Top 40 Computer Hardware Interview Questions You Must Prepare 19.Mar.2024

Cache memory is the memory area between RAM and Processor. If cache memory increases the speed of the system will also improved.

The Intel Pentium is a series of microprocessors first developed by the Intel Corporation. These types of processors have been found in many personal computers since 1993.

The top of the line for the LGA775 series CPU socket was the Core 2 processor series, with the Core 2 Duo E8600, Core 2 Extreme QX9770 and Core 2 Quad Q9650 being the three top performers.

The following are the factors affecting the speed of the microprocessor.
a) Number of instructions build in the processor.
b) Bandwidth
c) Clock Speed
d) Number of tristors inside the processor

An LGA socket is the connection point for a central processing unit (CPU) to fit into a motherboard. The LGA stands for Land Grid Array.

a) CPU fan problem
b) Heat sink related issue
c) Power related issues
d) Improper Jumper settings

A heat sink is a component used to lower the temperature of a device.It is most commonly there on the microprocessor. If it is not properly fixed the system, the system will shutdown automatically to prevent further damage to the processor.

There have been a number of Pentium processor lines starting with the base Pentium in 1993.The of the recent Pentium entries are Pentium III and Pentium 4.

a) In a Pentium III processor, the bus speed is generally 133 MHz (although there were a few with 100 MHz). The lowest bus speed on a Pentium IV is 400 MHz, and there are versions with much higher speeds (topping at 1066 MHz for the "extreme edition").
b) The Pentium 4s are smaller than the Pentium IIIs
c) Pentium III processors had (for the most part) about 512 KB of cache. Pentium 4 processors, on the other hand, start at 512 KB. 

The main memory in a computer is called Random Access Memory. It is also known as RAM. This is the part of the computer that stores operating system software, software applications and other information for the central processing unit (CPU) to have fast and direct access when needed to perform tasks.

Advanced Micro Devices.

Packaging is the process of connecting a microprocessor with a computers motherboard. The types of microprocessor packaging are:
a) PGA
b) SPGA
c) SECC
d) LGA

The most important electronic component on the computer. It is a programmable logical device for processing data. In the world of personal computers, the terms MICROPROCESSOR and CPU are used interchangeably.

These are the communication channel that enables your computer to exchange information with various devices.

Celeron

  • According to Build Gaming Computers, Celeron processors are the low-end processor intended for standard home computer use. SciNet reports the best Celeron processor has an L2 Cache of 128kb, a clock speed limit of about 2.0 GHz and runs at a core voltage of 1.75V. These are useful numbers for comparison.

Pentium

  • The top Pentium processor is the Pentium 4 Prescott. CPU Scorecard reports it has an L2 cache of 1MB (1024kb), a potential 3.0 GHz clock speed and runs at about 1.4V. The lowest performing Pentium 4 processor, the Willamette, has an L2 cache of 256kb, a potential 2.0 GHz clock speed and runs at about 1.7V.

For intel it is Intel Core i7 and AMD Opteron 6200 Series processor.

SRAM, DRAM, VRAM, SGRAM, DDR-SDRAM etc….

A thread of execution, or simply a "thread," is one series of instructions sent to the CPU. Hyper-threading is a technology developed to help make better use of spare processing cycles. Hyper-threaded processors have a duplicate set of registers, small spaces of high-speed memory storage used to hold the data that is currently needed to execute a thread.

When a CPU core is delayed, waiting for data to be retrieved from another place in memory, it can use these duplicate registers to spend the spare computation cycles executing a different thread. The second set of registers will be pre-loaded with the data needed to execute the second thread, so the CPU core can begin work immediately

Multitasking: Enables the processor to do multiple programs simultaneously by fast switching through the programs. Here doesn't have the involvement of multiple processors.

Multiprocessing: Enables the processor to do multiple programs simultaneously by the use of multiple processors.

Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC) and Complex Instruction Set Computer (CISC) are two philosophies by which computer chips are designed. RISC became a popular technology buzzword in the 1990s, and many processors used in the enterprise business segment were RISC-based.

Nehalem is Intel's new microprocessor architecture The Core i7 chips were the first processors ever produced using an architecture called Nehalem.

Computer is a  programmable machine. It the integral part of everyday life.

A computer does the following functions;
a) Accepting data
b) Processing Data
c) Storing Data
d) Displaying Data

To make the system cool and more functioning.

FPMDRAM, EDO DRAM, SDRAM, RDRAM, DDR-SDRAM

SRAM

Static RAM stores each bit of data on six metal oxide semiconductor field effect tristors, or MOSFETs. SRAM is used in devices that require the fastest possible data access without requiring a high capacity. Some examples are CPU caches and buses, hard drive and router buffers and printers.

DRAM

Dynamic RAM stores data using a paired tristor and capacitor for each bit of data. Capacitors constantly leak electricity, which requires the memory controller to refresh the DRAM several times a second to maintain the data.

Front Side Bus. Another name for the system bus. The Front Side Bus connects the CPU to main memory. A microprocessor bus that connects the CPU to aLevel 2 cache is called Back Side Bus. Typically, a backside bus runs at a faster clock speed than the Front Side Bus.

DDR2 is the successor to DDR RAM. DDR 2 incorporates several technological upgrades to computer system memory, as well as an enhanced data rate.DDR 2 is capable of achieving twice the data trfer rate of DDR-I memory because of its higher clock speed. It operates at a lower voltage than DDR-I as well: 1.8 volts instead of 2.5.

The size of conventional memory is 640KB. It is also called DOS memory or Base memory. This memory is used by some small programs like Word star, Lotus etc…DOS cannot use more than 640KB.

Storage devices are used to store data in the computer. The different types of storage devices are:
a) Magnetic Devices.
b) Optical Devices.
c) Solid-State Storage Devices.

The Intel Atom family of processors are extremely small central processing units (CPU) found mostly in ultraportable devices, such as netbooks, cell phones and tablet PCs, according to Intel. While small and light on energy use, Atom processors can handle the most common tasks, such as email and instant messaging.

The main function of a computer is to process data. The various types of processing device in a computer are:
a) Microprocessor
b) Chipset
c) BIOS

a)    Processor fan may not be properly connected.
b)    Heat sink may be not contacted with the processor.
c)    Jumpers may be configured to over clock the CPU.
d)    Voltage supply incompatible

Serial port and parallel port are used for trferring data in/out of the computer. In serial port trmission only 1 bit is trmitted at a time. Most serial ports on personal computers conform to the RS-232C or RS-422 standards. A parallel interface for connecting an external device such as a printer. On PCs, the parallel port uses a 25-pin connector (type DB-25) and is used to connect printers, computers and other devices that need relatively high bandwidth. It uses parallel trmission of data.

Minicomputer is a midsized multiprocessing and multi user computer. It is also called mid-range server. But mainframes are huge computers, most commonly occupying entire rooms or floor. It is highly costly.

Input devices are used for giving input to the computer. But output devices are used to get the result back from the computer. The examples of input devices are keyboard, mouse, scanner, digital camera atc...whereas output devices include monitor, printer, projector etc....

The fastest type of computer. Supercomputers are very expensive and are employed for specialized applications that require immense amounts of mathematical calculations. For example, weather forecasting requires a supercomputer. Other uses of supercomputers include animated graphics, fluid dynamic calculations, nuclear energy research, and petroleum exploration.