Johnny
What is the difference between the two types of ISA (Instruction Set Architecture) (hint: CISC, RISC)(hint: cpu-z)
What is Northbridge, Southbridge & Chipset
NB - allows/controls data flow between memory & CPU & GPU
SB - allows/controls data flow between devices (USB, IDE, SATA, LAN)
Chipset - controls data flow around the computer
What is the ENIAC?
One of the first general-purpose electronic digital computers, built in the 1940s.
What is the difference between a user account and administrator account?
A user account has limited privileges
The administrator account has full control over the system, including security settings and software installation.
What are the 3 main types of CPU buses? What do they do?
Address bus - carries addresses from CPU
Data bus - carries data from CPU
Control bus - manages communication
What does a hypervisor do?
A hypervisor manages virtual machines by allocating physical resources (CPU, memory) to run multiple OS environments on a single hardware platform.
What do the 7 components do?
MB - connects all components tgth
CPU - (brain) gives instructions to other components
PSU - supply power to other components
Storage - long-term memory
I/O - expands computer capabilities
GPU - renders/handles all animations, videos etc
RAM - short-term memory
What is the purpose of drivers?
Drivers allow the operating system to communicate with hardware devices.
What is the difference between virtualization and emulation?
Virtualization runs multiple OS instances on real hardware. (Running a PC on a PC)
Emulation imitates hardware for software to run on a different system. (mimicking a certain hardware)
Define kernel
The core part of an operating system that manages system resources and hardware communication.
Multiprocessing vs. Multitasking vs. Multithreading
What is a Sector vs Cluster?
Sector - smallest storage unit on disk, read in 512 or 4096
Cluster - group of sectors, allows file system to handle larger files efficiently
Define software
A set of instructions or programs that tell a computer how to perform tasks.
What is the difference between a process and a thread?
Bonus: Do they share the same address?
Thread - a PART of the execution process. All threads share the same address space
Define operating system
Software that manages hardware resources and provides services to applications, an interface between user and hardware.
Name a benefit of utilizing cloud servers:
What is the order of the memory hierarchy? HINT: Pyramid
L1
L2
L3
RAM
STORAGE
What is the difference between BIOS and UEFI?
BIOS is older firmware, UEFI is a modern replacement with better features like faster boot times and support for larger hard drives.
What is a bit, byte, kilobyte, megabit, gigabit
Bit (b) - single digit
Byte(B) - 8 bits
Kilobyte (kb) - 1000 or 1024 bytes
Megabit (mb) - 1 million bits
Gigabit (gb) - 1 trillion? bits
What is the difference between a microcontroller and microprocessor?
A microcontroller integrates a CPU, memory, and peripherals in one chip, while a microprocessor is just a CPU that requires external components for functionality.
Web-App Advantages & Disadvantages
Advantages - accessibility, cross-platform compatability, auto updates, cost-effective
Disadvantages - requires internet, performance limitations, security vulnerabilities
7 Major Components of Computer
Motherboard, CPU, PSU, GPU, Storage, I/O Devices, RAM
What is BIOS
Basic Input/Output System; firmware that initializes hardware during the boot process.
What is Lossy & Lossless Compression? Which one throws away data?
Lossy - throws away some original data permanently losing some, compressed data != original data
Lossless - compresses data but able to reconstitute it to its original state, compressed data == original data
BOTH throw away data
What is the difference between LGA, PGA, and BGA?
LGA has pins on the motherboard, PGA has pins on the CPU, and BGA has the CPU permanently soldered to the motherboard.