WorksheetsPrelim EEC01
Total questions: 70
Worksheet time: 36mins
What does ISA stand for?
Instruction Storage Allocation
Instruction Set Architecture
Integrated System Architecture
Internal Software Algorithm
Which of the following is NOT a function of an ISA?
Defining instruction formats
Managing memory allocation
Controlling the register set
Specifying addressing modes
Which of the following is NOT an ISA type?
x86
ARM
RISC-V
PCIe
Who originally developed the x86 ISA?
ARM Holdings
Intel
IBM
Qualcomm
Which CPU uses the x86 ISA?
Qualcomm Snapdragon
Apple M2
Intel Core i9
ARM Cortex-A78
What extension added 64-bit support to x86?
SSE
x86-64
ARMv8
RISC-V
What does ARM stand for?
Advanced RISC Machines
Arithmetic Register Model
Adaptive Register Memory
Accelerated RISC Mode
Which of the following devices commonly use ARM processors?
Desktop PCs
Smartphones
High-performance servers
Legacy IBM systems
What is an example of an ARM-based processor?
Intel Core i7
Apple M1
AMD Ryzen
NVIDIA RTX 4090
What makes RISC-V different from x86 and ARM?
It is open-source
It is developed by a single company
It only supports 8-bit operations
It is primarily used in gaming
What is user-space simulation used for?
Running an entire OS
Running specific applications without an OS kernel
Simulating hardware behavior
Testing real-world device interactions
What does full-system simulation allow?
Only executing specific user applications
Running an entire operating system
Simulating only memory operations
Executing real hardware instructions
What is the fastest type of memory?
RAM
SSD
Cache
Hard Disk
Which of the following is NOT part of the memory hierarchy?
Registers
L1 Cache
Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)
RAM
What is the function of cache memory?
Store user files
Speed up access to frequently used data
Replace main memory
Act as a secondary storage device
What is a cache hit?
Data is found in the cache
Data must be retrieved from RAM
CPU stalls due to memory issues
Data is lost from the cache
What is a cache miss?
Data is not found in the cache
Data is found in L1 cache
CPU executes an invalid instruction
Memory overflow occurs
What is the consequence of a cache miss?
Faster execution time
Increased memory access latency
Improved CPU efficiency
Reduced power consumption
Which type of cache miss occurs when a block is evicted due to limited space?
Compulsory miss
Capacity miss
Conflict miss
Instruction miss
What is a compulsory miss?
A miss that happens when a block is accessed for the first time
A miss caused by cache block replacement
A miss due to cache associativity issues
A miss occurring in the ALU
Which cache level is closest to the CPU?
L1 Cache
L2 Cache
L3 Cache
RAM
What happens in a conflict miss?
A block is evicted because the cache is full
Multiple memory blocks map to the same cache location
A block is accessed for the first time
Data is lost during a pipeline stall
How can cache misses be reduced?
Increasing cache size
Reducing CPU frequency
Using more registers
Lowering the cache associativity
What is the hit ratio formula?
(Cache Misses / Total Cache Accesses) × 100
(Cache Hits / Total Cache Accesses) × 100
(Cache Hits / CPU Cycles) × 100
(Cache Accesses / Cache Hits) × 100
What does a higher cache hit rate indicate?
More frequent memory accesses
Better CPU performance
More cache misses
Higher latency
What can cause pipeline stalls?
Cache misses
Faster clock speeds
More CPU cores
Larger RAM size
Which of the following can improve cache performance?
Increasing cache block size
Using smaller cache memory
Reducing cache associativity
Disabling branch prediction
Which cache organization has the lowest miss rate?
Direct-mapped cache
Fully associative cache
Set-associative cache
LRU cache
How does increasing cache size impact performance?
Reduces cache misses
Increases cache access time
Decreases CPU speed
Increases instruction latency
Which type of memory access is slowest?
L1 Cache
L2 Cache
RAM
Registers
What is a bottleneck in computer performance?
A hardware or software component that limits overall system performance
The process of increasing CPU clock speed
A type of cache memory
A method for improving GPU performance
Which of the following is a common cause of bottlenecking in a computer system?
A fast SSD with a slow CPU
Using more RAM
Overclocking the CPU
Increasing network bandwidth
Supposed you have just opened your computer. The image shows a newly loaded program accessing memory for the first time. What type of cache miss is this?
Coherence Miss
Capacity Miss
Conflict Miss
Compulsory Miss
The screen displays a image, but the cache is too small to hold all required data. Some older data gets evicted before it is needed again. What type of miss is this?
Conflict Miss
Capacity Miss
Write Miss
Compulsory Miss
Increasing the size of the cache can help reduce which type of cache miss?
Conflict Miss
Temporal Miss
Capacity Miss
Compulsory Miss
What is the primary purpose of a CPU cache?
To increase RAM size
To manage power consumption
To speed up data access for the CPU
To store data permanently
What is the effect of a high cache miss rate on system performance?
Reduced power usage
Improved speed
Increased latency
Enhanced data security
What is the primary role of an Instruction Set Architecture (ISA)?
To define the hardware components of a CPU
To specify the set of instructions that a CPU can execute
To manage the operating system's memory allocation
To optimize software performance
What is the primary function of a CPU cache?
To store data permanently
To speed up data access for the CPU
To manage power consumption
To increase RAM size
What type of cache miss occurs when a requested block is not found in the cache?
Compulsory Miss
Capacity Miss
Conflict Miss
Temporal Miss
What is the main advantage of using a solid-state drive (SSD) over a traditional hard disk drive (HDD)?
Lower cost per gigabyte
Faster data access speeds
Greater durability against physical shock
Higher storage capacity
A typical computer system is equipped with a hierarchy of memory subsystems, some internal to the system and some external.
True
False
Internal memory capacity is typically expressed in terms of _________
hertz
nanos
bytes
LOR
The L1 cache is faster than the L3 cache
True
False
Why is ARM architecture widely used in mobile devices?
It has the highest CPI
It provides high power efficiency and performance
It supports fewer compilers
It’s easier to overclock
Why did Apple shift from Intel x86 to ARM in its M1/M2 chips?
ARM has higher transistor counts
ARM chips offer better performance per watt
x86 supports more instruction formats
RISC-based chips are cheaper to manufacture
Where does the ISA lie in the system architecture?
Between the user interface and applications
Between the hardware and machine-level software
Between RAM and cache memory
Between CPU and I/O devices
What best describes the role of an Instruction Set Architecture (ISA)?
It controls network communication protocols
It determines the screen resolution of a computer
It serves as an interface between hardware and software
It defines the structure of an operating system
What does the acronym ISA stand for?
Instruction Set Architecture
Integrated System Architecture
Internal Storage Architecture
Instruction Storage Array
What is the main advantage of cloud computing?
Increased hardware costs
Reduced need for physical storage
Enhanced local processing power
Improved software installation times
Very fast memory that is built into the CPU. Blocks of memory copied here from RAM.
RAM
Flash Memory
Cache Memory
Virtual Memory
RAM stands for
Revised Allied Memory
Read access Memory
Reusable Added Memory
Random Access Memory
Identify the highest speed of memory
Tertiary memory
Secondary memory
Main memory
Cache memory
