WorksheetsWeeks 1 -3 Quiz
Total questions: 105
Worksheet time: 55mins
What is a feature of non-contiguous allocation in memory management?
It improves memory utilization by using only large contiguous blocks.
It leads to external fragmentation only.
It allows processes to be loaded in non-adjacent memory blocks.
It always requires special hardware.
What is the address space of a process in the context of virtual memory?
The total physical memory available to the system.
The range of virtual memory addresses a process can use.
The cache memory available for fast access.
The swap space used by the operating system.
What is thrashing in a virtual memory system?
The efficient use of cache memory.
A condition where excessive swapping reduces performance.
The use of virtual memory to execute large programs.
A state when memory is completely utilized.
What is the primary role of a Translation Lookaside Buffer (TLB)?
To store cache memory.
To improve disk I/O speed.
To reduce the time for virtual-to-physical address translation.
To manage system interrupts.
What does the working set of a process represent?
The pages of the process in the TLB.
The pages currently stored in the swap space.
The physical memory allocated to the process.
The set of pages the process needs to run efficiently.
What is MMIO (Memory-Mapped I/O)?
A method where I/O devices use the ALU for communication.
A method where I/O devices are mapped into the system's memory space.
A technique for speeding up cache access.
A memory protection mechanism.
What is Copy-On-Write (COW)?
A method to optimize the reading of files from disk.
A memory management optimization where memory pages are shared until modified.
A technique for sequential access of memory.
A method for improving TLB hit rates.
Which type of memory access is like listening to a cassette tape or CD?
Random access
Linear access
Associative access
Sequential access
What is software prefetching?
Prefetching data into the cache based on software instructions.
The automatic retrieval of data from disk to RAM.
Prefetching data into the cache based on patterns detected by hardware.
An optimization technique used by the operating system scheduler.
What is the resident set in the context of virtual memory?
The total number of pages in virtual memory.
The pages currently loaded in physical memory.
The pages that have been swapped to disk.
The pages mapped to the TLB.
Which of the following memory access methods is like finding a library book based on its location on the shelf (its 'address')?
Random access
Sequential access
Associative access
Linear access
What happens when thrashing occurs in a system?
The CPU processes I/O instructions faster.
The system slows down due to excessive paging in and out.
The memory is freed up for new processes.
The virtual memory system is optimized.
In DRAM, what can cause a row buffer conflict?
Accessing different rows frequently
Accessing the same row repeatedly
Prefetching too much data into cache
Insufficient virtual memory
A buffer used to improve the speed of virtual-to-physical address translation is called a (type in the initials in all capitals, no spaces) (a) .
(a) occurs when a system spends most of its time paging in and out. (write in all lowercase)
Copy-on- (a) allows processes to share memory pages until one modifies it.
What is the role of the BIOS in a computer system?
To manage CPU instruction sets
To initialize hardware during bootup and provide runtime services for the operating system
To handle filesystem management
To optimize cache performance
What does UEFI stand for?
Universal Electronic Final Item
Unified Extended Firmware In-place
Un-Extensible File Interface
Unified Extensible Firmware Interface
What is the function of the Power-On Self-Test (POST) in a computer?
It checks the status of virtual memory.
It verifies that the computer hardware is functioning correctly before booting the operating system.
It initializes the CPU and memory caches.
It starts the GPU.
What is bandwidth?
The total memory capacity of the system.
The time required to write data to cache.
The delay between a request for data and its delivery.
The amount of data that can be transferred over a communication channel in a given time.
Which cache replacement strategy is most commonly used today?
Random replacement
Least Recently Used (LRU)
First In, First Out (FIFO)
Most Recently Used (MRU)
What is a cache hit?
When the requested data is found in the cache.
When the cache fails to retrieve the required data.
When the data is read directly from the hard drive.
When cache memory is full.
What happens during a cache miss?
Data is retrieved from cache quickly.
The data must be retrieved from a slower memory source, such as RAM or disk.
The CPU generates an interrupt to free up cache memory.
Cache memory is cleared.
What is a write-through cache?
Data is written to both the cache and the main memory simultaneously.
Data is written only to the cache and not to the main memory.
Data is stored in the cache and written to main memory at a later time.
Cache memory is bypassed when writing data to main memory.
In a write-back cache, when is data written to main memory?
Immediately after the data is written to the cache.
When the system is restarted.
When the CPU generates a page fault.
Only when the cache block is replaced or modified.
What problem does virtual memory solve in modern computer systems?
It increases the total RAM available.
It allows programs to exceed the size of physical memory by using disk space.
