What is the difference between a RISC architecture and a CISC architecture?

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What is the difference between a RISC architecture and a CISC architecture?

The main difference between a RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer) architecture and a CISC (Complex Instruction Set Computer) architecture lies in the design philosophy and the characteristics of their instruction sets.

RISC architecture focuses on simplicity and efficiency by using a small and fixed set of simple instructions. These instructions are typically executed in a single clock cycle, allowing for faster execution. RISC processors rely heavily on compiler optimization and require more instructions to perform complex tasks.

On the other hand, CISC architecture aims to provide a rich set of complex instructions that can perform multiple operations in a single instruction. CISC processors often have variable-length instructions and can execute complex tasks with fewer instructions. However, these instructions may take multiple clock cycles to execute, resulting in slower overall performance.

In summary, RISC architecture prioritizes simplicity and faster execution by using a small set of simple instructions, while CISC architecture focuses on providing a wide range of complex instructions for more efficient execution of complex tasks.