LU2 - Hardware

Question 1

Control Unit

Answer 1

Controls execution of each instruction (sends read/write signals to memory and the addresses of the instruction to be fetched)

Question 2

Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)

Answer 2

Where calculations and logical calculations take place. (Current Instruction is broken down and stored in registers)

Question 3

Registers

Answer 3

• Made of Static RAM ( is extremely fast)
• very expensive
• Eiter 32-bit or 64-bit

Question 4

Read Only Memory (ROM

Answer 4

Non-volatile memory chip that can be used to permanently store data.

Question 5

Serial Processing

Answer 5

Historically CPU’s process one instruction at a time, on single Processor

Question 6

Hyper-Threading

Answer 6

A method simultaneously breaking up and running program instructions on multiple microprocessors.
- Each part is broken up into individual sets, each instruction is run on different processor.

Question 7

Multi-processing

Answer 7

Is having multiple CPU’s or cores, on single CPU chip

Muti-processing and Hyper-threading were brought together. 2 cores that are hyper-threaded thus creating 4 logical core.

Question 8

Processor Cache

Answer 8

Cache memory made up of Static RAM(faster than DRAM and normal RAM)

• It stores blocks of program instructions and data that has been pre-fetched from RAM. In hope that Instructions or data will be needed next by CPU.

Level 1:
Cache is very small amount of memory built into the internal circuitry of CPU (less latency)

Level 2:
Cache memory can be located on top of the CPU chip (further away)

Level 3:
Motherboards contain level 3 cache on actual board itself ( larger than 2, but significantly slower)

Question 9

RAM

Answer 9

Stores the programs currently in use and data associated with them

Question 10

Latency

Answer 10

Time taken for a component to respond

Question 11

Motherboard

Answer 11

The central printed circuit that connects components and devices to each other

Question 12

System clock

Answer 12

Microchip that regulates the timing and speed of all computer functions

Question 13

Overclocking

Answer 13

Practise of making components run at rate faster than designed

Per component:
CPU operates faster than system clock by changing its own clock multiplication factor

The Whole System:
System clock is increased affecting all components that detect the system clock and multiply factor

Question 14

Bandwidth

Answer 14

The theoretical speed of date

Question 15

Throughput

Answer 15

The actual speed of data, after latency has been applied

Question 16

Internal Bus/Front Side Bus

Answer 16

Connects all components to the motherboard (Mostly CPU to RAM)

Question 17

Data Bus

Answer 17

Transfers actual instruction or data between CPU and RAM

Question 18

Address Bus

Answer 18

Transfers physical address of each instruction or data between CPU or RAM

Question 19

Control Bus

Answer 19

Carries commands(what computer needs to do) between CPU and RAM

Question 20

PCI Express (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express)

Answer 20

Used to connect graphic cards, RAID cards, WiFi cards, or SSD’s to motherboard

Question 21

SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment)

Answer 21

Computer bus interface used to connect mass storage devices(Hard-drive) to motherboard

Question 22

USB (Universal Serial Bus)

Answer 22

Technology used to standardise connection of peripherals to computer

Question 23

NVme (Non-Volatile Memory Express)

Answer 23

Allows SSD’s to read/write at a much higher speed than via a SATA communication bus

Question 24

M.2 Format

Answer 24

Designed for manufacturers to install a variety of high speed devices that require very little power in small spaces

Question 25

Hard Drives (secondary storage)

Answer 25

The hard drive is housed in computer case, Stores all user programs and data permanently

Question 26

Hard Disk Drives

Answer 26

Designed with mechanical moving parts, that include read/write head that scans the disk for data. - is susceptible to shock or damage

Question 27

Solid State Drives

Answer 27

They don't have any moving mechanical parts, only electric units - much faster and less susceptible to shock or damage

Question 28

Hybrid drives

Answer 28

A combonation of Hard Disk Drive and Solid State Drive HDD is joined with high-speed flash memory using SDD technology

Question 29

Flash Drive

Answer 29

Small, portable storage device that uses SSD tech

Question 30

Optical Drives

Answer 30

Uses laser light to etch data onto a dis for read/write - CD, DVD, Blu-ray drives

Question 31

SD Cards

Answer 31

Secure Digital cards are very small flash memory cards that provide high memory for small size

Question 32

Input Devices

Answer 32

Equipment that provides data to computer processing

Question 33

Output Device

Answer 33

Any device that only receives information from computer

Question 34

Cloud Storage

Answer 34

enables storing data and files on the internet - iCloud

Question 35

Disk Cache

Answer 35

Hardware Mechanism for improving the time it takes to read from or write to a hard disk - included as part of hard disk Instead of reading line by line, the lines are read into cache , so subsequent reads are from faster cache not slower drive

Question 36

Browser Cache

Answer 36

Accessing website, a copy of website is kept in browser cache on local hard disk

Question 37

Web Cache

Answer 37

Stores recently accessed web pages on a sever in network