Computer Hardware

Question 1

<p><p>What does HDD stand for?</p></p>

Answer 1

<p><p>Hard Disk Drive</p></p>

Question 2

<p><p>What does SSD stand for?</p></p>

Answer 2

<p><p>Solid State Drive</p></p>

Question 3

<p><p>What does Dual core mean?</p></p>

Answer 3

<p><p>2 processors ( NOT TWICE AS FAST!!!)</p></p>

Question 4

<p></p>

<p>What does Quad core mean?</p>

Answer 4

<p></p>

<p>4 processors (Not necessarily 4 times as fast thought!)</p>

Question 5

<p><p>What does 1 GHz mean?</p></p>

Answer 5

<p><p>1 billion instructions a second.

| </p></p>

Question 6

<p><p>What body part is the CPU normally compared to?</p></p>

Answer 6

<p><p>The brain</p></p>

Question 7

<p><p>What does the CPU do?</p></p>

Answer 7

<p><p>IT processes the instructions given by the computer.</p></p>

Question 8

<p><p>What 3 things does the CPU do?</p></p>

Answer 8

<p><p>Fetches, Decodes, Executes.</p></p>

Question 9

<p><p>How many levels of the cache are there?</p></p>

Answer 9

<p><p>3 levels</p></p>

Question 10

<p></p>

<p>How much memory can typically be stored in the first level of cache?</p>

Answer 10

<p></p>

<p>16kB</p>

Question 11

<p></p>

<p>How much memory can typically be stored in the Second level of cache?</p>

Answer 11

<p></p>

<p>256 - 516 kB</p>

Question 12

<p><p>What does RAM stand for?</p></p>

Answer 12

<p><p>Random Access Memory</p></p>

Question 13

<p></p>

<p>What is ROM?</p>

Answer 13

<p></p>

<p><b>Primary</b> non-volatile storage.</p>

Question 14

<p><p>What does Volatile memory mean?</p></p>

Answer 14

<p><p>The memory is only kept while the computer is on.</p></p>

Question 15

<p><p>What does ROM stand for?</p></p>

Answer 15

<p><p>Read only Memory</p></p>

Question 16

<p><p>What are the advantages of HHDs?</p></p>

Answer 16

<p><p>Can store a lot of data.
Cheaper than SSD.
Ideal for desktop PC.</p></p>

Question 17

<p><p>What are the disadvantages of HDDs?</p></p>

Answer 17

<p><p>Big
Slow
Can get damaged easily
Less robust
Can be loud
</p></p>

Question 18

<p><p>What are the advantages of SSDs?</p></p>

Answer 18

<p><p>Ideal for laptops.
Light
Small
Fast
More robust than HDDs.</p></p>

Question 19

<p>What is better quad or dual cores?</p>

Answer 19

<p>Quad</p>

Question 20

The three parts of the cycle that a CPU runs in are called

Answer 20

fetch, decode and execute

Question 21

<p>What cycle is used in the CPU?</p>

Answer 21

<p>Fetch, Decode, Execute</p>

Question 22

<p>What does clock speed mean?</p>

Answer 22

<p>The speed one full fetch-decode-execute cycle takes.</p>

Question 23

An example of a low-level language is

Answer 23

assembler (assembly language)

Question 24

What is stored on the ROM of a computer?

Answer 24

start up instructions for the PC

Question 25

Which type of memory is volatile?

Answer 25

RAM

Question 26

What does volatile mean?

Answer 26

memory that is not available after the power goes off

Question 27

What are the two main units of the CPU?

Answer 27

ALU and CU

Question 28

What does cache memory do?

Answer 28

It saves little bits of data so when they are called they can get to the cpu to be executed very quickly.

Question 29

CPU speed is measured in

Answer 29

hertz (Hz) - normally gigahertz (GHz)

Question 30

How does the CPU communicate with the rest of the system

Answer 30

using buses (most importantly the system bus)

Question 31

How does cache memory make a CPU faster?

Answer 31

it stores the most frequently used data and instructions on the CPU, making them faster to access as the data has less distances to travel

Question 32

What is virtual memory?

Answer 32

when you assign a portion of your secondary storage such as a hard drive as 'pretend' memory. Storage for programs running in the background is transferred to the virtual memory and swapped back into RAM when it is needed again.

Question 33

What is stored in RAM?

Answer 33

Instructions and data for programs that are currently being used

Question 34

VDU stands for

Answer 34

visual display unit

Question 35

5 common input devices are

Answer 35

mouse, keyboard, scanner, graphics tablet, touch screen

Question 36

4 common output devices are

Answer 36

monitor (VDU), printer, plotter, actuator,

Question 37

What is the difference between primary and secondary storage

Answer 37

The primary storage is the main memory of the computer - RAM and ROM. Primary storage has a special purpose such as storing the boot up information for the computer (ROM) Secondary storage is normally larger and more general-purpose

Question 38

What is normally stored in the non-volatile part of the computer's main memory?

Answer 38

The boot-up / startup instructions

Question 39

How does having cache memory improve the performance of the CPU?

Answer 39

It is closer to the CPU (actually on the chip), and smaller in size. Closeness means the data has less distance to travel and is therefore faster. Smaller size means the required data can be found more quickly