QUIZ
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
Photo courtesy of Intel Corporation
1. The first microprocessor to make it into a home computer was the
____________. This chip could process __________ bits at one time.
2. The Pentium 4 microprocessor was first released in 2000. How
many transistors does it contain on the one chip? How many "millions of
instructions per second" can the Pentium 4 process?
3. When the microprocessor starts, it begins executing instructions it
finds in the _________.
4. The two typical components of a CPU are __________________ and
__________________.
5.
AMD introduced the world’s first and only Windows®-compatible
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64-bit desktop and mobile processor, the AMD Athlon™ 64 processor, in
September ________.(what year?)
6. True/False The new AMD64 is not compatible with the 32-bit
Windows operating system.
7. True/False
processors.
Standard AGP graphics cards support AMD64
8. The front side bus (FSB) connects the ____________ with the
________________ and is used to connect other components within the
computer.
9. Intel's new 600 series Pentium 4 processors boast an impressive
_____ L2 cache.
10. List at least two CPU manufacturers. (You may need to do a bit of
research on your own for this one.)
Motherboard
1. The Motherboard is a ___________ ____________ that is the
foundation of a computer and allows the CPU, RAM, and other computer
components to function with each other.
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2. Intel released the first microprocessor, the 4004, in what year?
3. In 1989, which leading motherboard manufacturer was founded?
4. The ________ ____________ determines the general layout, size and
feature placement on the motherboard.
5. Which form factor is the largest and oldest?
6. List three (3) components that are built into the motherboard.
7. True/False The keyboard and mouse are connected into ports on the
back of the motherboard.
8. What does the acronym BIOS stand for?
9. True/False The Windows operating system is loaded into memory
before the BIOS.
10. List at least two motherboard manufacturers. (You may need to do a
bit of research on your own for this one.)
Memory (RAM)
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1. True/False If you are using RAM, you can access
any memory cell directly if you know the row and
column that intersect at that cell.
2. The intersection of a ___________ (column) and
______________ (row) constitutes the address of the
memory cell.
3. Dual In-line Memory Modules (DIMM) contain
either _________ pins or _________ pins. (how many
pins?)
4. List four (4) of the "Common RAM Types". List
both, the acronym and full name.
5. Next to the __________ itself, RAM is the most
important factor in computer performance.
6. According to ACME, DDR memory comes in four
(4) different speeds. The fastest is listed as
PC3200. List the remaining three (3) DDR memory
modules. (Note: PC4000 memory has recently been released, but is
still not used very much due to high cost.)
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7. RAM serves as the temporary storage area for
program code while it is in use by your
_____________ ______________ or while it is being
worked on by the __________________.
8. True/False When you replace your systems RAM,
you will need to reload all of your current programs and
files, including your Operating System.
9. True/False When installing new memory
modules, you will not be required to remove the case to
your computer, you can install the memory into the
back of the computer.
10. List at least two computer memory manufacturers. (You may need to
do a bit of research on your own for this one.)
Storage Devices
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Hard Drives
1. The magnetic recording material on a cassette tape
is coated onto a thin ____________ strip. In a hard
disk, the magnetic recording material is layered onto a
high-precision _____________or ___________ disk.
2. On a _______ ________, you can move to any
point on the surface of the disk almost instantly.
3. The ________ ________ is the amount of time
between when the CPU requests a file and when the
first byte of the file is sent to the CPU. Times between
10 and 20 milliseconds are common.
4. Inside of a hard drive, the ________ is able to move
the heads from the hub to the edge of the drive. (This is
done very quickly, more than 50 times per second!)
Floppy Drives
5. The floppy disk drive (FDD) was invented at IBM
by _______ ____________ in 1967.
6. True/False
One disadvantage of floppy disks is
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that they are expensive to buy.
7. In your PC, there is a twist in the FDD data-ribbon
cable. What is the purpose of this twist?
DVD and CD Drives
8. In order to keep the bumps moving past the laser at
a constant rate, the player must _________ the spinning
speed of the disc as the laser assembly moves outward.
9. Recordable discs are flat. Because they have no
bumps like traditional CDs and DVDs, they contain a
layer of translucent ______ that can be heated to create
a dark area on the disc that will not reflect any
light. This allows the player to "think" that the CD or
DVD has bumps.
10. List at least one manufacturer for each of the three
listed storage devices.
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