Hardware Flashcards
(47 cards)
What is the central processing unit (CPU)?
The CPU is the core component that controls and performs operations in modern computer systems.
What are the main components of the CPU architecture?
Processor, Control Unit, Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU), System Clock, and Buses.
What does the Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) do?
The ALU performs calculations and logic operations.
What is the function of the Address Bus?
The Address Bus is unidirectional and carries the address of the data to be fetched.
What does the Control Unit do?
The Control Unit controls the operation of memory, the processor, and input/output devices.
What is the purpose of the System Clock?
The system clock generates timing signals to synchronize the CPU’s operations.
What is the function of the Data Bus?
The Data Bus is bidirectional and carries data between components.
What is the function of the Control Bus?
The Control Bus is bidirectional and carries control signals to manage the operation of various components.
What is the Immediate Access Store (IAS)?
The IAS stores instructions to be processed, which the CPU fetches.
What is the role of the Current Instruction Register (CIR)?
The CIR stores the instruction that the CPU is currently decoding or executing.
What is the Memory Address Register (MAR)?
The MAR stores the address of the instruction to be fetched and sends it to the Memory Data Register (MDR).
What does the Memory Data Register (MDR) do?
The MDR stores data from the address in the MAR and sends it to the CIR.
What is the function of the Program Counter (PC)?
The PC stores the address of the next instruction to be fetched from memory.
What is the function of the Accumulator (ACC)?
The ACC temporarily holds data during calculations.
What is the Fetch-Execute Cycle?
The cycle where instructions are fetched from memory, decoded, and executed by the CPU.
What happens during the Fetch-Execute Cycle?
The instruction is fetched from memory, decoded, and executed, with the PC being incremented each time.
What is the Stored Program Concept?
Instructions are stored in memory and can be fetched, decoded, and executed by the processor.
What is an instruction set?
An instruction set is the list of all machine code commands that a CPU can process.
What is the system clock in a computer?
The system clock defines the clock cycle that synchronizes all operations in the computer.
What is overclocking?
Overclocking is using a clock speed higher than the CPU is designed for, leading to potential instability and overheating.
What is the role of the data bus width in CPU performance?
A wider data bus improves performance by allowing more data to be transferred at once.
What is cache memory?
Cache memory is located within the CPU and stores frequently used data to improve access speed.
How does the size of the cache affect CPU performance?
A larger cache improves CPU performance by allowing quicker access to frequently used data.
What are cores in a CPU?
Cores are individual processing units within the CPU that allow multiple tasks to be processed simultaneously.
