GCSE Computing 1.1 CPU Performance

A 2GHz Processor can process:

• 2,000,000 instructions per second

• 2,000,000,000 instructions per second

• 20,000,000 instructions per second

• 200,000 instructions per second

Which of these clock speeds is the fastest:

• 10 Mhz

• 1 Mhz

• 1 Ghz

• 100 Mhz

A PC uses cache memory to help improve performance. Which of the following statements about cache memory is true?

• Level 3 cache is closest to the CPU

• Cache is part of main memory

• Level 1 cache is closest to the CPU

• Cache memory is cheaper than "normal" memory

The diagram shown here represents cores/channels in a CPU. Which of the following sentences is correct?

• There are 4 Cores and 6 Channels in this CPU

• There are 6 Cores and 4 Channels in this CPU

• You could double the number of cores to double the CPU speed

• This CPU has 4 Ghz clock speed

What component on the diagram is represented by the YELLOW shape?

• Level 1 cache

• Level 2 cache

• CPU

• Main Memory

What component on the diagram is represented by the YELLOW shape?

• Level 1 cache

• Level 2 cache

• CPU

• Main Memory

Which of the factors below can significantly impact the performance of a CPU? (choose as many as are appropriate)

• Clock Speed

• Cache Size

• Number of cores

• SSD (Solid State Drive)

What is represented in the diagram shown here?

• The time taken to Fetch an instruction

• The time taken to Execute an instruction

• The time take to execute a whole program

• The time taken to perform the Fetch Execute Cycle

Which of the following statements are true? (select as many as appropriate)

• A dual-core CPU can run through the Fetch Execute Cycle, four times per second

• Overclocking is a safe way of improving CPU performance

• A quad-core CPU can carry out more Fetch Execute Cycles per second than a dual core CPU

• Overclocking can improve CPU performance

Which is the fastest kind of memory that the CPU can access?

• Main Memory

• L1 Cache

• L2 Cache

• EXTERNAL memory (i.e. on a USB stick)