Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
Answers to Review Questions
1.
D. A processor may accomplish all those other tasks indirectly, with the help of software,
but its core function is to do math. Numbers come in, are processed, and are outputted.
What the software chooses to do with them is not the processor's concern.
2.
A. A reduced instruction set computing (RISC) processor is a simple processor that has a
small instruction set and can operate effi ciently using that small set. RISC processors are
often used in hand-held devices like cell phones.
3.
C. A binary number consists of only 1 and 0 digits. Processors and memory use binary
numbering to store data in a series of on/off transistors.
4.
D. Intel and AMD are the two major manufacturers of PC processors.
5.
B. Land grid array (LGA) is the most popular socket type for today's processors. PGA is a
previous-generation socket that used pins on a processor that fi t into holes on the socket.
DIMM and SODIMM are types of RAM, not processors.
6.
A. The core speed of a processor is measured in gigahertz. Core speed is not the same as
the amount of data the processor can process per second, though; that's measured in MIPS.
Gigabytes are a measurement of disk storage space or memory capacity. Gigabits per second
is a measurement of data transport throughput, such as on a network.
7.
B. The motherboard's system bus, or front-side bus, moves the data to/from the CPU at a
rate set by the system timer on the motherboard. The memory, processor, and hard disk
all have a maximum speed at which they can reliably operate, but those speeds do not
determine the actual rate at which the system operates.
8.
D. The L1 cache is built into the processor's die, so it is the closest of all caches. The L2
cache is on the processor chip but not on the die itself. An L3 cache, if present, is also on
the chip but not on the die.
9.
B. Multicore processors are typically either dual-core or quad-core; some even have six or
eight cores. A processor with one core would not be considered multicore. There are currently
no processors that have 32 or 256 cores.
10.
A. A cell microprocessor is a hybrid between a multiple-core processor and a specialized
system, well-equipped for imaging and gaming applications. Sony uses a cell microprocessor
for its PlayStation 3 gaming system, with eight cells running the console.
11.
C. A passive cooling system has no moving parts and uses no power to run. The only one
of the options listed that fi ts these criteria is a heat sink.
12.
D. BIOS stands for Basic Input/Output System. The BIOS chip on the motherboard contains
the essential information it needs to start the computer and load the operating system into
memory.
13.
B. Static RAM (SRAM) is, by its defi nition, nonvolatile; it is used for fl ash RAM drives, for
example. Dynamic RAM is the volatile type, used for the main memory in most computer
systems. Read-only memory (ROM) is not only nonvolatile, but also not easily rewriteable
without a special tool. The central processing unit (CPU) is not a type of memory.
