Hardware Flashcards
what is the definition of the CPU
it is the main component in a computer for processing data and instructions
what is the Control unit
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
what is Arithmetic logic unit (ALU)
the ALU performs all the mathematical calculations / logical operations in the CPU
what is a Registers
fast access storage locations found on the CPU where data or control information is temporarily stored
what is a Memory address register (MAR)
stores the current address in the main memory that is currently being read or written
what is a Current instruction Register (CIR)
a temporary holding area for the instruction that has just been fetched from memory
what is a cache
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
what is clock speed
the number of FDE cycles that a CPU can carry out per second. it is measured in Hertz (Hz)
what is a core (CPU)
some processors have multiple processors (Cores ) which can work in parallel
what does volatile mean
stored data is lost when the power is turned off
what does Fetch in the FDE cycle mean
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
what does decode mean in the FDE cycle
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.
what does execute mean in the FDE cycle
Actions that occur during the execution cycle will depend on the instruction itself.
how does cache size affect performance
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.
how does clock speed affect performance
the FDE cycle will run faster, resulting in more instructions being processed
how does number of cores affect performance
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 )
describe flash memory
high capacity, portable, durable and fast (solid state)
describe external hard drive memory
medium capacity, non-durable, portable and fast (magnetic)
describe Blu-ray memory
low capacity, fairly durable , portable and not very fast (optical)
describe magnetic storage
medium capacity, not very durable, portable and slow
difference between integrated GPU and dedicated GPU
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.
what does a sound card do
a sound card will convert analouge input signals into digital data and reverse the process for output
what is a motherboard
a motherboard is the main circuit of the computer
what is an embedded system
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
describe a RISC processer
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
describe a CISC processor
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
name all the different types of memory
Cache memory, Read only memory, Random access memory, Flash memory
name all the forms of secondary storage
Optical, magnetic and solid state
describe optical storage
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.
describe solid state storage
