Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

CS 330 Midterm > TOPIC 1 - Hardware, Processor, Memory > Flashcards

TOPIC 1 - Hardware, Processor, Memory Flashcards

1
Q

Why is understanding IT important?

A

You will make better decisions if you understand the options and their tradeoffs

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

social engineering

A

when hackers use their knowledge of psychology to trick people in divulging confidential information

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

what are hardware components

A

basic components of a computer

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

name the 6 types of hardware components

A

processor, main memory, secondary storage, input devices, output devices, communication devices

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

processor definition

A

central processing unit where symbols, characters, and numbers are manipulated

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

main memory defintion

A

where data and program instructions are stored temporarily during the process

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

secondary storage

A

stores data and programs even when the computer is turned off

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

input devices definition

A

convert data and instructions from the outside world into the electronic form suitable for the computer

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

examples of input devices

A

keyboard, mouse, touchpad, touchscreen, mic, camera

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

output device definition

A

converts electronic data produced by the computer into a form understood by humans or the outside world

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

examples of output devices

A

monitor, speaker, printer

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

communication devices definition

A

provide connections between the computer and communication networks

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

examples of communication devices

A

network interface card, ethernet, wifi, bluetooth

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Small b vs big B

How many different values?

A

small b is for bit -> 2 possible values

big B is for byte (8 bits)-> 256 possible values

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

data storage and data transfers refer to which multiples?

A

1024 (K,M,G,T)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

metric system or frequencies refer to which multiples?

A

multiples of 1000

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

How many bytes are in a KB?

A

1024

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What is bandwidth and how is it measured?

A

bandwidth refers to speed and is measured in bits per second.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What is word size?

A

a measure of how many bits a processor can transfer/manipulate at the same time

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

what are the 2 different word size architectures and where are they used?

A

32 bit: older and inexpensive smartphones

64 bit: premium smartphones, recent laptops and servers

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

what is backwards compatibility?

A

the new version of one component is designed to work with remaining older components

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Processors are built for 2 reasons. Name the reasons.

A

Built for efficiency and built for speed

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Name the characteristics of a processor built for efficiency.

A
  • run for a long time with a small battery
  • no fan
  • minimize transistors
  • smartphones and tablets
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Name the characteristics of a processor build for speed

A
  • large battery or plug in
  • need a fan
  • complex with many transistors
  • used in laptops, desktops, and servers
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Role of the processor in a computer
processor is the part that does computation and only executes simple instructions
26
goal of simple instructions and examples
to be executed very quickly - arithmetic and logic - comparisons - accessing data - flow control
27
Name the components of a processor
program counter, instruction register, arithmetic logic unit, registers, control unit, cache
28
define the program counter and where it is located
located in the processor, it holds the address of the current or next instruction
29
define the instruction register and where it is located
located in the processor, holds the instruction that is being/about to be executed
30
define the arithmetic logic unit and where it is located
located in the processor, performs arithmetic and logic operations
31
define the registers and where it is located
located in the processor, is a small amount of temporary and fast storage - usually a source/destination for the data
32
define the control unit and where it is located
located in the processor, reads the instruction in the IR and turns on/off the other components of the processor to execute instruction
33
define the cache and where it is located
located in the processor, and stores recently used data and instructions
34
the speed at which you can access memory depends on?
depends on the size of the memory, the smaller = the faster.
35
Implication of more cache levels
The more levels of cache the better - it is faster but more expensive
36
Which level would store frequent data & instructions?
smallest cache and can be accessed quickly
37
Define a multicore processor and the 2 most common
each core acts like a separate processor on the same chip. - duo core: 2 cores and 2 instructions at the same time - quad-core: 4 cores and 4 instructions at the same time
38
How is processor power/performance measured?
typically reported as clock speed (frequency)
39
processing power is based on what 4 aspects?
1. number of cores 2. word size 3. bus speed 4. complexity of instruction
40
the speed a clock ticks is measured in:
MHz: 1 million clock ticks per second GHz: 1 billion clock ticks per second
41
types of storage devices (5)
- static random access memory - dynamic random access memory - solid state drive - hard drive - usb flash drive
42
why not have one type of storage device?
gap between processor performance and memory performance. performance has been increasing much faster - accessing memory is the bottleneck
43
state the memory hierarchy
``` registers caches RAM solid state drive hard drive network storage off site storage (cloud) ```
44
top of memory hierarchy characteristics
fastest, most expensive, smallest capacity, closest
45
bottom of memory hierarchy characteristics
slowest, least expensive, largest capacity, farthest away
46
compare and constrast the 2 types of random access memory
static ram: expensive but faster and is used for registers | dynamic ram: less expensive but slower, used for RAM
47
goal of memory hierarchy
store commonly used data & instructions in fast memory and rarely used data and instructions in slow memory
48
what are the 2 main types of memory
main memory and secondary storage
49
name the 3 components of main memory and their characteristics
components: registers, caches, RAM (load programs/files into RAM from secondary storage to access) characteristics: faster, expensive, volatile
50
what does main memory store?
- All of part of the software program being executed - The data that the program is using - The operating system programs that manage the operation of the computer
51
name the different types of secondary storage and characterisitcs?
types: hard drive, flash drive, optical drive characteristics: slower, cheaper, non-volatile
52
secondary storage is also referred to as:
external memory/storage because it is not directly accessible by the processor data and programs must be copied to main memory for access
53
name the parts of a hard drive
- main PCB - ribbon cable - actuator - actuator axis - actuator arm - read/write head - spindle - platter
54
what is a platter?
set of disks stacked on top of each other each with magnetic coating on both sides
55
what is RPM?
how fast the disk is spinning, rotations per minute, higher RPM= faster access
56
what is an actuator arm?
moves across the disk to position the read/write heads
57
what does the read/write head do?
Read/write head changes the orientation of the magnetic field at a particular location to represent 0 or 1
58
what curve does mean time between failures follow?
bathtub curve, more likely to fail initially due to manufacturing error and later failure due to wearing out
59
pros of a solid state drive
- 10x faster to access data - Lasts longer - No moving parts that can wear out
60
cons of a solid state drive
- More expensive - Wear out sooner than a hard disk drive when writing a lot of data - Data can fade over time
61
Discuss when adding RAM would/would not improve computer performance
improve: if there is not enough RAM, OS will use secondary storage which is much slower and will degrade performance not improve: when there is enough RAM

CS 330 Midterm (6 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions