Inside the Computer (General Component Questions)

Question 1

What’s the system crystal? What does it do, and where is it lcoated?

Answer 1

The System Crystal is a quartz oscillator.

It fires a charge to the clock wire establishing the clock speed.

It’s usually located on the Motherboard.

Question 2

What is the Northbridge?

Answer 2

The Northbridge deals with high speed interfaces such as connecting to your video card and RAM.

It is the primary bridge between the CPU and the rest of the computer.

Question 3

What does the CPU use registers for?

Answer 3

For temporary storage of internal commands and data

Question 4

Which MOBO form factor refers to a VIA-Proprietary low-power consumption SFF type known for industrial and embedded PC applications?

Answer 4

Mini ITX

Question 5

What is the function of the address bus in the PC?

Answer 5

It enables the CPU to communicate with the memory controller chip (MCC)

Question 6

What is the NIC port? What’s another name for it?

Answer 6

The “Network Interface Controller”.

The RJ45 Port.

Question 7

What does ZIF stand for?

Answer 7

Zero Insertion Force.

Question 8

What’s the most common motherboard form factor?

Answer 8

ATX

Question 9

T or F? A separate expansion bus crystal enables the expansion bus to run at a different speed than the frontside bus.

Answer 9

True

Question 10

All hardware needs BIOS, T or F?

Answer 10

True. all hardware needs BIOS

Question 11

What function does the External Data Bus have in the PC?

Answer 11

Provides a channel for the flow of data and commands between the CPU and RAM

Question 12

How many cycles is

1. Hertz
2. Megahertz
3. Gigahertz

Answer 12

1. 1 Cycle per second
2. 1 Million cycles per second
3. 1 Billion cycles per second

Question 13

What is the component that transfers heat from an electronic or mechanical device, often the CPU, called?

Answer 13

The Heat Sink.

Question 14

What’s the significance of 64-bit processing?

Answer 14

More data can be processed. More data can be moved around, faster processing.

EDB increased to 64-bits, so did the address bus.

Question 15

What is the frontside bus?

Answer 15

It describes the connections between the Address Bus and External Data bus.

It’s also the connections between the CPU, MCC, and RAM components.

Question 16

What is Clock Speed?

Answer 16

The maximum number of Clock Cycles a CPU can process in a given time.

Question 17

T or F? An electrical outlet does not need a ground wire for PC use.

Answer 17

False.

Question 18

What is the Southbridge?

What does Intel and AMD call it?

Answer 18

The Southbridge works with low-speed devices such as USB controllers and hard drive controllers. Other peripherals as well.

Intel- I/O controller hub. (Input Output controller hub)

AMD- Fusion Controller Hub

Question 19

What is the security function that CPU’s employ?

Answer 19

Disable Execute Bit

Question 20

What is the Memory Controller Chip? (MCC)?

How does the CPU communicate with the MCC?

Answer 20

Handles the mechanics of retrieving a row of data from the RAM and putting it on the EDB

The CPU communicates with the MCC through the Address Bus.

Question 21

Where is the Clock Wire located? What is it’s purpose?

Answer 21

It’s located on the EDB

It’s purpose is that it tells the CPU that data is ready to be processed.

Question 22

A single Clock Cycle is the equivalent of how many signals sent by the system clock?

Answer 22

Two adjacent signals sent by the system clock

Question 23

What do the chips in a Motherboard’s Chipset do?

Answer 23

Serve as electronic interfaces in which the CPU, RAM, and input/output devices interact.