Chapter 1 Flashcards
How is double-sided memory treated by the system?
As two different memory modules
How many bits of memory are transferred over a standard single memory bank at a time?
64 bits
If a dual-channel memory controller coordinates two memory banks of 64 bits, how many total bits of memory are communicated at a time?
128 bits
If a triple-channel memory controller coordinates three memory banks of 64 bits, how many total bits of memory are communicated at a time?
192 bits
If a quad-channel memory controller coordinates four memory banks of 64 bits, how many total bits of memory are communicated at a time?
256 bits
How do you insert a SIMM (memory module) into a slot?
Insert at a 45 degree angle then maneuver upright to 90 degrees. Then it can be locked in place using clips
How do you insert a DIMM (memory module) into a slot?
Straight into the slot with the locking tabs pulled away from the module. The tabs will automatically snap into place. To remove, simply pull the tabs away to release the module from the slot
When is an ECC algorithm performed?
Whenever the memory is accessed
If there is an error in 3/8 bits of a byte, what will ECC do?
It will not recognise any error
If there is an error in 1/8 bits of a byte, what will ECC do?
It will recognise and correct the error
If there is an error in 2/8 bits of a byte, what will ECC do?
It will recognise but not correct the error
If an ECC algorithm results in all 0s, what will ECC do?
It will pass with no errors recognised
How many bits are present in parity checking in the middle of an algorithm being performed - after transmitting and before receiving?
Nine - an extra bit has been added and will be removed at the receiving end to check the data
How does even parity checking work?
Even parity checking works by storing a 1 in the ninth bit if bits 1-8 are odd; if bits 1-8 are even it will store a 0 in the ninth bit. The 1 triggers an error
How does odd parity checking work?
Odd parity checking works by storing a 0 in the ninth bit if bits 1-8 are even; if bits 1-8 are even it will store a 1 in the ninth bit. The 0 triggers an error
How does parity checking correct an error?
It doesn’t, only shows an error
How does mark parity checking work?
It always stores a 1 in the parity bit; it does not return an error but can be checked
How does space parity checking work
It always stores a 0 in the parity bit; it does not return an error but can be checked
How is parity checking mostly used?
For large scale failures
Where do you find the files for virtual RAM?
At c:\pagefile.sys
When is virtual RAM used?
When lacking primary memory for requests from newly launched applications
Is virtual RAM a good option for regular use?
No, it can slow the whole system. More physical memory should be added if additional primary memory is needed regularly
How is throughput calculated for SDR SDRAM? e.g. 100MHz
8x[rating in name] = 800MBps (throughput is in megabytes per second)
How does SDR SDRAM work?
By transmitting 1 bit of data per data pin for every clock tick
How does DDR SDRAM work?
By doubling pumping the data - instead of 1 bit per pin for every clock tick, it transfers 2 bits total (1 on the rising edge of the clock signal and one on the falling edge)
How does DDR2 SDRAM work
By double pumping the data of a DDR SDRAM
Using an example of an FSB of 200MHz, what would the throughput be of an SDR SDRAM and each of DDR, DDR2, DDR3, DDR4 and DDR5 SDRAM?
SDR SDRAM = 800MBps
DDR SDRAM = 1600MBps
DDR2 SDRAM = 3200MBps
DDR3 SDRAM = 6400MBps
DDR4 SDRAM = 12800MBps
DDR5 SDRAM = 25600MBps
Using an example of an FSB of 400MHz, what would the name be for each of DDR, DDR2, DDR3, DDR4, and DDR5 SDRAM?
DDR SDRAM = PC3200
DDR2 SDRAM = PC2-6400
DDR3 SDRAM = PC3-12800
DDR4 SDRAM = PC4-25600
DDR5 SDRAM - PC5-51200
Why isn’t DDR SDRAM hotter than SDR SDRAM?
Because increased heat is caused by increasing clock frequency, and DDR doesn’t increase the clock frequency, just the amount of data transmitted over that frequency
Is industry standard for the clock rate used for speed of FSB based off DDR or SDR SDRAM?
DDR SDRAM
What is the calculation for SDRAM module throughput?
(FSB in Mhz) x 8MB = throughput in MB
Where would you use a SODIMM memory slot?
For smaller devices such as laptops and mobiles
Where would you use a DIMM memory slot?
For larger devices such as PCs
What are DIMMs?
DIMMs are 64-bit memory modules that package SDRAMs
Why aren’t DDRs forwards or backwards compatible?
The keys are in different places
Are SODIMMs interchangeable?
No
Is DDR5 available in SODIMM?
Yes
How are pins distributed on a DIMM?
Half on either side
How many pins does a DDR DIMM have?
184
How many pins does a DDR2 DIMM have?
240
How many pins does a DDR3 DIMM have?
