Q1. Which type of RAM loses its data when the capacitor needs refreshing fails?
A) SRAM
B) DRAM
C) SDRAM
D) RDRAM
✅ Answer: B) DRAM
💡 Explanation: DRAM stores bits as charge in capacitors that must be periodically refreshed or data is lost — making it volatile.
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Q2. DDR5 RAM compared to DDR4 offers:
A) Lower bandwidth and higher power
B) Higher bandwidth and improved power efficiency
C) Same performance but smaller size
D) No significant difference
✅ Answer: B) Higher bandwidth and improved power efficiency
💡 Explanation: DDR5 doubles the bandwidth of DDR4 (up to 51.2 GB/s) while reducing power consumption from 1.2V to 1.1V.
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Q3. ECC memory is used primarily in:
A) Gaming systems for better graphics
B) Servers and workstations to detect and correct memory errors
C) Mobile phones
D) Embedded systems only
✅ Answer: B) Servers and workstations to detect and correct memory errors
💡 Explanation: ECC (Error-Correcting Code) memory detects and corrects single-bit errors, critical for servers and data centers.
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Q4. The purpose of cache memory is to:
A) Store data permanently
B) Bridge speed gap between fast CPU and slower RAM
C) Expand RAM capacity
D) Back up data automatically
✅ Answer: B) Bridge speed gap between fast CPU and slower RAM
💡 Explanation: Cache stores frequently accessed data close to the CPU to reduce the latency of fetching data from slower RAM.
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Q5. Virtual memory uses which storage as an extension of RAM?
A) Cache memory
B) ROM
C) Hard disk/SSD (page/swap file)
D) Register
✅ Answer: C) Hard disk/SSD (page/swap file)
💡 Explanation: Virtual memory extends available RAM by using a page file/swap space on the HDD or SSD.
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Q6. Flash memory (NAND) is used in:
A) CPU cache only
B) SSDs, USB drives, and memory cards
C) Main RAM modules
D) CPU registers
✅ Answer: B) SSDs, USB drives, and memory cards
💡 Explanation: NAND Flash memory is non-volatile storage used in SSDs, USB flash drives, SD cards, and smartphones.
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Q7. In a memory hierarchy, which has the fastest access speed?
A) Hard Disk
B) RAM
C) Cache
D) CPU Registers
✅ Answer: D) CPU Registers
💡 Explanation: Memory hierarchy (fastest to slowest): Registers → L1 Cache → L2 Cache → L3 Cache → RAM → SSD/HDD.
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Q8. What is ‘wear leveling’ in SSDs?
A) Reducing SSD weight
B) Distributing write cycles evenly across NAND cells to extend SSD lifespan
C) Compressing data before storing
D) Encrypting data on SSD
✅ Answer: B) Distributing write cycles evenly across NAND cells to extend SSD lifespan
💡 Explanation: Wear leveling spreads writes across all NAND blocks to prevent some cells from wearing out faster than others.
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Q9. EPROM differs from EEPROM in that EPROM is erased by:
A) Electrical signals
B) UV (ultraviolet) light
C) Heat
D) Magnetic field
✅ Answer: B) UV (ultraviolet) light
💡 Explanation: EPROM is erased by UV light exposure through a transparent window. EEPROM is erased electrically.
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Q10. What does ‘latency’ mean in the context of RAM?
A) Memory capacity
B) Time delay between a data request and the start of data delivery
C) Data transfer rate
D) Number of memory channels
✅ Answer: B) Time delay between a data request and the start of data delivery
💡 Explanation: RAM latency (CAS latency) is the delay measured in clock cycles between sending a read request and receiving data.
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Q11. The term ‘dual-channel memory’ means:
A) Two separate RAM sticks of different sizes
B) Two RAM modules working simultaneously to double bandwidth
C) RAM with two speeds
D) Memory with double capacity
✅ Answer: B) Two RAM modules working simultaneously to double bandwidth
💡 Explanation: Dual-channel uses two matched RAM modules in parallel, effectively doubling memory bandwidth to the CPU.
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Q12. A SSD with MLC NAND stores how many bits per cell?
A) 1 bit
B) 2 bits
C) 3 bits
D) 4 bits
✅ Answer: B) 2 bits
💡 Explanation: MLC (Multi-Level Cell) stores 2 bits per cell. SLC=1, TLC=3, QLC=4 bits per cell.
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Q13. ROM in computers is used to store:
A) User documents
B) Operating system files
C) Firmware/BIOS
D) Temporary processing data
✅ Answer: C) Firmware/BIOS
💡 Explanation: ROM stores permanent firmware like BIOS that initializes hardware during boot — it’s non-volatile and read-only.
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Q14. HBM (High Bandwidth Memory) is used in:
A) Server RAM
B) Mobile phones
C) High-performance GPUs and AI accelerators
D) USB drives
✅ Answer: C) High-performance GPUs and AI accelerators
💡 Explanation: HBM stacks DRAM dies vertically with wide interfaces, providing extremely high bandwidth for GPUs and AI chips.
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Q15. Which file system does Windows use for its system partition by default?
A) FAT32
B) exFAT
C) NTFS
D) ext4
✅ Answer: C) NTFS
💡 Explanation: NTFS (New Technology File System) is Windows’ primary file system supporting large files, permissions, and journaling.
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Q16. The ‘swap space’ in Linux is equivalent to what in Windows?
A) Recycle Bin
B) Page File (pagefile.sys)
C) System32 folder
D) Temp folder
✅ Answer: B) Page File (pagefile.sys)
💡 Explanation: Linux swap space and Windows pagefile.sys both serve as virtual memory extensions on disk.
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Q17. Which storage technology is used in tape drives?
A) Optical storage
B) Magnetic storage on magnetic tape
C) Flash storage
D) Holographic storage
✅ Answer: B) Magnetic storage on magnetic tape
💡 Explanation: Tape drives use magnetic tape for sequential access storage — still widely used for archival and backup.
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Q18. RAID 0 provides:
A) Fault tolerance without performance benefit
B) Mirroring for redundancy
C) Striping for performance but NO fault tolerance
D) Both striping and mirroring
✅ Answer: C) Striping for performance but NO fault tolerance
💡 Explanation: RAID 0 stripes data across multiple disks for speed but if one disk fails, ALL data is lost — no redundancy.
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Q19. What is the purpose of ‘defragmentation’ in traditional HDDs?
A) Delete unnecessary files
B) Rearrange fragmented data on disk into contiguous blocks for faster access
C) Check disk for errors
D) Format the disk
✅ Answer: B) Rearrange fragmented data on disk into contiguous blocks for faster access
💡 Explanation: Defragmentation consolidates scattered file fragments on HDDs so the read head can access them faster.
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Q20. Which cache level is typically shared among all CPU cores?
A) L1 Cache
B) L2 Cache
C) L3 Cache
D) L0 Cache
✅ Answer: C) L3 Cache
💡 Explanation: L3 (LLC — Last Level Cache) is typically shared among all cores on a processor, acting as a shared pool.