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Comment on RISC vs. CISC by John R. Mashey (1995)parent

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The simple answer is that a big symmetric register set has always been a hallmark of RISC ISAs, because having lots of symmetric registers increases throughput by reducing compiler-generated spill/fill overhead and permits more permissive ABIs for leaf functions that need the extra space.

The complicated answer is that, no, it's not especially "reduced" and you could implement all those other RISCy ideas in a much smaller set of GPRs without otherwise effecting the "RISCiness" of the design. But that answer is a little specious, since it's true of all the other RISCy traits too. Most of them stand alone, which is why the whole debate tends to be a little silly.

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