An Analytical Framework for Performance Evaluation in Computer Architecture

One of the most important issues in the field of computer organization and architecture is performance evaluation. This is because the ultimate goal for which any computing system is developed is to execute programs efficiently and within the shortest possible time. All architectural improvements made to the system, whether in the processor, instruction execution time, memory hierarchy, or parallel processing capability, have to be evaluated for their effectiveness in reducing the time for program execution. Since computing systems have to function under varying working conditions and usage environment, performance cannot be defined as a single value. It has to be defined and measured in relation to the working condition. The current research paper aims to present a detailed discussion on the definition and measurement of performance in the field of computer architecture. The concept of execution time and the difference between elapsed time and CPU time have been discussed. The analysis of the CPU performance equation and its components have also been included. The paper also aims to discuss the issue of misleading performance measures, the consequences of Amdahl’s law, the importance and limitations of benchmarking, and performance issues in modern computing systems such as graphics processors, cache hierarchy, pipelining, and multicore processors.