Hardware

Question 1

what is the definition of the CPU

Answer 1

it is the main component in a computer for processing data and instructions

Question 2

what is the Control unit

Answer 2

it directs the flow of instructions and/or data and coordinates the other parts of the CPU. it generates clock ticks or controls the clock

Question 3

what is Arithmetic logic unit (ALU)

Answer 3

the ALU performs all the mathematical calculations / logical operations in the CPU

Question 4

what is a Registers

Answer 4

fast access storage locations found on the CPU where data or control information is temporarily stored

Question 5

what is a Memory address register (MAR)

Answer 5

stores the current address in the main memory that is currently being read or written

Question 6

what is a Current instruction Register (CIR)

Answer 6

a temporary holding area for the instruction that has just been fetched from memory

Question 7

what is a cache

Answer 7

it is an incredibly fast, but very expensive volatile memory that retains frequently used data. the cache can also be inside and out the CPU, with level 1 being the fastest and closest to the CPU, and level 3 being the slowest and furthest away

Question 8

what is clock speed

Answer 8

the number of FDE cycles that a CPU can carry out per second. it is measured in Hertz (Hz)

Question 9

what is a core (CPU)

Answer 9

some processors have multiple processors (Cores ) which can work in parallel

Question 10

what does volatile mean

Answer 10

stored data is lost when the power is turned off

Question 11

what does Fetch in the FDE cycle mean

Answer 11

the fetch cycle takes the address required from memory, stored it in the current instruction register and moves the program counter one so that it points at the next instruction

Question 12

what does decode mean in the FDE cycle

Answer 12

the control unit authenticates the instruction in the current instruction register. the instruction is decoded to determine the actions that need to be carried out.

Question 13

what does execute mean in the FDE cycle

Answer 13

Actions that occur during the execution cycle will depend on the instruction itself.

Question 14

how does cache size affect performance

Answer 14

the bigger the cache size the more data that can be stored it can provide instructions and data to the CPU at a much faster rate.

Question 15

how does clock speed affect performance

Answer 15

the FDE cycle will run faster, resulting in more instructions being processed

Question 16

how does number of cores affect performance

Answer 16

the more core the more instructions that can be processed at once( performance con be affected when one core is waiting on another inside the CPU )

Question 17

describe flash memory

Answer 17

high capacity, portable, durable and fast (solid state)

Question 18

describe external hard drive memory

Answer 18

medium capacity, non-durable, portable and fast (magnetic)

Question 19

describe Blu-ray memory

Answer 19

low capacity, fairly durable , portable and not very fast (optical)

Question 20

describe magnetic storage

Answer 20

medium capacity, not very durable, portable and slow

Question 21

difference between integrated GPU and dedicated GPU

Answer 21

integrated - uses the computer’s RAM, cheaper than installing a dedicated GPU, generates less heat and uses less power than a dedicated GPU, perfect for general graphics processing such as watching or editing videos and world processing

dedicated - has it’s own video memory, provides the best visual experience, used by people such as professional graphics designers and serious gamers, uses more power and requires a good cooling system.

Question 22

what does a sound card do

Answer 22

a sound card will convert analouge input signals into digital data and reverse the process for output

Question 23

what is a motherboard

Answer 23

a motherboard is the main circuit of the computer

Question 24

what is an embedded system

Answer 24

an embedded system is a combination of software and hardware that performs a specific task whereas a general purpose computer is designed to carry out multiple tasks

Question 25

describe a RISC processer

Answer 25

a RISC processor carries out more complex commands but the problem is broken down into simpler instructions. they consume less power and generate less heat than CISC

Question 26

describe a CISC processor

Answer 26

a CISC processor can process a large number of complex instructions. This allows the processor to understand and carry out complex tasks with only a few instruction. however, they consume more power and generate more heat than RISC

Question 27

name all the different types of memory

Answer 27

Cache memory, Read only memory, Random access memory, Flash memory

Question 28

name all the forms of secondary storage

Answer 28

Optical, magnetic and solid state

Question 29

describe optical storage

Answer 29

Laser beams are projected onto a CD/DVD or Blu-ray disk and if light is reflected back, then data is read as a 1 and if light is not reflected back, data is read as a 0. Lasers are used to read and write information to a disk.

Question 30

describe solid state storage