Question 1

The CPU consists of which two parts?
A) The arithmetic logic unit and the front side bus
B) The control unit and the arithmetic logic unit
C) The control unit and the front side bus
D) Cache memory and SSD storage

Accepted Answer

The CPU consists of the Control Unit and the Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU). The Control Unit manages the CPU's operations, while the ALU performs arithmetic and logical operations.

Question 2

The control unit is one component of the ________.
A) CPU
B) cache
C) front side bus
D) clock

Accepted Answer

The control unit is a component of the CPU (Central Processing Unit). It manages the execution of instructions by directing the operation of the other components of the computer.

Question 3

Which of the following does not influence a CPU's processing power?
A) Clock speed
B) Number of cores
C) Amount of cache memory
D) Speed of the motherboard

Accepted Answer

The speed of the motherboard does not directly influence a CPU's processing power. CPU processing power is primarily determined by its clock speed, number of cores, and amount of cache memory, which directly affect how quickly and efficiently it can process tasks. The motherboard facilitates communication between the CPU and other components but does not directly impact the CPU's processing capabilities.

Question 4

The processor market for desktop and laptop computers is dominated by ________.
A) IBM
B) Microsoft
C) Intel
D) Apple

Accepted Answer

Intel is one of the leading manufacturers of processors for desktop and laptop computers, alongside AMD. IBM and Apple produce processors for specific markets or products, and Microsoft is primarily a software company, not a processor manufacturer.

Question 5

Running the CPU at a faster speed than the manufacturer recommends is called ________.
A) fetching
B) latency
C) overclocking
D) hyperthreading

Accepted Answer

Overclocking is the process of increasing the clock speed of a computer's CPU beyond the manufacturer's recommended maximum, often to improve performance.

Question 6

RAM is an example of ________ storage.
A) volatile
B) nonvolatile
C) permanent
D) mobile

Accepted Answer

RAM (Random Access Memory) is considered volatile storage because its data is lost when the device is turned off or loses power.

Question 7

A ________ uses electronic memory and has no motors or moving parts.
A) mechanical hard drive
B) solid-state drive
C) Bluray disc
D) digital video disc

Accepted Answer

A solid-state drive (SSD) uses electronic memory and has no motors or moving parts, unlike mechanical hard drives, Bluray discs, or digital video discs.

Question 8

When referring to hard drives, access time is measured in ________.
A) megahertz
B) bits per second
C) milliseconds
D) kilobytes

Accepted Answer

Access time for hard drives is measured in milliseconds, which represents the time it takes for the drive to locate and retrieve data.

Question 9

The amount of RAM storage on modern computing devices is usually measured in ________.
A) gigabytes
B) gigahertz
C) gigabits
D) machine cycles

Accepted Answer

RAM storage is typically measured in gigabytes (GB), which quantifies the amount of data storage capacity available.

Question 10

Cache memory levels are based on proximity to ________.
A) the hard drive
B) RAM
C) the processor
D) the video card

Accepted Answer

Cache memory levels are based on their proximity to the processor. The closer a cache level is to the CPU, the faster the CPU can access data from it.

Question 11

All of the following are part of the machine cycle except ________.
A) fetch
B) encode
C) execute
D) store

Accepted Answer

The machine cycle consists of four main stages: fetch, decode, execute, and store. "Encode" is not part of the machine cycle; instead, "decode" is the correct term for the process of interpreting the fetched instruction.

Question 12

The rule of thumb that predicts that the number of transistors on a CPU will double every two years is called ________ Law.
A) Charles'
B) Moore's
C) Intel's
D) Boyle's

Accepted Answer

Moore's Law, proposed by Gordon Moore in 1965, predicts that the number of transistors on a microchip doubles about every two years, though the cost of computers is halved.