It decreases the number of page faults.
It replaces cache memory in high-performance systems.
Which type of fragmentation occurs when memory blocks are allocated in fixed sizes, leaving unused space inside the allocated blocks?
External fragmentation
Internal fragmentation
Virtual fragmentation
Swap fragmentation
What is swap space used for in a computer system?
Storing backup copies of virtual memory.
Storing the operating system kernel.
Temporarily holding pages of memory that have been paged out of RAM.
Managing I/O device requests.
What causes a page fault?
A memory address conflict.
The requested page is not in main memory and must be loaded from disk.
The CPU accesses an invalid memory address.
The cache fails to retrieve the required data.
The process of testing hardware components during the computer’s boot-up process is called (write only the initials, in all caps) (a) .
UEFI is a modern alternative to (write only the initials, in all caps) (a) .
A cache (a) occurs when the requested data is found in cache.
Fragmentation that occurs when there are small unused spaces between memory blocks is called (a) fragmentation.
How does distributed memory differ from shared memory?
Distributed memory uses a single memory space for all processors.
Distributed memory requires communication between nodes in order to access memory from different nodes.
Distributed memory systems cannot scale beyond two processors.
Distributed memory systems use cache for communication.
What is the difference between serial and parallel execution?
Serial execution divides tasks between multiple processors, while parallel execution runs tasks one after the other.
Serial execution processes tasks one after another, while parallel execution runs multiple tasks simultaneously.
Serial execution is used in modern CPUs, while parallel execution is outdated.
Serial execution and parallel execution are the same in terms of performance.
What is the primary difference between parallel processing and pipelining?
What is the primary difference between parallel processing and pipelining?
Parallel processing runs multiple tasks at the same time, while pipelining breaks tasks into stages.
Pipelining requires more memory than parallel processing.
Pipelining is used most frequently by the GPU.
Parallel processing is only used in distributed systems, while pipelining is used in shared memory systems.
What type of architecture does SIMD represent in Flynn's taxonomy?
Multiple instructions, single data
Single instruction, multiple data
Multiple instructions, multiple data
Single instruction, single data
In Flynn’s taxonomy, which architecture type is used in most modern CPUs?
Multiple Instruction, Multiple Data
Multiple Input, Multiple Devices
Multicore Instruction, Memory Data
Multiple Instruction, Single Data
What is a key feature of multicore processors?
A single core handles multiple threads sequentially.
Multiple processing cores are integrated onto a single chip.
Multicore processors rely on distributed memory systems for communication.
Each core in a multicore processor runs at different clock speeds.
What is a defining characteristic of Symmetric Multiprocessing (SMP)?
Only one processor is used for all tasks.
Each processor in SMP has its own private memory.
SMP systems require distributed memory for communication between processors.
All processors share a common memory and are treated equally.
Which of the following best describes a Massively Parallel Processing (MPP) system (choose 2)?
A system where multiple processors share a single memory space.
A system used in most modern laptops.
A system with many processors that work independently, each with its own memory.
A system commonly used in large databases.
In a Non-Uniform Memory Access (NUMA) system, what is the main characteristic?
Memory access time is the same for all processors.
Memory access time varies depending on the processor and memory location.
NUMA systems are only used in small-scale parallel systems.
Processors share memory equally and have uniform latency.
What defines a computer cluster?
A group of independent computers that work together as a single system.
A single computer with multiple cores.
A system with shared memory and shared cache.
A core with multiple threads executing in parallel.
What is firmware in the context of computer systems?
Software that runs on the operating system.
Hardware instructions stored on volatile memory.
Low-level software stored in non-volatile memory that controls hardware.
A type of high-level programming language.
Which of the following is a characteristic of DDR RAM?
Data is transferred once per clock cycle.
Data is transferred twice per clock cycle, on both the rising and falling edges.
DDR RAM is slower than single data rate (SDR) RAM.
DDR RAM is only used in high-performance servers.
What is a characteristic of NVMe?
NVMe uses a serial connection to transfer data.
NVMe is outdated and is more common on older PCs.
NVMe can only be used in high-performance environments.
NVMe can connect directly to the CPU through the PCIe bus, offering faster data transfer speeds.
In Flynn’s taxonomy, (a) is the type of processing commonly done by the GPU. (type the letters in all caps)
DDR RAM stands for (a) Data Rate RAM (Write answer is all lowercase).
What is the primary function of CPU registers?
Store large amounts of data temporarily.
Perform complex arithmetic calculations.
Hold small amounts of data temporarily for quick access by the CPU.
Manage power consumption in the CPU.
