Waiting for I/O

A modern computer employs different kinds of memory to store data and perform operations. In general, a computer possesses a combination of expensive memory that is capable of operating at fast speeds and cheaper, and more abundant memory that operates at lower speeds and is used to store a larger amount of data.

The memory hierarchy is shown in the following diagram:

At the top of the memory hierarchy are the CPU registers. Those are integrated in the CPU and are used to store and execute machine instructions. Accessing data in a register generally takes one clock cycle. This means that if the CPU operates at 3 GHz, the time ...

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