Computer MCQs

Computer Architecture MCQs with Answer

What is the purpose of the control unit in a CPU?
a) Perform arithmetic and logical operations
b) Manage input and output operations
c) Control the flow of instructions within the CPU
d) Store temporary data

Answer: c) Control the flow of instructions within the CPU

Which component of the CPU is responsible for storing temporary data during processing?
a) ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit)
b) Cache Memory
c) Control Unit
d) Registers

Answer: d) Registers

What does the term “clock speed” refer to in CPU specifications?
a) The number of cores in the CPU
b) The amount of cache memory
c) The frequency at which the CPU executes instructions
d) The size of the CPU die

Answer: c) The frequency at which the CPU executes instructions

Which of the following is NOT a type of CPU cache?
a) L1 Cache
b) RAM Cache
c) L2 Cache
d) L3 Cache

Answer: b) RAM Cache

What is the purpose of pipelining in CPU design?
a) Increase the clock speed of the CPU
b) Execute multiple instructions simultaneously
c) Reduce the number of transistors in the CPU
d) Improve the reliability of the CPU

Answer: b) Execute multiple instructions simultaneously

Which type of memory is directly accessed by the CPU for storing frequently used data?
a) RAM (Random Access Memory)
b) ROM (Read-Only Memory)
c) Cache Memory
d) Virtual Memory

Answer: c) Cache Memory

What is the function of the arithmetic logic unit (ALU) in a CPU?
a) Execute instructions stored in memory
b) Manage data transfer between CPU and I/O devices
c) Perform arithmetic and logical operations
d) Control the flow of instructions

Answer: c) Perform arithmetic and logical operations

Which of the following is NOT a component of the von Neumann architecture?
a) Control Unit
b) ALU
c) Cache Memory
d) Memory Unit

Answer: c) Cache Memory

What is the role of the memory management unit (MMU) in a computer system?
a) Execute instructions
b) Control input/output operations
c) Manage memory allocation and address translation
d) Maintain system clock synchronization

Answer: c) Manage memory allocation and address translation

What does the term “bit width” refer to in CPU architecture?
a) The number of bits that can be transferred between CPU and memory
b) The size of the CPU cache
c) The number of bits that can be processed by the CPU simultaneously
d) The frequency of the CPU clock

Answer: c) The number of bits that can be processed by the CPU simultaneously

Which type of instruction set architecture (ISA) allows instructions to operate on memory directly?
a) Complex Instruction Set Computing (CISC)
b) Reduced Instruction Set Computing (RISC)
c) Hybrid Instruction Set Computing (HISC)
d) Advanced Instruction Set Computing (AISC)

Answer: a) Complex Instruction Set Computing (CISC)

What is the purpose of the system bus in a computer system?
a) Transfer data between CPU and memory
b) Execute arithmetic operations
c) Manage system resources
d) Control the execution of instructions

Answer: a) Transfer data between CPU and memory

Which type of memory is non-volatile and retains its data even when the power is turned off?
a) RAM (Random Access Memory)
b) Cache Memory
c) ROM (Read-Only Memory)
d) Virtual Memory

Answer: c) ROM (Read-Only Memory)

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a Harvard architecture CPU?
a) Separate memory spaces for data and instructions
b) Simultaneous access to data and instructions
c) More complex instruction decoding
d) Higher instruction throughput

Answer: b) Simultaneous access to data and instructions

What is the purpose of the program counter (PC) in a CPU?
a) Store intermediate results of arithmetic operations
b) Hold the address of the next instruction to be executed
c) Manage data transfer between CPU and memory
d) Control the flow of instructions within the CPU

Answer: b) Hold the address of the next instruction to be executed

What does the term “instruction set architecture” (ISA) refer to?
a) The physical layout of the CPU components
b) The set of instructions that a CPU can execute
c) The speed at which instructions are executed
d) The size of the CPU cache

