Correct Solutions
frontside bus - Answer -✔✔Signal pathway for communication between CPU and
memory
backside bus - Answer -✔✔Signal pathway between CPU and L2 or L3 cache
frontside bus - Answer -✔✔Where cache is placed if no backside bus exists
ATX - Answer -✔✔Largest motherboard form factor, puts the processor and memory
in line with the fan output of the power supply, allowing the processor to run cooler
micro ATX - Answer -✔✔Follows the ATX principle of component placement for
enhanced cooling but with a smaller footprint, fits into ATX cases
ITX - Answer -✔✔Family of small motherboard form factors with mini-, nano-, pico-,
and mobile- categories.
Southbridge - Answer -✔✔This is in charge of anything other than CPU, memory and
cache, and PCIe
SODIMM and MicroDIMM - Answer -✔✔Form factors for laptop memory
L1 cache - Answer -✔✔Term for cache memory built into the processor
L2 cache - Answer -✔✔Term for cache memory external to the processor, possibly
physically close by
L3 cache - Answer -✔✔Term for cache memory on the motherboard, when the
processor already has external cache
firmware - Answer -✔✔The name given to any software that is encoded in hardware,
usually on ROM, and run without extra instructions from the operating system
option ROMs - Answer -✔✔Another term for things like the SCSI BIOS and video
BIOS
Parity checking - Answer -✔✔A rudimentary memory error-checking scheme that
offers no error correction
, 1 - Answer -✔✔How many bits can ECC memory correct?
single-sided memory - Answer -✔✔Memory modules with chips on just one side
double-sided memory - Answer -✔✔Memory modules with chips on both sides, which
the memory controller must switch between
buffered or registered memory modules - Answer -✔✔These memory modules
include specialized chips that act as buffers for all signals from the memory controller,
except, in some cases, the data signals
Load-reduced DIMMs - Answer -✔✔A form of registered DIMMs that increase
performance by maintaining parallel communication
onboard - Answer -✔✔Term for connectors included on the motherboard
off board - Answer -✔✔Term for connectors not on the motherboard, but residing on
adapter cards
drive interface - Answer -✔✔Name for the connector on the motherboard or adapter
card that connects via cable to the hard drive
3m - Answer -✔✔Max cable length of USB 1
5m - Answer -✔✔Max cable length of USB 2
3m - Answer -✔✔Max cable length of USB 3
(hub count * max cable length) + max cable length - Answer -✔✔Formula for
calculating max USB cable length with hubs
127 - Answer -✔✔Max number of USB devices per host
4.5m - Answer -✔✔Max FireWire 400 cable length
63 - Answer -✔✔Maximum number of FireWire devices per bus
72m - Answer -✔✔Maximum distance between FireWire devices
15m - Answer -✔✔Max passive HDMI cable length
30m - Answer -✔✔Max active HDMI cable length (hint: double passive HDMI length)