Traditional computer architecture that operates with large sets of possible instructions. Most computers are in this category, including the IBM compatible microcomputers. As computing technology evolved, instruction sets expanded to include newer instructions which are complex in nature and require several to many execution cycles and, therefore, more time to complete. Computers which operate with system software based on these instruction sets have been referred to as complex instruction set computers. Contrast with reduced instruction set computer [RISC].
A central processing unit that can recognize as many as 100 or more instructions and carry out most computations directly.
(computer science) a kind of computer architecture that has a large number of instructions hard coded into the cpu chip
A microprocessor which implements users instructions at an assembly language level. These instructions are made up of multiple "sub-instructions" known as microcode that actually drive the hardware state machines of the microprocessor. Typical complex instructions require multiple clock cycles for execution as the microcode is processed.
Intel® Pentium® processors are built using CISC architecture. CISC instructions are generally longer and more complex. Not as many can be completed per second, but each instruction does more work in comparison to the more streamlined RISC instructions.
Describes the architecture of a processor family. Abbreviated CISC. So-called CISC processors generally feature variable-length instructions and multiple addressing formats and have a small number of general-purpose registers. Intel's 80x86 family is the quintessential example of CISC. Contrast with reduced instruction set computer.
A complex instruction set computer (CISC) is a microprocessor instruction set architecture (ISA) in which each instruction can execute several low-level operations, such as a load from memory, an arithmetic operation, and a memory store, all in a single instruction. The term was coined in contrast to reduced instruction set computer (RISC).