Comptia A Ch.6

Question 1

access time

Answer 1

The amount of time it takes to retrieve data from memory or a device.

Question 2

cache memory

Answer 2

Designed to increase microprocessor operations.

Question 3

CL rating

Answer 3

The amount of time (clock cycles) that passes before the processor moves on to the next memory address. Chips with lower access times (CL rating) are faster than those with higher access times (larger numbers).

Question 4

CompactFlash (CF)

Answer 4

A type of removable flash memory storage that can be inserted into many devices, such as disk drives, cameras, PDAs, mobile phones, and tablet PCs.

Question 5

DDR (double data rate)

Answer 5

Data is transmitted on both sides of the clock signal and uses 184 pins. Sometimes called DDR SDRAM or DDR RAM.

Question 6

DDR2 (double data rate 2)

Answer 6

An upgrade to the DDR SDRAM standard and sometimes is called DDR2 RAM. It includes the following modules—DDR2-400, DDR2-533, DDR2-667, DDR2-800, and DDR2-1000. DDR2 uses 240-pin DIMMs and is not compatible with DDR; however, the higher-end (faster) DDR2 modules are backward compatible with the slower DDR2 modules.

Question 7

DDR3 (double data rate 3)

Answer 7

An upgrade from DDR2 for speeds up to 1600MHz that better supports dual- and quad-core processor-based systems.

Question 8

DDR3L

Answer 8

A DDR3 module that runs at a lower voltage (1.35V) than the 1.5V or higher DDR/DDR2/DDR3 modules. Less voltages means less heat and less power consumed.

Question 9

DIMM (dual in-line memory module)

Answer 9

A style of 168-, 184-, or 240-pin memory chip normally used for RAM chips on Pentium and higher motherboards.

Question 10

double-sided memory

Answer 10

A single memory module that contains two memory modules in one container (two banks). Data is still sent to the CPU 64 bits at a time. Some use the terms single-sided and double-sided to describe memory modules that have chips on one side (single-sided) or both sides (double-sided). Another name is double-ranked memory.

Question 11

DRAM (dynamic random-access memory)

Answer 11

One of two major RAM types that is less expensive but also slower than SRAM. DRAM requires periodic refreshing of the electrical charges holding the 1s and 0s.

Question 12

dual-channel

Answer 12

A system in which the motherboard memory controller chip handles processing of memory requests more efficiently by handling two memory paths simultaneously.

Question 13

dual-voltage memory

Answer 13

Motherboard memory modules that operate at the 1.35V level that use less power and produce less heat. All memory modules must be 1.35V modules to operate at 1.35 volts.

Question 14

ECC (error correcting code)

Answer 14

Uses a mathematical algorithm to verify data accuracy. ECC is more expensive than parity and the motherboard or memory controllers must also have additional circuitry to process ECC.

Question 15

flash memory

Answer 15

A type of nonvolatile memory that holds data when the power is off.

Question 16

fully buffered memory

Answer 16

A technology used in network server memory that requires a special memory controller sometimes advertised as FBDIMMs.

Question 17

microSD

Answer 17

A storage device with nonvolatile flash memory used for mobile devices

Question 18

miniSD

Answer 18

A storage device with nonvolatile flash memory used for mobile devices.

Question 19

non-parity

Answer 19

A type of memory chip that is cheaper and does not do error checking.

Question 20

PAE (physical address extension)

Answer 20

A feature provided by Intel that allows up to 64GB of physical memory to be used for motherboards that support it.

Question 21

pages

Answer 21

In Windows disk caching, a 4KB block of memory space. The operating system swaps or pages the application to and from the temporary swap file as needed if RAM is not large enough to handle the application.

Question 22

parity

Answer 22

A method of checking data accuracy.

Question 23

Performance utility

Answer 23

A utility that monitors memory and other hardware parameters usage aspects.

Question 24

RAM (random-access memory)

Answer 24

A volatile type of memory that loses its data when power to the computer is shut off.

Question 25

RDRAM

Answer 25

Proprietary memory developed by Rambus, Inc

Question 26

refresh (process)

Answer 26

A rewrite of the information inside memory chips.

Question 27

registered memory

Answer 27

Memory modules that have extra chips (registers) near the bottom of the module that delay all data transfers by one clock tick to ensure accuracy.

Question 28

quadruple-channel

Answer 28

A memory type in which a motherboard can access four memory modules simultaneously

Question 29

SD (Secure Digital)

Answer 29

A storage device with nonvolatile flash memory used for mobile devices.

Question 30

SDRAM (synchronous DRAM)

Answer 30

Provides very fast burst memory access by placing new memory addresses on the address bus before prior memory address retrieval and execution completes. SDRAM synchronizes its operation with the CPU clock signal to speed up memory access

Question 31

SIMM (single in-line memory modules)

Answer 31

An older type of motherboard memory chip/module using either 30-pin and 72-pin connectors.

Question 32

single-sided memory

Answer 32

A memory module that the CPU accesses at one time. The module has one “bank” of memory and 64 bits are transferred out of the memory module to the CPU. More appropriately called single-banked memory. Note that the memory module may or may not have all of its “chips” on one side.

Question 33

SO-DIMM (small-outline DIMM)

Answer 33

A special small DIMM used in laptop computers

Question 34

SPD (serial presence detect)

Answer 34

An extra EEPROM feature that allows the system BIOS to read the EEPROM (which contains memory information such as capacity, voltage, error detection, refresh rates, data width, etc.) and adjust motherboard timings for best CPU to RAM performance

Question 35

SRAM (static random-access memory)

Answer 35

Memory that is faster but more expensive than DRAM. SRAM is also known as cache memory, or L2 cache.

Question 36

swap file

Answer 36

A temporary file in hard disk space used by Windows that varies in size depending on the amount of RAM installed, available hard drive space, and the amount of memory needed to run the application.

Question 37

triple-channel

Answer 37

A type of memory execution in which motherboards access three memory modules simultaneously

Question 38

unbuffered memory

Answer 38

Memory that does not delay all data transfers by one clock tick to ensure accuracy as registered memory does. Used in low- to medium-powered computers.

Question 39

USB flash drive

Answer 39

Sometimes called a flash drive or a memory stick, a drive that allows storage via a USB port.

Question 40

virtual machine

Answer 40

A way for an operating system to appear as a separate computer to each application. One computer that has two or more operating systems installed that are unaware of each other due to virtualization software.

Question 41

virtual memory

Answer 41

A method of simulating extra memory by using the hard disk space as if it were RAM.

Question 42

Windows Memory Diagnostics Tool

Answer 42

troubleshooting memory problems with windows

Question 43

xD

Answer 43

A storage device with nonvolatile Flash memory used for mobile devices.