A computer has a 4-stage pipeline. If the stages take 2, 3, 1, and 4 clock cycles respectively, what is the maximum clock rate?
Q1. A computer has a 4-stage pipeline. If the stages take 2, 3, 1, and 4 clock cycles respectively, what is the maximum clock rate?
Answer: 1 / 2 GHz
Explanation: Maximum clock rate is determined by the slowest stage, which is 4 cycles, so clock rate = 1 / max(stage times) = 1 / 4 = 0.25 GHz or 1 / 4 GHz.