The Brain on machines

When you sit at your computer, browsing the Internet, playing video games and running word processors, it's easy to feel
like you're in control. But have you ever thought about what really makes your desktop or laptop run?
Microprocessors, tiny computer chips, pack a powerful punch and crunch all of the  important numbers.

How small are microprocessors?
What can they do?

Start
What does CPU stand for?
Core processing unit
Computer processing unit
Central processing unit

Next
When was the first commercial
microprocessor introduced?
1961
1971
1981

Next
Out of what material are computer chips
made?
Plastic
Silicon
Olestra

Next
The width of the smallest wire on a
computer chip is typcially measured in:
Millimeters
Microns
Nanometers

Next
Which of the following is not part of a computer chip's job?
Performing mathematical operations
Moving data from one memory
location to another
Starting up the computer.

Next
To what do buses and lines connect in a
computer chip?
ROM
RAM
ROM and RAM

Next
What does ROM stand for?
Read-only memory
Random-only memory
Read-on memory

Next
On a PC, what do the BIOS (Basic Input/
Output System) instructions do?
Load the operating system
Test hardware in the machine
Both of the above

Next
Computer chip designers create language
instructions that the microprocessor
reads. What part of the computer can
translate the words from the instructions
into bit patterns the chip can understand?
The assembler
The program counter
The ALU

Next
About how much address space can a 64-
bit microprocessor access?
4 GB
1,000 GB
One billion GB

Next
The Intel 8086 processor, introduced in
1978, included what important advance?
It included two separate processors on
one chip.
It was one of the first 16-bit
processors.
It introduced floating decimal
processing.

Next
How many transistors are included in the
Intel Core i7 processor, introduced in
2008?
7 million
73 million
731 million

Next
The CPU is included on a central
component of the computer known as:
The BIOS adapter
The motherboard
The command center

Next
What is a CPU’s clock speed?
The accuracy of time-keeping function
The number of times a second it
refreshes its memory
The rate at which it can execute
instructions

Next
The memory that a CPU can use directly is
called:
Cache memory
Clock memory
Direct access memory

Next
The process size of a CPU refers to what?
The fineness of the manufacturing
technique
The amount of cache memory
The number of calculations per second

Next
A turbo boost allows a CPU to:
Rev up its cooling fan
Run at a speed faster than that for
which it’s rated
Access the hard drive directly

Next
Every CPU needs to:
Dissipate heat
Be refreshed by the computer’s ROM
Spend time in the off state

Next
Which type of CPU was used in the first
IBM personal computer?
8-bit
16-bit
32-bit

Next
The first commercial processor was used
in:
The ENIAC computer
A programmable business calculator
The Apple Macintosh

Next
Which of these is an important
manufacturer of CPU chips?

ADM
HP
AMD