240
How many pins does a DDR4 DIMM have?
288
How many pins does a DDR5 DIMM have?
288
How many pins are there on each of a DDR, DDR2, DDR3, DDR4 and DDR5 DIMM?
184, 240, 240, 288, 288
How many channels are on DDR SDRAMs of any type?
1
What is the maximum memory available on a DDR SDRAM?
1GB
What is the maximum memory available on a DDR2 SDRAM?
8GB
What is the maximum memory available on a DDR3 SDRAM?
32GB
What is the maximum memory available on a DDR4 SDRAM?
64GB
What is the maximum memory available on a DDR5 SDRAM?
128GB
What is the maximum memory available on each of a DDR, DDR2, DDR3, DDR4 and DDR5 SDRAM?
1GB, 8GB, 32GB, 64GB, 128GB
What is the peak voltage of a DDR SDRAM?
2.5V
What is the peak voltage of a DDR2 SDRAM?
1.8V
What is the peak voltage of a DDR3 SDRAM?
1.5V
What is the peak voltage of a DDR4 SDRAM?
1.2V
What is the peak voltage of a DDR5 SDRAM?
1.1V
What are the common data rates of a DDR3 SDRAM?
800Mbps-2133Mbps
What are the common data rates of a DDR4 SDRAM?
1600Mbps-2133Mbps
What are the common data rates of a DDR5 SDRAM?
64Gbps
If both DDR3 and DDR4 SDRAMs only go up to 2133Mbps in terms of data rates, why would a DDR4 still be preferable?
Because the beginning data rates are still higher, so a lower cost DDR4 with lower data rates will still be higher than the lowest cost DDR3 with lowest data rates
Which memory module has on-die ECC?
DDR5 SDRAM
Scenario: what memory module (and associated memory packaging) would you use for a laptop requiring a lot of memory?
DDR5 SODIMM
Scenario: what memory module (and associated memory packaging) would you use for a work PC with no especially high memory requirements?
DDR4 DIMM
Scenario: a client’s PCs currently use two DDR3 SDRAMs with total memory availability of 16GB, but they need more memory at low cost. What do you recommend?
Upgrading their current DDR3 SDRAMs (which will be 8GB each) to two DDR3 SDRAMs of 16GB each. However, they may want to consider upgrading to DDR4 now if they were planning on upgrading soon anyway
Scenario: you don’t have enough primary memory for new applications - how do you handle this?
Page Virtual RAM into RAM to use Virtual RAM. If this happens regularly, add more physical memory
What is the maximum sides of memory possible to be utilised in four slots?
Either 4 single-sided memory or 2 double-sided memory; 4 sides total
What form factor of motherboard would you use in a PC?
ATX
What form factor of motherboard would you use in a mobile?
ITX
What form factor of motherboard would you expect to be used in a games console or modern car?
ITX
What are the standard measurements of an ATX motherboard?
12” by 9.6” (305mmx244mm)
What types of ITX are there?
Mini-ITX, Nano-ITX, Pico-ITX and Mobile-ITX
Where are the expansion cards in relation to the processor and memory slots?
At a right angle so they’re in line with the fan output of the power supply
How do you calculate the throughput of PCI expansion slots?
MHz x bitwidth e.g. 33Mhzx32 bits = 1067Mbits or 133MB
How many bits in a PCI channel?
32 bits
What frequencies are available on PCI?
33 or 66Mhz over a 32-bit channel (may go up to 64-bits)
What happens if you mix 66Mhz with 33Mhz PCI connectors?
The 66Mhz slots will be slowed to a 33Mhz speed
What voltages are available for PCI?
3.5V and 5V
Which way should a 5V PCI connector face on the motherboard?
The front
Which way should a 3.5V PCI connector face on the motherboard?
The back
How is the throughput of a 1.x PCIe slot calculated?
(250MBps x 2)x(lane) e.g. for 16 lanes, (250x2) x 16 = 8MBps
How is the throughput of a 2.x PCIe slot calculated?
(500MBps x 2)x(lane) e.g. for 16 lanes, (500x2) x 16 = 16MBps
How is the throughput of a 3.0 PCIe slot calculated?
(1GBps x 2)x(lane) e.g. for 16 lanes, (1x2) x 16 = 32MBps
How is the throughput of a 4.0 PCIe slot calculated?
(2GBps x 2)x(lane) e.g. for 16 lanes, (2x2) x 16 = 64MBps
How is the throughput of a 5.0 PCIe slot calculated?
(4GBps x 2)x(lane) e.g. for 16 lanes, (4x2) x 16 = 128MBps
What link widths are available in PCIe?
x1, x2, x4, x8, x12, x16, x32
What are PCIe widths based off?
