Retrieval practice Contemporary Processors #2

1 What is the key function of a processor/CPU?

• A. Transfers data as signals between the components of the computer
• B. Connects the RAM to the hard disk
• C. Stores data and instructions
• D. Carries out instructions given to it

2 Which of these is not a characteristic of the von Neumann computer architecture?

• A. Both data and program instructions are held in the same memory unit
• B. Program instructions are executed in their given sequence
• C. It is also known as the Harvard architecture
• D. There is only one control unit

3 Expand the acronym CISC

• A. Computing Interrupt Scheduling Core
• B. Complex Instruction Set Computer
• C. Central Instruction Set Computer
• D. Core Interrupt Selection Computing

4 Which of these is a feature of a RISC system architecture?

• A. The instructions are structured with multiple operands and can carry out several subtasks at once A
• B. Manufacturing a RISC processor requires more transistors than for CISC B
• C. Instructions can usually be executed within a single clock cycle O
• D. It is more straightforward to write a compiler for a RISC processor than a CISC processor D

5. How does a CPU execute a program?

• A. It sequentially fetches instructions from memory, decodes them and executes them
• B. It fetches, decodes and executes data and instructions held in memory
• C. It executes the instructions while they are in the memory (RAM/cache)
• D. It transfers a block of instructions into the CIR and executes that block all at once

6 What is the role of the clock inside a CPU?

• A. It synchronises the various components by its signals
• B. It decides how many time slices a program will get to execute
• C. It manages the date/time settings including the regional date format
• D. It counts how many program instructions have already executed

7. Which of these statements about multicore CPUs is false?

• A. Different cores can execute separate programs if the CPU is multitasking
• B. Multiple cores could be used to work through the same application while it runs
• C. Dual core' and 'quad core' are examples of multicore CPUs that help to increase overall performance
• D. Having more than one core will ultimately hinder and slow down the computer's overall performance

8.Which of these describes cache memory accurately?

• A. It is external storage
• B. It operates faster than RAM
• C. RAM operates at the same speed as the CPU, so putting cache in between is not strictly necessary but it helps add more storage space
• D. All cache is found in one place on the computer's motherboard

9 What does cache memory hold?

• A. It only holds data, not instructions
• B. It holds only data and instructions associated with the operating system
• C. It holds whichever data and instructions are anticipated to be used regularly or in the near future
• D. It holds the intermediate results of calculations performed in the ALU

10 What effect does cache memory have on CPU performance?

• A. More cache generally improves CPU performance
• B. Cache size doesn't have a noticeable effect on CPU performance
• C. More than a few KB of cache generally slows down the CPU as there is too much memory to search
• D. It's not the cache size that matters, it's the CPU's clock speed