Computer Architecture Basics: Definition and Overview

Question 1

Which of the following is **NOT** a primary responsibility of an operating system (OS) in managing hardware resources?

Accepted Answer

Data encryption

Answer

Memory management

Answer

Process scheduling

Answer

Device management

Question 2

Which component is NOT typically included in a computer system?

Accepted Answer

Printer

Answer

Processor

Answer

Memory

Answer

Power supply

Question 3

Which abstraction level in computer architecture defines the interface between the software and the underlying hardware?

Accepted Answer

ISA (Instruction Set Architecture)

Answer

Microarchitecture

Answer

Logic Design

Answer

Circuit Design

Question 4

The concept that allows a computer program to run on any computer with the same ISA is known as:

Accepted Answer

Portability

Answer

Uniformity

Answer

Compatibility

Answer

Interchangeability

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT a benefit of a hierarchical memory organization?

Accepted Answer

Enhanced security

Answer

Faster access to frequently used data

Answer

Increased storage capacity

Answer

Reduced power consumption

Question 6

Which metric is used to measure the performance of a processor in terms of the number of instructions it can execute per cycle?

Accepted Answer

IPC (Instructions Per Cycle)

Answer

Clock speed

Answer

Throughput

Answer

Latency

Question 7

Which of the following is not a fundamental component of a computer architecture?

Accepted Answer

Software

Answer

Processor

Answer

Memory

Answer

Input/Output devices

Question 8

What is the main responsibility of the processor in a computer system?

Accepted Answer

Execute instructions

Answer

Store data

Answer

Control input/output operations

Answer

Manage the flow of information

Question 9

What is the primary purpose of implementing a memory hierarchy in a computer architecture?

Accepted Answer

Enhance performance by optimizing memory access speeds

Answer

Increase the total memory capacity of the system

Answer

Reduce the cost of memory components

Answer

Simplify programming tasks

Question 10

What is the role of instruction set architecture (ISA) in a computer system?

Accepted Answer

Defines the instructions that the processor can execute

Answer

Specifies the hardware components of the system

Answer

Manages memory allocation efficiently

Answer

Translates high-level code into machine code

Question 11

What is the key difference between a single-processor and a multi-processor system?

Accepted Answer

Single-processor systems have one processor, while multi-processor systems have multiple processors.

Answer

Single-processor systems are inherently faster than multi-processor systems.

Answer

Multi-processor systems are exclusively used in high-performance computing environments.

Answer

Single-processor systems are more complex to design and implement than multi-processor systems.

Question 12

In a computer's central processing unit (CPU), what is the main job of the control unit?

Accepted Answer

Manage the flow of data and instructions

Answer

Perform math and logic operations

Answer

Store data and program instructions

Question 13

What is the primary function of the motherboard in a computer system?

Accepted Answer

To connect and facilitate communication between various components

Answer

To store data and programs

Answer

To control the overall operation of the system

Answer

To provide power to all the other components

Question 14

What is the main purpose of caching in a computer system?

Accepted Answer

To temporarily store frequently accessed data and instructions, improving system performance

Answer

To increase the overall storage capacity of the system

Answer

To ensure data integrity and prevent data loss

Answer

To reduce the power consumption of the system

Question 15

Which of the following is NOT a common measurement unit used in computer architecture?

Accepted Answer

Megapixel

Answer

Byte

Answer

Bit

Answer

Nanosecond

Question 16

What is the key difference between a register and a memory location in a computer system?

Accepted Answer

Registers are faster and can be directly accessed by the CPU, while memory locations are slower and must be accessed indirectly

Answer

Memory locations are faster and can be directly accessed by the CPU, while registers are slower and must be accessed indirectly

Answer

Registers are used to store temporary data, while memory locations are used to store permanent data

Answer

Memory locations are used to store temporary data, while registers are used to store permanent data

Question 17

Which of the following is not a component of the von Neumann architecture?

Accepted Answer

Compiler

Answer

Processor

Answer

Memory

Answer

Input/Output devices

Question 18

Which abstraction level in computer architecture deals with the physical implementation of the computer system?

Accepted Answer

Microarchitecture

Answer

Logical

Answer

Instruction set

Answer

System architecture

Question 19

What is the role of the instruction decoder in a computer system?

Accepted Answer

Identifying the operation to be performed

Answer

Translating instructions from machine code to assembly language

Answer

Fetching operands from memory

Answer

Executing instructions

Question 20

What is the main goal of computer architecture?

Accepted Answer

To design and implement efficient and effective computer systems

Answer

To develop new programming languages

Answer

To optimize software performance

Answer

To manage computer networks

Question 21

In the fundamental architecture of a computer, which component is primarily responsible for arithmetic and logical operations?

Accepted Answer

Processor

Answer

Memory

Answer

Input device

Answer

Output device

Question 22

In computer architecture, what concept describes the hierarchical organization of its components, ranging from low-level hardware to high-level software?

Accepted Answer

Abstraction levels

Answer

Instruction set

Answer

System architecture

Answer

Memory hierarchy

Question 23

In a computer system, which component is dedicated to storing programs and data?

Accepted Answer

Memory

Answer

Processor

Answer

Input device

Answer

Output device

Question 24

Which characteristic distinguishes the Harvard architecture from other computer architectures?

Accepted Answer

Separate data and instruction buses

Answer

Single bus for both data and instructions

Answer

Uses microinstructions to control operations

Answer

Has a complex instruction set

Question 25

In a computer system, what is the primary role of the system clock?

Accepted Answer

Maintain synchronization and timing

Answer

Store temporary data

Answer

Execute instructions

Answer

Receive and process external inputs

Question 26

Which technique is employed to optimize memory performance in computer systems?

Accepted Answer

Caching

Answer

Virtual memory

Answer

Multithreading

Answer

Virtualization

Question 27

Which principle is central to Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC) architecture?

Accepted Answer

Emphasis on simpler instructions

Answer

Extensive use of pipelining

Answer

Large register sets

Answer

Complex addressing modes

Question 28

In a computer system, what is the primary purpose of a bus?

Accepted Answer

Enable data transfer and communication among components

Answer

Store data and instructions

Answer

Execute instructions

Answer

Control the flow of operations