Answer: b) The set of instructions that a CPU can execute

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a CISC architecture?
a) Large instruction set
b) Complex instructions that perform multiple operations
c) Emphasis on simplicity and speed
d) Variable-length instructions

Answer: c) Emphasis on simplicity and speed

What is the purpose of the instruction decoder in a CPU?
a) Perform arithmetic and logical operations
b) Fetch instructions from memory
c) Translate instructions into signals for execution
d) Manage data transfer between CPU and I/O devices

Answer: c) Translate instructions into signals for execution

Which CPU component is responsible for fetching instructions from memory?
a) ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit)
b) Control Unit
c) Cache Memory
d) Memory Management Unit (MMU)

Answer: b) Control Unit

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of RISC architecture?
a) Simple instructions that perform basic operations
b) Fixed-length instructions
c) Emphasis on hardware complexity
d) High clock speeds

Answer: c) Emphasis on hardware complexity

What is the purpose of the instruction cache in a CPU?
a) Store frequently accessed instructions
b) Execute arithmetic and logical operations
c) Manage system clock synchronization
d) Control input and output operations

Answer: a) Store frequently accessed instructions

Which type of memory is used to hold the operating system and BIOS firmware?
a) RAM (Random Access Memory)
b) Cache Memory
c) ROM (Read-Only Memory)
d) Virtual Memory

Answer: c) ROM (Read-Only Memory)

What is the role of the data bus in a computer system?
a) Transfer instructions between CPU and memory
b) Control the execution of instructions
c) Transfer data between CPU and I/O devices
d) Manage memory allocation

Answer: c) Transfer data between CPU and I/O devices

What is the purpose of the instruction register (IR) in a CPU?
a) Hold the address of the next instruction to be executed
b) Store intermediate results of arithmetic operations
c) Store the current instruction being executed
d) Translate instructions into signals for execution

Answer: c) Store the current instruction being executed

Which of the following is NOT a function of the memory controller in a computer system?
a) Manage memory access
b) Control data transfer between CPU and memory
c) Execute arithmetic operations
d) Maintain memory integrity

Answer: c) Execute arithmetic operations

What is the purpose of the fetch-decode-execute cycle in CPU operation?
a) Perform arithmetic operations
b) Manage data transfer between CPU and memory
c) Control the flow of instructions within the CPU
d) Execute instructions stored in memory

Answer: d) Execute instructions stored in memory

Which component of the CPU is responsible for performing arithmetic operations?
a) Control Unit
b) Cache Memory
c) ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit)
d) Registers

Answer: c) ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit)

What is the purpose of the memory address register (MAR) in a CPU?
a) Hold the address of the next instruction to be executed
b) Store intermediate results of arithmetic operations
c) Store the current instruction being executed
d) Hold the address of the memory location to be accessed

Answer: d) Hold the address of the memory location to be accessed

Which of the following is a characteristic of a pipelined CPU?
a) Executes instructions sequentially
b) Executes multiple instructions simultaneously
c) Emphasizes hardware complexity
d) Uses a large instruction set

Answer: b) Executes multiple instructions simultaneously

What is the purpose of the write-back stage in the CPU pipeline?
a) Fetch instructions from memory
b) Store intermediate results of arithmetic operations
c) Execute arithmetic and logical operations
d) Control input and output operations

Answer: b) Store intermediate results of arithmetic operations

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a superscalar CPU?
a) Executes multiple instructions simultaneously
b) Uses multiple execution units
c) Emphasizes simplicity of instructions
d) Utilizes out-of-order execution

Answer: c) Emphasizes simplicity of instructions

What is the purpose of speculative execution in CPU design?
a) Improve memory access latency
b) Predict the outcome of branches to execute instructions in advance
c) Reduce power consumption
d) Increase clock speed

Answer: b) Predict the outcome of branches to execute instructions in advance

Which of the following is NOT a typical component of the CPU control unit?
a) Program Counter (PC)
b) Instruction Register (IR)
c) Memory Address Register (MAR)
d) Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)

