Final answer:
Adding more powerful arithmetic instructions to a processor's instruction set can improve performance, but it depends on the overall impact on clock cycle time and efficiency.
Step-by-step explanation:
In this scenario, we are considering the impact of adding more powerful arithmetic instructions to a processor's instruction set. These more powerful instructions reduce the number of arithmetic instructions needed by 25% but increase the clock cycle time by 10%. To determine if this is a good design choice, we need to consider the overall performance and efficiency of the system.
Reducing the number of arithmetic instructions needed can improve the program's execution time, as each instruction will take less time to complete. However, the increase in clock cycle time due to the more powerful instructions may offset this improvement.
If the CPI for arithmetic instructions is reduced significantly while maintaining a reasonable clock cycle time, it can be considered a good design choice. However, if the overall performance doesn't show a significant improvement or if the clock cycle time is too high, the design choice may not be favorable.
Further analysis and benchmarking are required to determine the impact of these changes on the overall performance of the processor.