Computer Hardware quiz

More questions about Computer Hardware

These visible examples show the question style. LearnClash turns the full topic into ranked duels and spaced repetition.

1. 1 Easy

   What does the 'M' in HDMI stand for?

   Answer: Multimedia

   Why: The first HDMI spec arrived on 9 December 2002 with eight audio channels; HDMI 2.0 raised that ceiling to 32 on the same single cable.

2. 2 Medium

   Which laptop brand featured the first ever built-in Wi-Fi?

   Answer: Apple iBook

   Why: Wireless was a 99 dollar option: the iBook had two built-in antennas and an empty AirPort slot, so the radio card was bought separately.

3. 3 Hard

   Which basic computer logic gate requires the absolute fewest transistors to construct?

   Answer: NOT gate

   Why: A standard CMOS NOT gate requires only two transistors, one PMOS and one NMOS, to invert an electrical signal.

4. 4 Easy

   Why are computer heatsinks built with dozens of thin metal fins?

   Answer: To increase surface area for cooling

   Why: More fins is not always better: pack them too tightly and air cannot flow between them, so spacing is tuned to the fan behind the stack.

5. 5 Medium

   Why did the IBM PC win the personal computer market?

   Answer: Its open design allowed cheap compatible clones.

   Why: IBM printed the PC's full technical reference, BIOS listing included, so rivals could clean room clone it and the standard outgrew IBM.

6. 6 Hard

   Which supercomputer was the first commercially successful vector machine?

   Answer: Cray-1

   Why: A 12.5 nanosecond clock and chained multiply-add pipelines got it to 160 megaflops, and more than 80 Cray-1 systems were eventually sold.