What is a core?
In the context of computer chips, a core refers to an instance of a hardware design that represents a significant level of complexity and possesses a certain degree of functional independence.
While the term “core” is not limited to instruction processors, it is often used interchangeably with an instance of an instruction processor.
A core can be thought of as a self-contained processing unit within a larger chip, capable of executing instructions and performing various operations independently. It is typically designed to support a certain instruction set architecture (ISA), and consist of execution units, registers, caches, and other components necessary for instruction fetching, decoding, and execution.