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D386 HARDWARE AND OPERATING SYSTEM ESSENTIALS WGU OA
EXAM / WGU D386 ACTUAL EXAM/ WGU D386 HARDWARE AND
OPERATING SYSTEM ACTUAL OBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT EXAM
2026/2027 COMPLETE ACCURATE EXAM REAL QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT VERIFIED ANSWERS (A NEW UPDATED VERSION)
Memory Data Register (MDR)
A register that temporarily holds the data fetched from or to be
written to the computer's memory.
Cache Memory
Function: Provides high-speed data access to the CPU, reducing the
time needed to fetch data from the main memory (RAM).
Importance: Larger and faster caches can significantly improve CPU
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L1 Cache
Proximity to CPU: Closest to the CPU cores.
Speed: Fastest among all cache levels due to its proximity and high-
speed SRAM technology.
Size: Smallest in size, typically ranging from 16KB to 128KB per core.
Purpose: Primarily stores frequently accessed data and instructions
to reduce latency and improve the CPU's processing speed.
Structure: Often split into two separate caches: one for instructions
(L1i) and one for data (L1d).
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L2 Cache
Proximity to CPU: Sits between the L1 cache and the main memory
(RAM). Speed: Slower than L1 but faster than L3 cache and main
memory.
Size: Larger than L1, typically ranging from 256KB to several
megabytes per core.
Purpose: Acts as an intermediary store between L1 and L3, holding
data and instructions that are less frequently accessed than those in
L1 but more
frequently than those in RAM.
Structure: Can be either unified (storing both data and instructions) or
split, similar to L1.
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L3 Cache
Proximity to CPU: Shared among multiple CPU cores within the same
processor.
Speed: Slower than L2 but faster than main memory.
Size: Larger than L2, typically ranging from a few megabytes to tens of
megabytes, depending on the CPU architecture.
Purpose: Provides a larger, shared cache that can store data and
instructions accessible by all cores, reducing the need to fetch
from slower main memory.
Structure: Typically unified, storing both data and instructions.
Pipelining
A CPU function that Is a hardware technique to increase the instruction
throughput of a CPU by overlapping instruction execution stages.
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D386 HARDWARE AND OPERATING SYSTEM ESSENTIALS WGU OA
EXAM / WGU D386 ACTUAL EXAM/ WGU D386 HARDWARE AND
OPERATING SYSTEM ACTUAL OBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT EXAM
2026/2027 COMPLETE ACCURATE EXAM REAL QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT VERIFIED ANSWERS (A NEW UPDATED VERSION)
Memory Data Register (MDR)
A register that temporarily holds the data fetched from or to be
written to the computer's memory.
Cache Memory
Function: Provides high-speed data access to the CPU, reducing the
time needed to fetch data from the main memory (RAM).
Importance: Larger and faster caches can significantly improve CPU
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L1 Cache
Proximity to CPU: Closest to the CPU cores.
Speed: Fastest among all cache levels due to its proximity and high-
speed SRAM technology.
Size: Smallest in size, typically ranging from 16KB to 128KB per core.
Purpose: Primarily stores frequently accessed data and instructions
to reduce latency and improve the CPU's processing speed.
Structure: Often split into two separate caches: one for instructions
(L1i) and one for data (L1d).
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L2 Cache
Proximity to CPU: Sits between the L1 cache and the main memory
(RAM). Speed: Slower than L1 but faster than L3 cache and main
memory.
Size: Larger than L1, typically ranging from 256KB to several
megabytes per core.
Purpose: Acts as an intermediary store between L1 and L3, holding
data and instructions that are less frequently accessed than those in
L1 but more
frequently than those in RAM.
Structure: Can be either unified (storing both data and instructions) or
split, similar to L1.
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L3 Cache
Proximity to CPU: Shared among multiple CPU cores within the same
processor.
Speed: Slower than L2 but faster than main memory.
Size: Larger than L2, typically ranging from a few megabytes to tens of
megabytes, depending on the CPU architecture.
Purpose: Provides a larger, shared cache that can store data and
instructions accessible by all cores, reducing the need to fetch
from slower main memory.
Structure: Typically unified, storing both data and instructions.
Pipelining
A CPU function that Is a hardware technique to increase the instruction
throughput of a CPU by overlapping instruction execution stages.
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