreading (SMT). This article covers only the basics of hyper-threading and is meant only as an introduction. The article tries to answer the following questions: What …
If we improve only one aspect of a computer system, the overall improvement in performance is limited by the extent the improved aspect is used. Amdahl’s Law addresses this limitation. The law was presented by Gene Amdahl in 1967. Amdahl’s paper focuses on the potential speedup that can be expected by using multiple processors. The …
In this article, I will describe one of the easiest methods for converting decimal numbers to binary. It is especially useful when there are multiple numbers to convert. Make a list of all the powers of 2, starting with 20 up to the number you want to convert. Please note that this is an inclusive …
Conversion between hexadecimal and binary is quite easy; which is precisely why hexadecimal became rather important in computer science. This is despite being neither machine friendly like binary nor familiar to humans like decimal. About Hexadecimal Hexadecimal number system has 16 numerals. In addition to the ten decimal numerals [0..9], it also has A, B, …
Conversion between hexadecimal and binary numbers Read More »
On paper, we can represent a negative number by prefixing it with a minus sign. But, in computers, we will have to encode the sign in the number itself. This article discusses three prominent methods used for representing signed numbers in computers. All three methods work by treating the leftmost digit as a kind of …
