Risc vs CiSC and what is the replacement?

[Senile Animal]

I am not sure where I should put this thread but if it is in the wrong place I am sorry. I know this may be a dumb and outdated question, considering nearly everything still uses RISC, but can someone explain in dummy terms what the difference between these two architectures are? I know that Risc is reduced instructions but the specific details did not make any sense when I read about the two. I would also like to know what will or has replaced RISC and how does it work? I googled the first question but the answers were not geared towards idiots like me.

 

[Senile Animal]

Nobody knows? or nobody knows how to explain it to an idiot? I fear that I am asking a self evident question but check my other thread in the programming section. I really am a little slow ...

 

[iFargle]

I believe most processors are approaching a more RISC model of computing -- ie, fewer specialized circuits on the processor. Rather, they use simple instructions (ie move (a pseudoinstruction), add, subu, lw, lb, la, li, etc, as in MIPS) to do more complex tasks.

CISC has more instructions that do more specific tasks (such as specific circuitry to sort an array or something) whereas RISC has less instructions but are more general and can therefore be used to essentially replicate the more complex instructions in CISC.

From my understanding, RISC allows more circuitry to be fitted onto a chip because it has very few specialized circuits, freeing space for more generally usable circuits.

I hope that makes sense.

 

[Senile Animal]

I am sure it would make perfect sense if there were not so many gaps in my knowledge. So my fault not yours. I need to actually read, slowly and carefully, several times, how a processor actually works. Mike Meyers' man in the box analogy only answers so much...