Exam 2: The System Unit, Processing, and Memory

Today's CPUs contain hundreds of millions of transistors, and the number doubles approximately every 18 months, a phenomenon known as Moliere's Law . _________________________

Benchmark tests typically run the same series of programs on several computer systems that are identical except for one component (such as the CPU) and measure how long each task takes in order to determine the overall relative performance of the component being tested. _________________________

A ____ is an electronic path over which data can travel.

Chips for servers and personal computers are typically arranged onto circuit boards called ____________________.

Each pixel in a monochrome graphic can be only one of two possible colors (such as black or white).

The key element of the microprocessor is the ____-a device made of semiconductor material that controls the flow of electrons inside a chip.

The decode unit coordinates and controls the operations and activities taking place within a CPU core.

The binary numbering system uses only two symbols-the digits 0 and 1-to represent all possible numbers.

Case-Based Critical Thinking Questions Case 2-2 Jack has a computer at home that he uses to access the Internet, store and edit personal photos, and create and edit documents. Recently, he has come to realize that in order to keep the computer performing at its best, he needs to carry out regular system maintenance on the computer. Jack can use the ____ program to locate and delete temporary files, such as installation files, Web browsing history, and files in the Recycle Bin.

Integrated circuits contain interconnected components such as _______________ that enable electrical current to perform particular functions.

____________________ are growing in importance as an increasing number of computers and mobile devices are including only USB ports and not many of them.

Case-Based Critical Thinking Questions Case 2-1 Jess is a musician who has just bought a new computer. Now she need to figure out how to connect this computer to the devices that were connected to her old computer. Jess has pictures from her old computer saved on a flash memory card. To transfer these to her new computer, she will insert the card into a(n) ____.

ROM (read-only memory), also called main memory or system memory, is used to store the essential parts of the operating system while the computer is running.

Explain the difference between multiprocessing and parallel processing.

Explain what a register is and how it is used.

The buses that connect peripheral (typically input and output) devices to the motherboard are often called expansion buses . _________________________

There are buses inside the CPU, as well as on the memory channel . _________________________

A ____ is approximately 1,000 bytes.

The bus width and bus speed together determine the bus's ____.

The ____ allows 127 different devices to connect to a computer via a single USB port on the computer's system unit.