Number of lanes and therefore wires needed
What leads would you connect into the 22-pin common portion of PCIe slots towards the rear of the motherboard?
Voltage and ground leads
Are PCIe forwards and/or backwards compatible?
Yes
How would you install two or more PCIe graphics adapters with SLI?
I would bridge them using the special hardware that comes with the adapters
When would you use PCIe vs SATA?
I would use PCIE in most situations, with the main exception being if an existing motherboard already used SATA or if I were using a specific M.2 that supported SATA only, or for budget constraints as SATA is cheaper.
PCIe is smaller with more lanes which makes it faster, its speeds scale well when used with NVMe and has reduced power consumption
How would you install a PCIe connector?
Inserting carefully using a latch and tab to secure. I would ensure it is properly secure; any movement can cause failure or bad performance
What would you do if the card was too long for the PCIe slot you were planning to use?
Use it anyway; speeds will be limited to the shorter card despite the slot supporting higher speeds on longer cards. This is called upplugging.
What would you do if the card was too short for the PCIe slot you were going to use?
On a personal PC I might use it anyway, but officially this is not allowed and would not make sure of all the pins/max possible speed so I would likely not use this for a client unless they understood the risks.
This is called downplugging.
Scenario: a client wants SATA and PCIe on the same motherboard. How would you install this?
In most cases, I wouldn’t, as SATA and PCIe are not compatible. I would use whichever was compatible with the motherboard. However, ATP does offer M.2 devices which support either or both SATA and PCIe and this would be an optiion if it was compatible with the motherboard.
How do you calculate the throughput for SATA?
Divide by 10 to convert bits to bytes (as SATA uses 8b/10b encoding, with 2 non-data overheads for every 8 data bits)
What is the throughput and data transfer rate for SATA I?
1.5GBps throughput and 150MBps data transfer rate
What is the throughput and data transfer rate for SATA II?
3.0GBps throughput and 300MBps data transfer rate
What is the throughput and data transfer rate for SATA III?
6.0GBps throughput and 600MBps data transfer rate
How do standards for eSATA differ to standards for SATA?
They don’t - 6GBps in SATA is still 6GBPs eSATA
What is the benefit of SATA?
It is cheaper than PCIe connectors
What are headers?
Connectors that connect external connectors to the motherboard, such as power buttons and power lights, reset buttons and USB ports
How would you connect a header for a USB port?
I would check the manufacturer website and follow their instructions, as headers can be placed on different parts of the motherboard
How does NVMe relate to PCIe SSDs?
NVMe supports SSD drives. It interfaces with PCIe to connect to the storage packaging (DIMM/SODIMM slots which in turn support DDR SDRAM memory storage)
What are M.2 devices used for?
To support either SATA or PCIe interfaces (or sometimes both). They’re used for hard drives, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS and NFC
How is the device speed on an M.2 device regulated?
By the bus standard, not the speed of the M.2 device
Which is faster, M.2 PCIe SSD without NVMe or M.2 PCIe SSD with NVME?
With NVME
How would you use NVME as an interface without an M.2 form factor?
I wouldn’t, the only form factor that supports NVME is M.2
How would you fix a CPU socket with damaged pins (and how does this change for LGA vs PGA)?
The device would need to be replaced. If it is LGA, the whole motherboard may need replaced as the pins are on the socket. If it is a PGA socket, it is likely that only the CPU itself would need replaced.
How would you install an LGA socket?
I would insert and lock the socket in place using the L-shaped bar on the lid
How would you install a PGA socket?
I would use the levels to lock the CPU in place
Scenario: Why would you use LGA vs PGA?
LGA CPUs are more durable and their pins are smaller so more space efficient. They’re more likely to be compatible with AMD. However, PGA motherboards are more durable and more likely to be compatible with Intel. I would choose the CPU that was compatible with the motherboard, but if building from scratch I would consider how likely I was to replace the CPU alone/if there was any risk of damage to the CPU such as by overheating from overclocking and may prefer a PGA socket for that reason, so that if there were any damage I could replace the CPU rather than the motherboard itself
What should you check before purchasing a new CPU?
Compatibility with the moterhboard
What should you do if the CPU of a laptop dies?
Most likely, replace the entire laptop as their CPUs are typically soldered onto the motherboard
Which types of motherboard may be multisocket, and what does this mean?
Servers and desktops - this means they have more than one CPU socket which can allow for more than one CPU for load management or redundancy purposes
What should you do if you’re locked out of the BIOS?
Try the reset CMOS jumper
What is the CMOS battery?
A battery that stores information the OS needs in order to function such as date and time
What does the BIOS/UEFI control?
Sequence of drives in bootup, enabling/disabling ports and video cards, enabling/disabling virtualisation, diagnostic routines such as speed of fans
When might you need to check settings in the BIOS?
