Computer System Overview Quiz

What are the basic elements of a computer system?

• Processor

• Main Memory

• I/O Modules

• System Bus

What is the role of the processor in a computer system?

• Exploits hardware resources

• Manages secondary memory

• Provides services to users

• All of the above

What happens to the contents of main memory when the computer is shut down?

• They are saved

• They are lost

• They are transferred to secondary memory

• They are encrypted

What is the purpose of the program counter (PC)?

• Holds the address of the next instruction

• Stores the current instruction

• Increments after each fetch

• Both A and C

What is the principle of locality in memory hierarchy?

• Memory references tend to cluster

• Data is organized in a linear fashion

• Access times are constant

• None of the above

What is Direct Memory Access (DMA)?

• Transfers data through the processor

• Transfers data directly to memory

• Slows down the processor

• Requires constant CPU intervention

What are the characteristics of Symmetric Multiprocessors (SMP)?

• Two or more similar processors

• Shared main memory

• Interconnected by a bus

• All of the above

What is the function of cache memory?

• Invisible to the OS

• Interacts with memory management hardware

• Speeds up memory access

• All of the above

What is the Least Recently Used (LRU) Algorithm?

• Replaces the most recently used block

• Replaces the least recently used block

• Does not require hardware mechanisms

• Is the fastest replacement algorithm

What is the main disadvantage of programmed I/O?

• It is very fast

• It degrades system performance

• It requires no CPU intervention

• It is the most efficient method