Top "Computer-architecture" questions

The hardware microarchitecture (x86, x86_64, ARM, ...) of a CPU or microcontroller.

What do x86_64, i386, ia64 and other such jargons stand for?

I frequently encounter these terms and am confused about them. Are they specific to the Processor, or the Operating System, …

x86-64 processor computer-architecture instruction-set itanium
CPU Switches from User mode to Kernel Mode : What exactly does it do? How does it makes this transition?

CPU Switches from User mode to Kernel Mode : What exactly does it do? How does it makes this transition? EDIT: …

assembly operating-system computer-architecture
The relation between privileged instructions, traps and system calls

I am trying to understand how a virtual machine monitor (VMM) virtualizes the CPU. My understanding right now is that …

operating-system x86 virtualization computer-architecture
When an interrupt occurs, what happens to instructions in the pipeline?

Assume a 5 stage pipeline architecture (IF = Instruction Fetch, ID = Instruction Decode, EX = Execute, MEM = Memory access, WB = Register write back).…

computer-architecture
Are Golang binaries portable?

Suppose I'm a primarily Linux user, but I'm developing an application in Go that I want to be cross platform. …

go cross-platform binaryfiles computer-architecture
MIPS: Reading a string from command line argument

I'm new to Assembly. I'm having some trouble reading a string from the command line arguments. I would like to …

assembly command-line-arguments mips computer-architecture spim
Big Endian and Little Endian

Given is the snap shot of memory of a byte-addressable computer. What would be loaded into register $16 after execution of …

mips computer-architecture endianness mips32
How do x86 page tables work?

I'm familiar with the MIPS architecture, which is has a software-managed TLB. So how and where you (the operating system) …

operating-system x86 virtual-memory computer-architecture
Understanding word alignment

I understand what it means to access memory such that it is aligned but I don’t understand why this …

algorithm hardware theory computer-architecture
MIPS Pipeline Forwarding (double data hazard)

In the Patterson & Hennessy Book: But can't this be handled as a EX hazard: Why is forwarding done in …

mips pipeline computer-architecture