To adjust the sequence of drives, to enable video cards, to enable virtualisation and to ensure new entries are correct after installing an expansion card
How would you ensure an expansion card was correctly installed?
By checking the entries in the BIOS
How would you install a CPU with virtualisation?
I would install the physical CPU according to whether it was PGA or LGA (using levers to secure PGA and the l-shaped bar to secure LGA), check the CPU settings in the control panel to see if virtualisation is enabled and if it is disabled, enter the BIOS and enable it then reset the computer.
How do you enter the BIOS?
Depending on the system, holding down Fn whilst tapping F1 or F2. Alternatively, pressing a specific key like F2 or Dlt during startup will open the BIOS.
How and why would you flash the BIOS?
To fix new hardware upgrades that aren’t recognised. I would upgrade by checking the motherboard manufacturer information and following their instructions.
What is POST?
POST is a series of system checks whilst booting the PC
What does it mean if there is beeping or a code displayed after POST?
An issue has been discovered. Check the publisher’s guides to find out what the code means.
What does POST do?
Verifies the integrity of BIOS/UEFI, catalogues harware, checks size of primary memory
What happens if you lose power whilst flashing the BIOS?
On older and some newer systems this could require a new chip and/or motherboard. On newer systems there may be a failsafe
What is SecureBoot used for?
Verifying the signatures of fires and confirming they haven’t been tampered with. it will prevent the loading of software without valid signatures
How would you use TPM if it is not built into the motherboard?
You wouldn’t you could use a HSM which is often a USB
What are the two types of ISA platforms?
CISC and RISC
What type of device would you use RISC for?
A small, mobile device
Why would you use CISC?
It needs less memory than RISC and might support microcode. It’s a good option for PCs which have the space to support it
What are the main types of CISC processors?
x64 and x86
How is the speed of a CPU core measured?
In clock frequency - MHz or GHz depending on the speed
How would you adjust the speed of a CPU?
By overclocking; this may void a warranty so would not use this in work PCs unless approved by manufacturer
How and why would you use SMT?
SMT could be used on an OS that supports symmetric multiprocessing, and it would be used to give a speed advantage as it can give multiple instructions on separate data in parallel, meaning that even with the same number of cores, more tasks can be completed in the same amount of time
Could you use HTT on an AMD motherboard?
No, because HTT is a proprietary form of SMT. You could use a different form of SMT if supported
Which expansion cards are typically available integrated into the motherboard?
Sound cards and video cards, possibly NIC
Which expansion cards are typically add-on only?
Capture cards are generally add-on only. NIC add-ons may also be needed, particularly on PCs, as they aren’t always integrated
Why would you use an addon video or sound card?
Video add-ons may be useful for gaming or A/V editing, and sound cards would be needed for A/V editing
How would you install a sound card?
By following the manufacturer instructions
How would you install a video card?
I would insert the card into an expansion slot and install the device driver - there may be settings relating to this in the BIOS
What are the specs for an integrated vs addon sound card?
Integrated: about 90KHz and 85-90dB
Add-on: about 190KHz with 115dB
What devices might an A/V editor need?
An add-on sound and possibly video card, plus a USb port for attaching a musical keyboard (often called MIDI for legacy reasons)
How would you repair a broken integrated video card?
The motherboard may need replaced, or alternatively a new add-on card would be needed
What are the benefits of an integrated card?
It frees up an expansion slot
What specs are available for video cards?
1-2GB for everyday usage or 8GB GDDR5 at least for gaming, though higher memory is recommended
What are the main video card standards?
NVIDIA GeForce and AMD Radeon
When choosing an add on video card, what do you need to know?
How much memory is needed and which types of video ports are available
Why would you use a capture card?
To save video streams to computers
What interface would you use for a capture card?
Could be internal using PCIe or external such as via USB
How would you install a NIC?
Install the physical card and the drivers. The adapter can then be used to access the network. Wireless NICs will need the wireless access point to be configured.
If there is an antenna, this may need screwed on after the card is fully installed
How would you configure a wireless vs wired NIC?
Wired usually work by being physically connected. A wireless NIC will need to have the wireless access point/partner computer configured before secure communication is possible. They may both require manual configuration of protocol settings such as IP addressing, duplex and speed
How would you configure an expansion card/adapter?
Check computer is powered off
Install the adapter
Connect power if needed (likely for video cards)
Boot up and install the driver (plus and play will do this automatically)
If not working - check BIOS for config
Config according to utility provided by the manufacturer
When would you need to configure a sound or video card?
For advanced features/utilities
How many cores does the 10th-gen Intel i7 have?
Eight
How many cores does the 10th-gen Intel i5 have?
Six
Which type of connector might automatically detect a new add-on video card?
PCIe
