C952 Computer Architecture

Explanation:

DDR4 (Double Data Rate 4) memory is a modern memory technology featuring 288 pins for desktop DIMMs. It provides improved performance and efficiency compared to DDR3, including higher data transfer rates and better latency characteristics. DDR4 is widely adopted in modern desktops, laptops, and servers, offering increased bandwidth while consuming less power than DDR3, making it the standard for contemporary computing systems.

Correct Answer:

DDR4 memory features 288 pins, offers improved latency, and is widely used in modern computing devices.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

DDR4 memory has 240 pins and operates at a lower data rate than DDR3 is incorrect because 240 pins is the count for DDR3 desktop DIMMs, and DDR4 provides higher, not lower, data rates than DDR3.

DDR4 memory is exclusively used in mobile devices and has a higher power consumption than DDR3 is incorrect because DDR4 is used in both desktops and laptops and is designed to be more power-efficient than DDR3.

DDR4 memory has 512 pins and operates at a single data rate per clock cycle is incorrect because 512 pins is not a standard for DDR4, and DDR4 operates with double data rate technology, transferring data on both rising and falling edges of the clock signal.

Explanation:

Vector processor architectures are designed to handle large amounts of parallelism by performing the same operation on multiple data elements simultaneously. These architectures use vector registers and specialized functional units to process long data arrays efficiently, making them ideal for scientific computing, graphics, and other data-parallel applications. By exploiting data-level parallelism, vector processors can significantly accelerate workloads that involve repetitive operations on large datasets.

Correct Answer:

Vector

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Vector SISD is incorrect because SISD (Single Instruction, Single Data) executes one instruction on a single data element at a time, which does not support high parallelism despite being a vector implementation.

Scalar Uniprocessor is incorrect because scalar uniprocessors handle one instruction and one data element per cycle, offering minimal parallelism compared to vector architectures.

SISD is incorrect because it describes the most basic sequential execution model, processing one instruction on one data element at a time, and is not suitable for large-scale parallel operations.

Explanation:

Pipelining allows instructions to be overlapped in execution stages. If four sets of instructions are executed using pipelining, each new instruction enters the pipeline before the previous one has finished. In an ideal pipeline with perfect stage utilization, the speedup for N instructions is roughly equal to the number of stages, assuming minimal stalls. For four sets of instructions, they would complete approximately 4 times faster compared to non-pipelined sequential execution because the pipeline allows multiple instructions to be processed simultaneously at different stages.

Correct Answer:

4 times

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

16 times is incorrect because this overestimates the speedup; pipelining does not multiply performance by the square of the number of instructions—it roughly provides linear speedup proportional to the number of pipeline stages.

8 times is incorrect because this also overestimates the speedup; the improvement for four instructions would not reach 8x unless multiple pipeline levels and perfect parallelism are assumed, which is unrealistic.

2 times is incorrect because this underestimates the performance gain; with four instructions and ideal pipelining, the speedup is closer to 4 times, not just 2.

Explanation:

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a prime example of Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) because it provides virtualized computing resources, including servers, storage, and networking, over the internet. Users can provision, manage, and scale these resources as needed without owning physical hardware. Unlike Software as a Service (SaaS) or Platform as a Service (PaaS), IaaS focuses on providing the underlying infrastructure for IT operations, allowing organizations to build and manage their own applications on top of it.

Correct Answer:

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Salesforce is incorrect because it is a Software as a Service (SaaS) platform that provides ready-to-use software applications, not raw infrastructure.

GoToMeeting is incorrect because it is a SaaS product offering online meeting services rather than infrastructure resources

Google App Engine is incorrect because it is a Platform as a Service (PaaS), providing a platform for developing and deploying applications without giving direct control over the underlying infrastructure.

Explanation:

RAID 0, also known as striping, is used primarily to improve performance by splitting data across multiple drives. This allows simultaneous read and write operations on all drives in the array, increasing throughput and speeding up data access. RAID 0 does not provide redundancy, backup, or fault tolerance; its purpose is purely performance enhancement, especially in scenarios like video editing or high-speed data processing where speed is critical.