How does the Harvard architecture differ from the Von Neumann architecture?
Harvard architecture uses a single memory for both data and instructions.
Von Neumann architecture separates memory for data and instructions.
Harvard architecture has separate memory spaces for data and instructions, while Von Neumann architecture uses the same memory for both.
Harvard architecture is used exclusively in modern computers.
What is the difference between combinational and sequential circuits?
Combinational circuits depend on previous inputs, while sequential circuits do not.
Combinational circuits are used only in analog systems.
Sequential circuits are faster than combinational circuits.
Combinational circuits depend only on current inputs, while sequential circuits depend on both current inputs and past states.
What is the main distinction between a half adder and a full adder?
A half adder adds two bits without considering a carry bit, while a full adder adds two bits and includes a carry bit from previous additions.
A half adder performs subtraction, while a full adder performs addition.
A full adder is faster than a half adder.
A full adder cannot handle multiple inputs.
Karnaugh maps (K-maps) are used for which purpose?
Simplifying Boolean expressions.
Implementing memory management algorithms.
Converting decimal to binary numbers.
Optimizing data transfer speeds.
What is overflow in the context of ALU addition?
When the result of an addition exceeds the storage capacity of the destination register.
When a subtraction operation produces a negative result.
When the ALU performs more operations than intended.
When the ALU fails to perform addition properly.
What is the function of a multiplexer in digital circuits?
To add multiple binary numbers.
To select one input from many inputs and forward it to the output.
To store multiple inputs for future processing.
To simplify Boolean expressions.
What is an FPU used for?
Handling integer arithmetic.
Storing memory addresses.
Managing cache operations.
Performing operations on floating point numbers.
What is the key difference between concurrency and parallelism?
Concurrency refers to multitasking by one core, while parallelism involves tasks being executed simultaneously on different cores.
Parallelism is possible on a single-core system, while concurrency is not.
Concurrency and parallelism are identical in modern computing systems.
Concurrency requires more resources than parallelism.
What is a thread in a computer system?
It manages the physical memory in the system.
It is the smallest unit of execution in a process.
It organizes data in the cache.
It balances load across multiple processors.
What does load balancing aim to achieve in parallel computing?
Reduce the power consumption of processors.
Prioritize certain tasks over others for faster execution.
Distribute tasks evenly across processors to optimize performance.
Allocate more memory to critical processes.
What does scalability refer to in the context of computing systems?
The ability of a system to process larger datasets without degradation in performance.
The ability of a system to perform the same task repeatedly without failure.
The ability of a system to reduce its power consumption as demand increases.
The ability of a system to optimize its software without changing the hardware.
In a distributed system, what is a node?
A central processor that controls all other processors in the system.
A memory controller responsible for data access.
A network switch used to transfer data between processors.
An individual processing unit that is part of the distributed system.
According to Amdahl’s Law, what limits the speedup of a parallel system?
The number of processors currently available.
The fraction of the program that must be executed serially.
The size of the memory in the system.
The power efficiency of the system.
What is the primary function of PCIe slots on a motherboard?
To provide power to the CPU.
To connect and communicate with high-speed hardware components.
To store data temporarily.
To manage the cooling system of the computer.
CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) is primarily used for which function in a computer?
Storing the operating system.
Maintaining system settings and the real-time clock when the computer is powered off.
Enhancing the speed of data transfer.
Managing the CPU’s power consumption.
What role does the chipset play in a computer system?
It controls how data flows between the CPU, memory, and peripherals.
It manages the display settings of the system.
It acts as the primary power supply for the computer.
It controls the cooling of the processor.
Transistors in modern processors are primarily responsible for which function?
Storing data.
Managing data transfer between storage devices.
Acting as switches that control electrical signals.
Organizing tasks for the operating system.
Which statement best describes assembly language?
It is a high-level programming language used for web development.
It is a low-level language that closely represents machine code but is easier to read and write.
It is used exclusively in mobile applications.
It automatically manages memory for the programmer.
Machine code is written in which format?
Binary
Assembly
High-level programming languages
Hexadecimal
The term ISA refers to what?
A specific operating system.
A type of memory module.
A high-speed network protocol.
The set of instructions a CPU can execute.
What is the main difference between RISC and CISC architectures?
CISC has a larger set of more complex instructions.
CISC is more power-efficient than RISC.
RISC is designed for desktop computers, while CISC is for mobile devices.
RISC requires more hardware resources than CISC.
A processor’s core is responsible for ____________.
Managing input and output devices.
Executing instructions and performing calculations.
Controlling the flow of data between different applications.
