ICT Computer Hardware and Peripherals 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the purpose of ECC RAM in a server environment?
- Increase clock frequency
- Detect and correct single-bit memory errors (Correct answer)
- Reduce power consumption
- Enable dual-channel operation
Correct answer: Detect and correct single-bit memory errors
ECC (Error-Correcting Code) RAM uses extra bits to automatically detect and correct single-bit errors, preventing data corruption in critical workloads.
Question 2: Which port type was specifically designed to connect digital cameras and camcorders to a PC using a 4- or 6-pin connector?
- USB 2.0
- FireWire (IEEE 1394) (Correct answer)
- eSATA
- HDMI
Correct answer: FireWire (IEEE 1394)
FireWire (IEEE 1394) was popular for DV camcorder transfer due to its isochronous data delivery, which guarantees consistent bandwidth for video streams.
Question 3: A laptop suddenly throttles performance when running on battery. What hardware feature causes this behavior?
- RAM underclocking
- CPU power management / TDP limits (Correct answer)
- GPU memory compression
- Hard drive spin-down
Correct answer: CPU power management / TDP limits
To conserve battery life, the CPU's power management reduces clock speed and voltage when the system is unplugged, limiting performance.
Question 4: What does 'PCIe x16' indicate about an expansion slot?
- It supports 16 devices simultaneously
- It has 16 PCIe lanes for high-bandwidth transfer (Correct answer)
- It runs at 16 GHz
- It is the 16th version of the PCIe standard
Correct answer: It has 16 PCIe lanes for high-bandwidth transfer
The 'x16' designation means the slot uses 16 PCIe lanes, providing maximum bandwidth—most dedicated GPUs require an x16 slot.
Question 5: Which type of display technology uses organic compounds that emit light without a backlight?
- LCD
- OLED (Correct answer)
- LED (WLED)
- E-Ink
Correct answer: OLED
OLED panels use organic electroluminescent compounds where each pixel generates its own light, enabling true blacks and high contrast ratios.
Question 6: What is the role of the Northbridge chip in older PC architectures?
- Manage USB and audio I/O
- Connect the CPU to high-speed components like RAM and GPU (Correct answer)
- Control hard drive access
- Regulate power delivery to the motherboard
Correct answer: Connect the CPU to high-speed components like RAM and GPU
The Northbridge handled high-bandwidth communication between the CPU, system memory, and the PCIe/AGP graphics bus in legacy chipset designs.
Question 7: Which connector type carries only audio signals and is color-coded green on most desktop PCs?
- RJ-45
- 3.5 mm TRS (line-out) (Correct answer)
- BNC
- XLR
Correct answer: 3.5 mm TRS (line-out)
The green 3.5 mm TRS jack on desktop audio panels is the standard analog line-out (speaker) connector for stereo audio output.
ICT Computer Hardware and Peripherals 3
What is the purpose of ECC RAM in a server environment?