Interview Prep Zoneby CuriouserLabs

CPU & Instruction Execution

Fetch–decode–execute, ISAs, pipelines, branch prediction and speculation — what the processor is really doing.

  1. 1

    How does a CPU actually execute a program? Walk through the fetch–decode–execute cycle.

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  2. 2

    What is an instruction set architecture? CISC vs RISC, and why does x86 vs ARM matter to a software team in 2026?

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  3. 3

    What is pipelining, what are hazards, and how do stalls actually eat your performance?

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  4. 4

    Branch prediction and speculative execution — how they work, why they're worth it, and what Spectre changed.

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  5. 5

    Out-of-order, superscalar execution and the privilege machinery — how does the modern CPU picture fit together?

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