Question 13

Windows uses a memory-management technique known as ________ to monitor which applications you use most frequently and then preloads them into your system memory.
A) SuperGet
B) SuperFetch
C) SuperTake
D) SuperRetrieve

Accepted Answer

SuperFetch is a memory-management technique used by Windows to analyze usage patterns over time and pre-load frequently used applications into system memory for faster access.

Question 14

Select the best way to determine your RAM allocation.
A) List all programs you would run simultaneously and the amount of RAM each needs and add them together.
B) Count the number of available slots on the motherboard.
C) Divide the number of used memory slots by the number of total memory slots.
D) Monitor RAM usage in performance monitor and calculate an average of RAM used over 10 random periods.

Accepted Answer

The best way to determine RAM allocation is to list all programs you would run simultaneously and add their RAM requirements together to ensure you have enough memory to support your usage needs.

Question 15

Some of the cache memory of a CPU is ________.
A) on the CPU, itself
B) on the hard disk drive
C) on a nearby SSD
D) in cloud storage

Accepted Answer

Cache memory is directly located on the CPU itself to allow for the quickest possible access to frequently used data and instructions.

Question 16

Which of the following storage devices has the largest potential capacity?
A) Compact disc
B) SD card
C) Bluray disc
D) Mechanical hard drive

Accepted Answer

Mechanical hard drives currently offer the largest potential capacity among the options listed, with single drives available that can store several terabytes (TB) of data. Compact discs, SD cards, and Blu-ray discs typically offer much lower capacities, with SD cards reaching up to a few TB in the most extreme cases, but still not surpassing the top capacities of mechanical hard drives.

Question 17

________ provides high-speed information processing by enabling a new set of instructions to start before the previous set is finished.
A) Multitasking
B) Cache memory
C) Hyperthreading
D) Overclocking

Accepted Answer

Hyperthreading is a technology used in certain CPUs that allows a single physical processor core to act as two separate logical processors. This enables it to process two instruction streams at once, effectively allowing new instructions to start before the previous set has finished, thus improving performance in certain applications.

Question 18

Which of the following activities is carried out by the ALU?
A) Moves read/write heads
B) Performs arithmetic calculations
C) Creates virtual memory
D) Renders video images

Accepted Answer

The ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit) is responsible for performing arithmetic calculations, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

Question 19

Which is the lightest of the following types of computers?
A) Laptop
B) Ultrabook
C) Smartphones
D) Desktop

Accepted Answer

Smartphones are the lightest among the options given, as they are designed to be highly portable and can easily fit in a pocket, unlike laptops, ultrabooks, and desktops which are larger and heavier.

Question 20

Which of the following is not a permanent storage option?
A) External hard drive
B) Random access memory
C) Internal hard drive
D) SSD

Accepted Answer

Random access memory (RAM) is not a permanent storage option because it is volatile, meaning that data stored in RAM is lost when the computer is turned off.

Quiz 6: Understanding and Assessing Hardware: Evaluating Your System

The CPU consists of which two parts?

The control unit is one component of the ________.

Which of the following does not influence a CPU's processing power?

The processor market for desktop and laptop computers is dominated by ________.

Running the CPU at a faster speed than the manufacturer recommends is called ________.

RAM is an example of ________ storage.

A ________ uses electronic memory and has no motors or moving parts.

When referring to hard drives, access time is measured in ________.

The amount of RAM storage on modern computing devices is usually measured in ________.

Cache memory levels are based on proximity to ________.

All of the following are part of the machine cycle except ________.

The rule of thumb that predicts that the number of transistors on a CPU will double every two years is called ________ Law.

Windows uses a memory-management technique known as ________ to monitor which applications you use most frequently and then preloads them into your system memory.

Select the best way to determine your RAM allocation.

Some of the cache memory of a CPU is ________.

Which of the following storage devices has the largest potential capacity?

________ provides high-speed information processing by enabling a new set of instructions to start before the previous set is finished.

Which of the following activities is carried out by the ALU?

Which is the lightest of the following types of computers?

Which of the following is not a permanent storage option?