Systems Architecture Flashcards
What does the CPU stand for
Central Processing Unit
What is the purpose of the CPU
Is to process data and instructions by constantly repeating the fetch-execute cycle
Draw a diagram of the CPU and label the four components
look up for answer
describe the purpose of the control unit
sends control signals to direct the operation of the cpu
describe the purpose of the ALU
performs simple calculations and logical operations
describe the purpose of the registers
is a temporary storage space for one instruction or address
describe the purpose of the Cache memory
is used to temporarily store data that is frequently accessed
describe key features of Von Neumann architecture
stores both program instructions and data in the same memory (ram) and in the same format (binary)
Explain how an instruction is different to data
An instruction is an action to perform and data is the value to be used
what is the purpose of the registers
Is a small storage space for temporary data in the CPU and each have a specific role.
Describe the purpose of the Program counter
the register that tracks the ram address of the next instruction to be fetched
Describe the purpose of Memory Address Register
Stores the ram address of the current instruction or data the CPU needs to access
Describe the purpose of the Memory data Register
The MDR stores the instruction that has been transferred from RAM to the CPU
Describe the purpose of the Accumulator
The ACC stores the result of mathematical or logical calculations.
What registers are used in fetch.
PC, MAR and MDR
What registers are used in execute.
ACC
What registers store an address
PC and MAR
What registers store data
MDR and ACC
what is cache memory
is the temporary storage for frequently accessed data
Describe two ways more cache memory will mean performance is higher
1.cache memory is closer to the CPU so it can transfer data faster
2.a computer with more cache memory should perform better as more frequently used instructions can be stored and used later
why do most computers have a small amount of cache memory
its costly
what is clock speed and what is it measured in
clock speed is the measure of how fast a CPU can process instructions and is measures in Giga Hertz (GHz)
how does higher clock speed improve performance?
the higher amount of cycles you can do a second the more instructions can be processed every second
explain the terms overclocking and underclocking and explain the effects on the performance of a computer
1.Overclocking is where the clock speed is increased above the recommend amount and increases performance but can lead to over heating and can damage the PC
2.underclocking is where the clock speed is decreased below the recommended amount and decreases performance but increases the lifespan of the PC