Handling network communications.
Multithreading refers to ____________.
Using multiple CPUs to execute programs.
A CPU executing multiple threads concurrently by switching between them.
Executing a single thread across multiple cores.
The division of a program into fetch, decode, execute.
A cache hit occurs when ____________.
The data needed by the CPU is found in the cache memory.
The data is not found in the cache and must be retrieved from the main memory.
The CPU accesses the wrong memory address.
The cache runs out of storage capacity.
Pipelining improves CPU performance by ____________.
Allowing multiple instructions to be processed simultaneously at different stages.
Increasing the clock speed of the CPU.
Executing only one instruction at a time.
Using more cores to process instructions.
LGA and PGA sockets differ in the way the pins are arranged. In an LGA socket, the pins are located ____________.
On the CPU itself.
There are no pins.
Inside the CPU.
On the motherboard.
Assembly language is a low-level language that is converted to (a) code for execution by the CPU.
A cache (a) occurs when the required data is not found in the cache.
The (a) , decode, execute cycle refers to how the CPU processes instructions.
The PSU (Power Supply Unit) is responsible for ____________.
Storing data
Cooling the CPU
Converting AC power from the wall outlet into usable DC power for computer components
Rendering images on the screen
What is the purpose of the VRM (Voltage Regulator Module) in a computer system?
To manage the CPU clock speed.
To regulate and deliver the correct voltage to the CPU and other components.
To provide additional cooling to the GPU.
To increase the memory capacity.
RAM is used for ____________.
Long-term storage of files
Keeping track of clock cycles
Cooling the CPU
Temporary storage of data that the CPU can access quickly
DIMM (Dual In-line Memory Module) is ____________.
A type of storage device.
A stick that holds RAM.
A cooling component.
A CPU architecture.
Which of the following is a key difference between SSDs and HDDs?
SSDs are less expensive than HDDs.
SSDs have no moving parts, making them faster and more durable.
SSDs consume significantly more power than HDDs.
SSDs are more common in old PCs, while HDDs are more modern.
SATA is a standard used for connecting which type of component?
CPUs
Graphics cards
Storage devices like SSDs and HDDs
Monitors
A GPU is primarily designed for ____________.
Managing power consumption.
Accelerating graphical computations and rendering.
Storing large files.
Executing general-purpose instructions.
What is the main function of the ALU in a CPU?
Storing data
Executing basic arithmetic and logical operations
Managing power delivery
Rendering graphics
What is the purpose of a heatsink in a computer system?
To store data
To cool down components by dissipating heat
To provide power to the system
To enhance sound output
A CPU fan is primarily used to ____________.
Increase CPU clock speed.
Keep the CPU cool by providing airflow to prevent overheating.
Store temporary data for fast access.
Transfer data between the CPU and the GPU.
Which cooling method is quieter and faster?
Air cooling
Sink cooling
Passive cooling
Water cooling
CPU throttling (thermal throttling) is a mechanism to ____________.
Increase the performance of the CPU.
Lower the CPU clock speed to prevent overheating.
Save energy by shutting down the CPU during inactivity.
Increase the memory capacity of the CPU.
Which numeral system uses base 2?
Hexadecimal
Octal
Binary
Decimal
What is the base of the hexadecimal numeral system?
8
16
2
10
The IEEE 754 standard is used to represent ____________.
Integer values
Floating-point numbers
ASCII characters
Boolean values
ASCII is a character encoding standard that uses ____________ bits per character.
8
16
32
7
Which encoding standard supports more characters and is widely used for international text?
ASCII
UTF-8
Binary
IEEE 754
Which logic gate outputs true only if one input is true and the other is false?
OR
AND
NOT
XOR
The OR gate outputs true when ____________.
Both inputs are false
At least one input is true
Both inputs are true
One input is true and one input is false
Storage devices typically store data ____________, while memory stores data ____________.
Permanently, temporarily
Temporarily, permanently
Volatile, non-volatile
Only during boot, always
Which of the following is an example of non-volatile memory?
RAM
Cache
Hard Disk Drive
Register
Volatile memory ____________ when power is lost.
Retains its data
Compresses its data
Duplicates its data
Loses its data
The memory hierarchy is organized based on ____________.
Cost and access speed
Power consumption
Encoding standard
Operating system
Which component serves as the main circuit board in a computer, allowing communication between the CPU, memory, and other peripherals?
RAM
PSU
Motherboard
Hard Drive
The (a) gate outputs true only when both inputs are true (write in all lowercase).
(a) memory requires power to maintain stored information. (write in all lowercase letters)
