Cache

Music Streaming: Architecture for Global Latency Music streaming is a global service, but latency matters. Listeners expect a fast start, stable playback, and quick track changes, no matter where they are. When an app launches, the first seconds should feel instant; otherwise buffering chips away at trust. If a user switches to a new song and the audio stalls, the experience drops fast. The architecture that prevents this relies on three ideas: place content close to the user, optimize how data is requested, and keep the player simple. By combining these ideas, a streaming service can feel almost instant and reliable, even on slow networks or crowded cities. The result is happier listeners and fewer support requests. ...

Content Delivery Networks Speeding Up the Web A Content Delivery Network (CDN) is a group of servers placed in many locations around the world. They host copies of your static files—images, CSS, JavaScript, and media. When a user visits your site, the request goes to the closest server instead of traveling all the way to your origin. This reduces distance, congestion, and wait time. The benefits are clear: faster pages for visitors, less load on your origin server, and fewer broken requests during traffic spikes. CDNs also help with security, absorbing traffic during attacks and providing TLS termination so visitors see a secure connection by default. ...

Content delivery networks for global performance Content delivery networks, or CDNs, move copies of your web content closer to users around the world. This reduces the time it takes to load pages and videos, even when readers are far from your origin server. A fast site improves user experience, search rankings, and conversions. What a CDN does Stores static assets like images, JavaScript, and stylesheets on many servers worldwide. Caches content at the edge to serve it quickly to nearby users. Routes users to the best edge location with smart DNS or routing decisions. Provides security features such as TLS termination and DDoS protection. Key components ...

The Fundamentals of Computer Storage and Memory All computers use two kinds of memory to work: memory and storage. Memory is fast and temporary, while storage keeps your files even when the power is off. Understanding how they differ helps you pick devices and predict how a computer will behave. Memory basics: RAM, or random access memory, holds the data a program is actively using. It is fast but limited in size. When you run programs or switch tabs, they load into RAM. The speed of RAM is measured in nanoseconds, and typical setups range from a few gigabytes to dozens of gigabytes. ...

The Core of Computer Architecture and Systems Design Computer architecture and systems design describe how a computer is built to work well for real tasks. It covers the choice of parts, how they connect, and the rules that programmers rely on every day. The core goal is to balance speed, power, cost, and reliability so software can run smoothly on many apps. This balance shapes everything from tiny devices to large servers. ...

From Hardware to Performance: Understanding Computer Architecture Computer architecture is the blueprint for how a computer’s parts are built and connected. It covers both the visible tools—the CPU, memory, and storage—and how they work together to run software. A solid architecture helps programs feel fast, respond smoothly, and use energy wisely. At the core is CPU design. A modern processor balances clock speed, which sets the number of cycles per second, with IPC, the amount of useful work done each cycle. The goal is to maximize performance per watt, not just push the clock higher. Techniques like speculative execution and out-of-order logic let the processor keep busy, even when some instructions depend on others. ...

Hardware Essentials: From CPU to Memory for Tech Enthusiasts Tech enthusiasts often chase higher clock speeds and more cores, but memory is the bridge between them and the user. The way RAM, cache, and storage interact with the CPU shapes how fast programs start and how smoothly you multitask. CPU basics A modern processor uses cores and threads to handle tasks at once. Clock speed matters for single‑threaded work, while cache and instruction efficiency boost overall speed. For example, a common consumer setup might be 6 cores and 12 threads with a 3.5–4.8 GHz boost. Beyond raw speed, IPC (instructions per cycle) and thermal headroom determine real performance in games, editing, and multitasking. ...

Understanding Computer Hardware: From Microprocessors to Memory Computer hardware is the set of physical parts that let a device run. It includes the brain, memory, storage, and the parts that move data around. Knowing how these pieces fit helps you compare devices and understand why a system feels fast or slow. The brain of the machine: microprocessors and CPUs The central processing unit, or CPU, is the main chip that performs instructions. It follows steps, makes decisions, and guides other parts of the computer. Modern CPUs have multiple cores, and each core can work on several tasks at once (threads). The faster the clock, the more operations a core can do each second, but real speed depends on design, cache, and memory. ...

Understanding Computer Hardware from CPU to Cache Understanding computer hardware helps you pick a PC, troubleshoot slow software, or just learn how computers work. This article focuses on the CPU and its cache, and shows how data moves from fast cores to slower memory. How the CPU fits into a system The CPU is the brain that performs calculations and makes decisions. Most desktops and laptops today have several cores. Each core can execute its own tasks, and some CPUs support multi‑threading, letting a core handle more than one thread at a time. The CPU talks to memory and storage through the motherboard and controllers. Key ideas to know are cores, threads, clock speed, cache, and memory bandwidth. ...

The Fundamentals of Computer Architecture: from Transistors to Systems Computer architecture is how a computer’s parts are chosen and arranged to work together. It starts with tiny switches called transistors and ends with full systems that run software daily. The journey from transistors to systems shows how physics, math, and engineering affect speed, power, and reliability in laptops, phones, and servers. At the lowest level, transistors form logic gates. These gates combine into circuits that perform basic tasks like adding numbers or storing a bit. Designers translate this physical world into a language computers understand through the instruction set architecture, or ISA, which names the commands software can use. ...