What Is a Superscalar Processor?
A superscalar processor is a type of processor that can execute multiple sets of instructions at the same time. This type of processor contains several sub-units that control certain types of basic functions. While other processors have these units as well, a superscalar processor can have information sent directly to these units for processing while the main processor is busy with something else. The superscalar processor is the midpoint of the three main types of processors. A computer’s central processing unit, also called a CPU or simply processor, does the majority of the calculations for a computer. Every time something happens on the machine, the CPU works on it a little before it actually happens. This makes the processor very busy and time spent with it very valuable. When the CPU has reached its limit, other computer functions are left waiting for the processor to catch up.