Computer Architecture Quiz

What is the primary function of the Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)?

• Storing data

• Controlling program flow

• Performing calculations

• Fetching instructions

Which register holds the address of the next instruction to be executed?

• Accumulator (ACC)

• Memory Data Register (MDR)

• Program Counter (PC)

• Current Instruction Register (CIR)

What is the role of the Control Unit in a processor?

• Performing arithmetic operations

• Managing data storage

• Directing processor operations

• Decoding instructions only

Which bus is responsible for carrying memory addresses?

• Data bus

• Control bus

• Address bus

• System bus

What happens during the "Decode" stage of the Fetch-Decode-Execute cycle?

• The instruction is retrieved from memory.

• The operation to be performed is determined.

• The instruction is executed.

• The result is stored.

Which of these factors does not directly affect CPU performance?

• Clock speed

• Number of cores

• Hard drive speed

• Cache memory

What is the main purpose of pipelining in a processor?

• To reduce power consumption

• To improve efficiency by overlapping instruction execution

• To increase clock speed

• To simplify instruction decoding

Which processor architecture uses separate memory spaces for instructions and data?

• Von Neumann

• Harvard

• Combined Von Neumann/Harvard

• RISC

A modern CPU typically incorporates elements of which architectures?

• Only Von Neumann

• Only Harvard

• Both Von Neumann and Harvard

• Neither

Which register holds the data being read from or written to memory?

• MAR

• MDR

• PC

• CIR