Answer: d) Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)

What is the role of the write buffer in CPU architecture?
a) Store instructions for future execution
b) Manage data transfer between CPU and memory
c) Hold data temporarily during write operations
d) Control the flow of instructions within the CPU

Answer: c) Hold data temporarily during write operations

Which of the following is a characteristic of a vector processor?
a) Executes instructions sequentially
b) Performs scalar arithmetic operations
c) Emphasizes parallel processing of data
d) Uses a large instruction set

Answer: c) Emphasizes parallel processing of data

What is the purpose of branch prediction in CPU design?
a) Reduce cache misses
b) Improve memory access latency
c) Predict the outcome of conditional branches
d) Increase clock speed

Answer: c) Predict the outcome of conditional branches

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a multithreaded CPU?
a) Executes multiple threads simultaneously
b) Emphasizes parallel processing of instructions
c) Utilizes multiple cores
d) Executes instructions sequentially

Answer: d) Executes instructions sequentially

What is the purpose of the microcode in CPU architecture?
a) Translate high-level programming languages into machine code
b) Manage memory allocation and address translation
c) Control the operation of the CPU components
d) Execute arithmetic and logical operations

Answer: c) Control the operation of the CPU components

Which of the following is NOT a typical step in the execution stage of the CPU pipeline?
a) Fetch
b) Decode
c) Execute
d) Write-back

Answer: b) Decode

What is the role of the interrupt controller in CPU architecture?
a) Manage memory allocation
b) Control input/output operations
c) Handle external events and signals
d) Execute arithmetic operations

Answer: c) Handle external events and signals

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a Harvard architecture CPU?
a) Separate memory spaces for data and instructions
b) Simultaneous access to data and instructions
c) More complex instruction decoding
d) Higher instruction throughput

Answer: b) Simultaneous access to data and instructions

What is the purpose of the system bus in a computer system?
a) Transfer data between CPU and memory
b) Execute arithmetic operations
c) Manage system resources
d) Control the execution of instructions

Answer: a) Transfer data between CPU and memory

What is the role of the memory management unit (MMU) in a computer system?
a) Execute instructions
b) Control input/output operations
c) Manage memory allocation and address translation
d) Maintain system clock synchronization

Answer: c) Manage memory allocation and address translation

What is the purpose of the memory controller in a computer system?
a) Manage memory access
b) Control data transfer between CPU and memory
c) Execute arithmetic operations
d) Maintain memory integrity

Answer: a) Manage memory access

What is the purpose of the instruction decoder in a CPU?
a) Perform arithmetic and logical operations
b) Fetch instructions from memory
c) Translate instructions into signals for execution
d) Manage data transfer between CPU and I/O devices

Answer: c) Translate instructions into signals for execution

Which of the following is a characteristic of a pipelined CPU?
a) Executes instructions sequentially
b) Executes multiple instructions simultaneously
c) Emphasizes hardware complexity
d) Uses a large instruction set

Answer: b) Executes multiple instructions simultaneously

What is the purpose of the instruction cache in a CPU?
a) Store frequently accessed instructions
b) Execute arithmetic and logical operations
c) Manage system clock synchronization
d) Control input and output operations

Answer: a) Store frequently accessed instructions

Which of the following is NOT a function of the memory controller in a computer system?
a) Manage memory access
b) Control data transfer between CPU and memory
c) Execute arithmetic operations
d) Maintain memory integrity

Answer: c) Execute arithmetic operations

What is the purpose of the fetch-decode-execute cycle in CPU operation?
a) Perform arithmetic operations
b) Manage data transfer between CPU and memory
c) Control the flow of instructions within the CPU
d) Execute instructions stored in memory

Answer: d) Execute instructions stored in memory

Which CPU component is responsible for performing arithmetic operations?
a) Control Unit
b) Cache Memory
c) ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit)
d) Registers

Answer: c) ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit)

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