WGU C952 Computer Architecture Practice Study
Guide Questions with Distinction level Marking
scheme version 2024/2025
Memory hierarchy - correct answer concept that is necessary for the cpu to be able to
manipulate data.
Strong scaling - correct answer speed-up achieved on a multiprocessor without
increasing the size of the problem.
Weak scaling - correct answer speed-up achieved on a multiprocessor while
increasing the size of the problem proportionally to the increase in the number of
processors.
Not bound by amdah's law
Multiprocessor architecture - correct answer a unified graphics and computing
multiprocessor executes vertex, geometry, and pixel fragment shader programs, and
parallel computing programs
Advantages:
Increased throughput
Cost saving
Increased reliability
Streaming processor (sp) - correct answer the primary thread instruction processor in
the multiprocessor
Special function unit (sfu) - correct answer compute 32-bit floating-point
approximations to reciprocal, reciprocal square root, and key transcendental functions.
It also implements 32-bit floating-point planar attribute interpolation for pixel shaders,
,providing accurate interpolation of attributes such as color, depth, and texture
coordinates.
Uniform memory access (uma) - correct answer a multiprocessor in which latency to
any word in main memory is about the same no matter which processor requests the
access.
Non-uniform memory access (numa) - correct answer varying system memory access
times, because of system hardware.
Throughput - correct answer the amount of work performed by a system during a given
period of time
Cpu time formula - correct answer (instructions) x (cpi) x (clock cycle time)
Set associative cache - correct answer a cache that has a fixed number of locations (at
least two) where each block can be placed
(block number) modulo (num set in the cache)
Variable
One-way - original set
Two-way - will improve overall performance
Four-way
Eight-way
Fully associative cache - correct answer a cache structure in which a block can be
placed in any location in the cache.
Cdc 6600 - correct answer this system is widely considered to have been the first
supercomputer. Also first load-store architecture
, Tomasulo's algorithm - correct answer an algorithm for dynamic scheduling and out-of-
order execution
Uses dynamic hazard detection, generalized forwarding, and reservation stations.
Ibm 7030 - correct answer aka stretch
Produced with the goal of being 100 times faster than the previous ibm 704
Imprecise interupt - correct answer the unpopularity of imprecise interrupts led to the
standard of commit units in dynamically scheduled pipelined processors
Digital equipment corporation (dec) - correct answer a major american company in the
computer industry from the 1950s to the 1990s
Pdp-8 - correct answer first commercial minicomputer introduced by digital equipment
corporation
Cost under $20,000
Intel 4004 - correct answer first microprocessor
Supercomputer - correct answer a particularly powerful mainframe computer.
Seymour cray - correct answer american inventor of the cray supercomputer.
Least significant bits - correct answer the two bits furthest to the right
Most significant bit - correct answer left most bit
Guide Questions with Distinction level Marking
scheme version 2024/2025
Memory hierarchy - correct answer concept that is necessary for the cpu to be able to
manipulate data.
Strong scaling - correct answer speed-up achieved on a multiprocessor without
increasing the size of the problem.
Weak scaling - correct answer speed-up achieved on a multiprocessor while
increasing the size of the problem proportionally to the increase in the number of
processors.
Not bound by amdah's law
Multiprocessor architecture - correct answer a unified graphics and computing
multiprocessor executes vertex, geometry, and pixel fragment shader programs, and
parallel computing programs
Advantages:
Increased throughput
Cost saving
Increased reliability
Streaming processor (sp) - correct answer the primary thread instruction processor in
the multiprocessor
Special function unit (sfu) - correct answer compute 32-bit floating-point
approximations to reciprocal, reciprocal square root, and key transcendental functions.
It also implements 32-bit floating-point planar attribute interpolation for pixel shaders,
,providing accurate interpolation of attributes such as color, depth, and texture
coordinates.
Uniform memory access (uma) - correct answer a multiprocessor in which latency to
any word in main memory is about the same no matter which processor requests the
access.
Non-uniform memory access (numa) - correct answer varying system memory access
times, because of system hardware.
Throughput - correct answer the amount of work performed by a system during a given
period of time
Cpu time formula - correct answer (instructions) x (cpi) x (clock cycle time)
Set associative cache - correct answer a cache that has a fixed number of locations (at
least two) where each block can be placed
(block number) modulo (num set in the cache)
Variable
One-way - original set
Two-way - will improve overall performance
Four-way
Eight-way
Fully associative cache - correct answer a cache structure in which a block can be
placed in any location in the cache.
Cdc 6600 - correct answer this system is widely considered to have been the first
supercomputer. Also first load-store architecture
, Tomasulo's algorithm - correct answer an algorithm for dynamic scheduling and out-of-
order execution
Uses dynamic hazard detection, generalized forwarding, and reservation stations.
Ibm 7030 - correct answer aka stretch
Produced with the goal of being 100 times faster than the previous ibm 704
Imprecise interupt - correct answer the unpopularity of imprecise interrupts led to the
standard of commit units in dynamically scheduled pipelined processors
Digital equipment corporation (dec) - correct answer a major american company in the
computer industry from the 1950s to the 1990s
Pdp-8 - correct answer first commercial minicomputer introduced by digital equipment
corporation
Cost under $20,000
Intel 4004 - correct answer first microprocessor
Supercomputer - correct answer a particularly powerful mainframe computer.
Seymour cray - correct answer american inventor of the cray supercomputer.
Least significant bits - correct answer the two bits furthest to the right
Most significant bit - correct answer left most bit
