memory hierarchy

Question 1

registers

Answer 1

group of flip-flops

Question 2

each flip flop in a register is capable of holding

Answer 2

one bit of information

Question 3

an n-bit register

Answer 3

group of n flip flops; is capable of storing binary info of n-bits

Question 4

cache memory

Answer 4

chip-based computer component; makes retrieving data from memory more efficient; acts as temporary storage area for processor to retrieve data

Question 5

Random Access Memory (RAM)

Answer 5

main memory in a computer; hardware where operating system (OS), applications, & data currently in use are kept for easy access by device processor

Question 6

hard disks

Answer 6

traditional storage devices with spinning platters that read and write data

Question 7

SSDs

Answer 7

use new technology that stores data on instantly accessible memory chips; faster, smaller, more durable

Question 8

memory hierarchy worst (large, slow, expensive) to best

Answer 8

tertiary storage (remote storage, optical, backups) –> secondary storage (disk drives, SSDs) –> primary storage (main memory (RAM)) –> cache –> CPU registers

Question 9

what is caching for

Answer 9

stores data from slower sources into faster and closer memory for quick availability

Question 10

(cache) temporal locality

Answer 10

something will likely be reused

Question 11

(cache) spacial locality

Answer 11

something close to something you use is likely to be reused