hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
220-1201 Practice Question: A technician is tasked with building a…
A technician is tasked with building a high-performance workstation for a data scientist who uses large datasets. The workstation has a motherboard that supports quad-channel memory. The technician has four 16 GB DDR4-3200 modules. Which configuration will yield the best memory performance?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Install one module in each of the four channels (e.g., slots 1, 3, 5, 7) to enable quad-channel mode.
Quad-channel memory architecture requires that all four memory channels be populated with identical modules to achieve maximum bandwidth. Installing one module per channel (e.g., in slots 1, 3, 5, 7 or the designated quad-channel slots) allows the memory controller to access all four channels simultaneously, quadrupling the data transfer rate compared to single-channel. Using fewer modules or mismatched sizes would reduce the channel count or cause the system to run in a lower-channel mode.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Install all four modules in the same channel (e.g., slots 1, 2, 3, 4) to maximize density.
Why it's wrong here
Installing all four memory modules into a single channel, even if physically possible by populating consecutive slots (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4), would force the system to operate in single-channel mode. This configuration prevents the CPU's memory controller from simultaneously accessing data across multiple independent channels, severely limiting the memory bandwidth available to the high-performance workstation. Consequently, the system's overall performance would be drastically reduced, especially for memory-intensive tasks.
- ✗
Install two modules in one channel and two in another, leaving the other two channels empty.
Why it's wrong here
Placing two modules in one channel and two in another, while leaving the remaining two channels empty, would only enable dual-channel memory operation. While dual-channel offers better performance than single-channel, it fails to utilize the full potential of a motherboard designed for quad-channel memory. A high-performance workstation benefits significantly from the increased bandwidth provided by quad-channel mode, making this configuration suboptimal and a waste of the system's capabilities.
- ✓
Install one module in each of the four channels (e.g., slots 1, 3, 5, 7) to enable quad-channel mode.
Why this is correct
To enable quad-channel mode, the correct approach is to install one memory module into each of the four available memory channels. This typically involves populating specific slots, often indicated by matching colors or motherboard manual guidance (e.g., slots 1, 3, 5, 7 or A1, B1, C1, D1). By distributing the modules across all channels, the CPU's integrated memory controller can simultaneously access data from four independent pathways, maximizing memory bandwidth and significantly boosting the workstation's performance for demanding applications.
- ✗
Install all four modules in the same slot using a special adapter.
Why it's wrong here
The concept of installing all four memory modules into a single slot using a special adapter is not a valid or existing configuration for standard desktop or workstation memory (DIMMs). Memory slots are designed to accommodate one module each, and there is no widely available or standardized adapter that would allow multiple DIMMs to physically or electrically connect to a single slot. Such a setup would be physically impossible and electrically incompatible with current memory architectures.
Go deeper
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Key term
Bandwidth
Bandwidth is the maximum amount of data that can travel over a network connection in a given amount of time, usually measured in bits per second.
Key term
Double Data Rate
Double Data Rate (DDR) is a technology that doubles the data transfer rate of a memory or bus by sending data on both the rising and falling edges of the clock signal, effectively doing twice as much work per clock cycle.
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