Correct Answer:

Performance enhancement

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Data redundancy is incorrect because RAID 0 does not duplicate or protect data; losing one drive in the array results in the loss of all striped data.

Data backup is incorrect because RAID 0 provides no mechanism for creating copies of data. Backup solutions must be implemented separately.

Fault tolerance is incorrect because RAID 0 cannot survive drive failures; any failure in the array causes total data loss, so it does not provide fault tolerance.

Explanation:

The rear I/O panel of a motherboard provides connectors for external devices and peripherals. Common ports include USB ports for connecting keyboards, mice, and external storage, and HDMI or other video outputs for connecting displays. SATA ports, however, are internal connectors used to attach storage drives inside the case, and PCIe slots are expansion slots on the motherboard for adding graphics cards or other expansion cards. Therefore, USB ports are a typical feature of the rear I/O panel, facilitating user connectivity.

Correct Answer:

USB ports

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

HDMI ports is incorrect because while HDMI ports may also appear on the rear I/O, they are primarily for video output and are not as universally used for general external peripheral connectivity as USB ports.

SATA ports is incorrect because SATA ports are internal connectors used for connecting hard drives and SSDs inside the computer case, not on the rear panel for external devices.

PCIe slots is incorrect because PCIe slots are located on the motherboard itself for expansion cards and are not part of the rear I/O panel accessible for external connections.

Explanation:

The ATX Power Connector (24-pin) is the standard connector used to supply power from the PSU to the motherboard. It delivers the necessary voltages for the CPU, memory, chipset, and other motherboard components, enabling the system to operate. This connector ensures stable power distribution across the board, making it an essential interface for system functionality. Other connectors, like Molex or P4, provide power to specific devices or CPUs but do not supply the entire motherboard like the 24-pin ATX connector.

Correct Answer:

ATX Power Connector (24-pin)

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Front Panel Connectors is incorrect because these connectors provide signals for buttons, LEDs, and front I/O ports, not power to the motherboard.

Molex connector is incorrect because Molex connectors supply power to peripheral devices like older hard drives and optical drives, not the motherboard itself.

P4 Connector is incorrect because the P4 connector (4-pin or 8-pin CPU power connector) supplies additional power specifically to the CPU, not the entire motherboard.

Explanation:

A hypervisor is the solution that allows a company to host multiple operating systems on the same physical hardware by creating and managing virtual machines. It enables thin clients and servers to run different OS instances concurrently, isolating them from one another while sharing the underlying hardware. This virtualization technology provides flexibility, efficient resource utilization, and centralized management, making it ideal for environments where multiple operating systems must coexist on a network of servers and clients.

Correct Answer:

Hypervisor

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

RISC architecture parallelism is incorrect because RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer) focuses on simplifying processor instructions for efficiency and performance, but it does not provide the ability to run multiple operating systems on the same hardware.

RAID is incorrect because RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) is a storage technology designed for redundancy and performance, not for hosting multiple operating systems.

Virtual machine is incorrect because while virtual machines are created and managed by a hypervisor, the hypervisor itself is the enabling technology that allows different OS instances to run on shared hardware.

Explanation:

In 2005, the key shift in computing capability came from the move to multiprocessor architecture, particularly multi-core processors. Before this change, increasing CPU clock speed was the main method of improving performance, but physical and thermal limitations made further clock speed increases impractical. By integrating multiple processor cores on a single chip, systems could perform parallel processing more efficiently, significantly boosting computing performance without increasing clock speed. This shift transformed both consumer and enterprise computing, marking the era of multicore processors as the standard for enhancing computing capability.

Correct Answer:

Multiprocessor architecture

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Transistor architecture is incorrect because while transistor miniaturization continues to advance, the fundamental design element that drove a major performance leap in 2005 was the move to multiple cores, not just the transistor design.

Frame buffering is incorrect because frame buffering relates to graphics memory handling in video cards and displays. It does not directly enhance overall computing capability in the same transformative way that multiprocessor architecture does.

DRAM technology is incorrect because improvements in DRAM (speed, latency, or density) enhance memory performance but were not the key design change in 2005 responsible for the substantial leap in processing capability.