Hardware Processor Specifications didactic material1 variant.doc

Practical works

1.                  Chose 2 CPUs and compare them. Which CPU has better performance, which has lower price. Justify your answer.

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2.                  Write down at least 2 differences for each Intel and AMD CPUs.

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3.                  What does 3MHz mean:

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4.                  What does a processor clock do:

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5.                  Name parts of system. Do not worry about the size of this problem; we are going to tackle it bit by bit. the first step is to remember the differences between each of the components:

ü    Processor - connected to other devices using buses

ü    Data bus - bi-directional connection between devices

ü    Main memory - internal to the computer and linked through the buses

ü    Keyboard - external to the computer, an input device

ü    Secondary storage - external device, an input and output device

ü    Address bus - uni-directional connection between devices

ü    Clock - regulates the processor

ü    Monitor - external output device

ü    VDU controller - connects system to external monitor

ü    Disk controller - connects system to external secondary storage

ü    Keyboard controller - connects system to external keyboard device

ü    Control Bus - A bi-directional bus used to control signals between the components

6.                  What does 3MHz mean:

7.                  Name three ways to increase Processor performance:

8.                  What draw back might increasing clock speed bring?

9.                  What is a benefit of increasing word length?

10.              How might bus width impact on the speed of a computer?

11.              Give two benefits for increasing the word size of a processor?