Factors Affecting CPU Performance

What is one critical aspect of a CPU design that affects its performance?

• Brand name

• Clock speed

• Cooling fan

• Power Supply

Answer explanation

The performance of a Central Processing Unit (CPU) is significantly influenced by its clock speed. This is the speed at which the CPU can execute instructions. The faster the clock speed, the more operations the CPU can perform per second. Other options such as brand name, cooling fan, and power supply do not directly affect the CPU's performance.

Imagine you are a computer engineer. What would be the purpose of a cache in a CPU in your daily work?

• To store temporary data and instructions that you might need to access quickly

• To control the clock speed of the CPU

• To increase the number of cores in the CPU

• To improve the efficiency of communication between different components

Answer explanation

A cache in a CPU is used to store temporary data and instructions that are frequently accessed by the system. This quick access to data significantly speeds up the processing times, making the system more efficient. The other options relating to controlling clock speed, increasing cores, or improving component communication do not directly relate to the function of a cache.

Imagine you are a computer engineer working on a new CPU design. What would the clock speed of your CPU measure?

• The number of cores in your CPU design

• The size of the cache in your CPU design

• The number of instructions your CPU can execute per second

• The efficiency of communication between the cores in your CPU design

What is the main advantage of having multiple cores in a CPU?

• Increased clock speed

• Larger cache size

• Ability to run multiple programs simultaneously

• Improved communication efficiency

Answer explanation

The main advantage of having multiple cores in a CPU is the ability to run multiple programs simultaneously. Each core can execute a different process at the same time, leading to improved multitasking and enhanced system performance. This is not directly related to clock speed, cache size, or communication efficiency.

What is the potential drawback of having more cores in a CPU?

• Decreased clock speed

• Smaller cache size

• Inefficient communication between cores

• Limited ability to run multiple programs simultaneously

What is the purpose of offloading tasks to specialized processors in a computer?

• To decrease the overall performance of the main CPU

• To improve the efficiency of communication between cores

• To increase the clock speed of the main CPU

• To enhance the overall performance of the main CPU

John is a computer engineer and he is working on a project that requires a chip with more than one core. What is the technical name for such a chip?

• CPU

• Chip Multiprocessor (CMP)

• Quad Core Processor

• Graphics Card

What is the size of the cache compared to the main memory?

• Cache is larger than main memory

• Cache is smaller than main memory

• Cache and main memory have the same size

• Cache size varies depending on the CPU design

What is the unit of measurement for clock speed?

• Hertz

• Gigahertz

• Megahertz

• Kilohertz

The first step of the processor's operation cycle is known as . . . . .