Computer Architecture MCQ Test: Computer Architecture MCQs - Practice Questions
1. What is the purpose of the expansion slots in a computer architecture, and how do they allow for additional hardware components?
2. Examine the differences between volatile and non-volatile storage in computer systems, emphasizing their characteristics and use cases.
3. Discuss the concept of parallelism in computer architecture and its role in achieving faster and more efficient computation.
4. Examine the role of the input/output (I/O) controller in computer architecture and how it manages communication between the CPU and external devices.
5. What is the function of the graphics card in computer architecture, and how does it impact visual performance?
6. What is the purpose of an input device in computer architecture, and provide examples of common input devices.
7. What does the acronym 'ALU' stand for, and what is its role in computer architecture?
8. Discuss the challenges and solutions related to achieving instruction-level parallelism in modern computer architectures.
9. What is the purpose of a CPU cache in a computer system, and how does it contribute to performance improvement?
10. Examine the architectural considerations and challenges of implementing a memory hierarchy in a computer system, with a focus on optimizing data access and storage.
11. Examine the challenges and optimizations associated with achieving fault tolerance in modern computer architectures, considering the impact on system reliability and availability.
12. Discuss the concept of speculative execution in computer architecture and its role in improving instruction throughput, while considering potential drawbacks and challenges.
13. Examine the concept of branch prediction in computer architecture and its significance in optimizing instruction execution.
14. Discuss the significance of the control unit in a computer's central processing unit (CPU) and how it manages the execution of instructions.
15. Explain the concept of a register in computer architecture and its role in instruction execution.
16. Discuss the role and challenges of achieving power-efficient design in modern computer architectures, considering strategies for minimizing energy consumption without compromising performance.
17. Define the term 'RAM' in computer architecture and its primary function.
18. Discuss the advantages and challenges of using a RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computing) architecture compared to CISC (Complex Instruction Set Computing) architecture.
19. Examine the complexities and trade-offs involved in achieving secure enclave design in modern computer architectures, considering the role of isolated execution environments.
20. Examine the principles and challenges of implementing transactional memory in computer architectures, considering its role in enhancing parallelism and data consistency.
21. Examine the principles and challenges of implementing quantum computing in computer architectures, considering the potential for exponential computational speedup.
22. Discuss the importance of firmware in computer architecture and its role in system initialization.
23. Define 'bit' and 'byte' in the context of computer architecture, and explain their relationship.
24. Examine the role of the instruction cache in a computer system and how it contributes to faster instruction fetch and execution.
25. Explain the concept of pipelining in computer architecture and its impact on instruction execution.
26. What is the role of the cooling system in a computer architecture, and how does it prevent overheating of components?
27. Define 'binary code' in computer architecture and explain its significance in representing data and instructions.
28. What is the purpose of the BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) in computer architecture?
29. Discuss the complexities and trade-offs involved in achieving heterogeneous computing in modern architectures, considering the integration of different types of processors.
30. Define the term 'BIU' in computer architecture and its role in instruction fetching and decoding.
31. Examine the role of parallel processing in computer architecture and how it enhances the computational capabilities of modern systems.
32. Discuss the principles and challenges of implementing hardware transactional memory in computer architectures, considering its role in enhancing parallelism and data consistency.
33. Discuss the principles and challenges of achieving effective thermal management in modern computer architectures, considering strategies for cooling and preventing overheating.
34. Examine the challenges and solutions related to achieving task-level parallelism in modern computer architectures, emphasizing the impact on overall system performance.
35. Explain the concept of virtual memory and its role in enhancing the efficiency and scalability of computer systems.
36. Discuss the impact of Amdahl's Law on the scalability of parallel computing systems, particularly in the context of optimizing performance.
37. Explain the concept of clock cycles in computer architecture and how they relate to instruction execution.
38. Explain the purpose and functionality of the DMA (Direct Memory Access) controller in computer architecture and how it improves data transfer efficiency.
39. Discuss the complexities and trade-offs involved in designing a highly efficient and scalable on-chip interconnect for multi-core processors in computer architecture.
40. Discuss the concept of cache coherence in multi-processor systems and its importance in maintaining data consistency.
41. What is the role of the memory hierarchy in computer architecture, and how does it contribute to overall system performance?
42. Discuss the differences between Harvard architecture and von Neumann architecture, highlighting their advantages and disadvantages.
43. Discuss the principles and challenges of implementing hardware security features in computer architectures, considering the role of secure execution environments and encryption.
44. Define the term 'GPU' in computer architecture and its primary function.
45. Describe the difference between volatile and non-volatile memory in computer architecture, providing examples of each.
46. Explain the role of the system bus in computer architecture and how it facilitates communication between different components of a computer system.
47. Discuss the challenges and advancements in achieving efficient inter-thread communication in multi-core processors, considering the impact on overall system performance.
48. Define 'bus' in computer architecture and its purpose in facilitating data transfer between components.
49. Discuss the advantages and challenges of using a RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) configuration in computer storage systems.
50. Describe the role of the motherboard in a computer system, including its key components and functions.