How can I tell whether my computer is Harvard or von Neumann architecture?

cpu cpu-architecture von-neumann harvard-architecture
Deepa Bedsur picture Deepa Bedsur · May 31, 2015 · Viewed 7.5k times · Source

I am using laptop with below configuration. Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)i5-4300U CPU @1.90GHz 2.49GHz RAM: 8GB System Type:64-bit OS, x64-based processor

Windows Edition:Windows 8.2 Enterprise

When I was reading about CPU architectures, i wanted to know what CPU architecture followed in my computer?

Answer

Craig S. Anderson picture Craig S. Anderson · Jun 3, 2015

Your processor is a modified Harvard Architecture. The reason why it is a modified Harvard Architecture is that it has split instruction and data L1 caches. Except for this, it is a von-Neumann architecture - instructions and data can both be present in the other cache levels and main memory.

The distinction between the two is relevant only when instructions are treated as data, such as in self-modifying code or Just In Time compilers.

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