Cache Mapping Techniques (Direct, Associative, Set-Associative) MCQs

What does “direct-mapped cache” use to determine the location of data?
a) A specific index derived from the memory address
b) A random address
c) A set of possible addresses
d) A combination of multiple addresses
Answer: a) A specific index derived from the memory address

Which cache mapping technique provides the highest flexibility in data placement?
a) Fully associative mapping
b) Direct-mapped cache
c) Set-associative mapping
d) Direct-mapped with replacement
Answer: a) Fully associative mapping

What is a key advantage of direct-mapped caches?
a) Simplicity and fast access time
b) Higher flexibility in data placement
c) Lower hit rates compared to other techniques
d) Reduced complexity in tag comparison
Answer: a) Simplicity and fast access time

In which cache mapping technique can a block be placed in any cache line?
a) Fully associative mapping
b) Direct-mapped cache
c) Set-associative mapping
d) Random cache mapping
Answer: a) Fully associative mapping

What is the primary disadvantage of direct-mapped cache?
a) High potential for cache collisions
b) High complexity in data management
c) Low flexibility in data placement
d) High cost
Answer: a) High potential for cache collisions

What determines the number of sets in a set-associative cache?
a) The associativity level of the cache
b) The block size
c) The cache line size
d) The size of main memory
Answer: a) The associativity level of the cache

Which cache mapping technique involves a trade-off between direct-mapped and fully associative caches?
a) Set-associative mapping
b) Direct-mapped cache
c) Fully associative mapping
d) Random cache mapping
Answer: a) Set-associative mapping

In a 4-way set-associative cache, how many blocks can be mapped to each set?
a) 4
b) 2
c) 1
d) 8
Answer: a) 4

What is the primary role of the “tag” in a cache mapping technique?
a) To identify which block of memory is stored in a specific cache line
b) To manage cache replacement policies
c) To increase cache size
d) To improve cache speed
Answer: a) To identify which block of memory is stored in a specific cache line

Which cache mapping technique allows for multiple blocks to be stored in the same cache set?
a) Set-associative mapping
b) Direct-mapped cache
c) Fully associative mapping
d) Random cache mapping
Answer: a) Set-associative mapping

How does “set-associative cache” improve upon direct-mapped cache?
a) By reducing the number of cache misses through increased flexibility in block placement
b) By increasing the complexity of the cache management
c) By simplifying tag comparison
d) By reducing the size of the cache
Answer: a) By reducing the number of cache misses through increased flexibility in block placement

In a fully associative cache, what is the maximum number of locations a block can be mapped to?
a) All cache lines
b) One cache line
c) Half of the cache lines
d) A fixed set of lines
Answer: a) All cache lines

What is a disadvantage of fully associative caches?
a) Higher complexity and longer search time
b) Lower flexibility in block placement
c) Reduced cache hit rates
d) Simplified management
Answer: a) Higher complexity and longer search time

What is the key feature of a direct-mapped cache?
a) Each block maps to exactly one cache line
b) Each block can be placed in any cache line
c) Each block maps to a specific set of lines
d) Each block has multiple possible lines
Answer: a) Each block maps to exactly one cache line

How does a 2-way set-associative cache differ from a direct-mapped cache?
a) It allows a block to be placed in one of two cache lines within a set
b) It maps each block to exactly one cache line
c) It uses a fully associative mapping
d) It increases the complexity of tag comparison
Answer: a) It allows a block to be placed in one of two cache lines within a set

What is the main benefit of using set-associative mapping over direct-mapped caching?
a) Reduced conflict misses
b) Simplicity in cache design
c) Faster access times
d) Lower cost
Answer: a) Reduced conflict misses

What does “N-way set-associative cache” refer to?
a) A cache with N sets and each set containing N lines
b) A cache with N cache lines
c) A cache with N blocks
d) A cache with N replacement policies
Answer: a) A cache with N sets and each set containing N lines

In a direct-mapped cache, what happens if two blocks map to the same cache line?
a) One block will replace the other
b) Both blocks will be stored together
c) The cache line will be split into two lines
d) The system will use a fully associative technique
Answer: a) One block will replace the other

Which cache mapping technique typically requires the most complex tag comparison?
a) Fully associative mapping
b) Direct-mapped cache
c) Set-associative mapping
d) Random cache mapping
Answer: a) Fully associative mapping

What is the role of the “cache line” in set-associative caches?
a) To store data from main memory and facilitate cache lookups
b) To manage memory addresses
c) To handle disk storage
d) To improve network communication
Answer: a) To store data from main memory and facilitate cache lookups

Which mapping technique is least likely to suffer from cache conflicts?
a) Fully associative mapping
b) Direct-mapped cache
c) Set-associative mapping
d) Random cache mapping
Answer: a) Fully associative mapping

In which mapping technique do all cache lines within a set share a common index?
a) Set-associative mapping
b) Direct-mapped cache
c) Fully associative mapping
d) Random cache mapping
Answer: a) Set-associative mapping

What is the primary advantage of a fully associative cache?
a) It allows for the most flexible block placement, minimizing conflict misses
b) It has a simpler design compared to set-associative caches
c) It provides faster access times compared to direct-mapped caches
d) It requires less tag storage compared to other techniques
Answer: a) It allows for the most flexible block placement, minimizing conflict misses

How does a 4-way set-associative cache differ from an 8-way set-associative cache?
a) It has fewer lines per set
b) It has more lines per set
c) It has a larger cache size
d) It uses a simpler mapping technique
Answer: a) It has fewer lines per set

What does “cache line replacement” involve in a direct-mapped cache?
a) Replacing the existing block with a new block that maps to the same line
b) Replacing the entire cache
c) Replacing the data within a set
d) Replacing multiple blocks in a set
Answer: a) Replacing the existing block with a new block that maps to the same line

Which mapping technique involves the lowest complexity in cache lookup?
a) Direct-mapped cache
b) Fully associative mapping
c) Set-associative mapping
d) Random cache mapping
Answer: a) Direct-mapped cache

What impact does a larger block size have in a fully associative cache?
a) It can increase the likelihood of cache pollution but reduce the number of cache misses
b) It decreases cache efficiency
c) It simplifies tag comparison
d) It reduces the cache hit rate
Answer: a) It can increase the likelihood of cache pollution but reduce the number of cache misses

How does a direct-mapped cache handle cache misses?
a) By replacing the block that maps to the same line with the new block
b) By storing multiple blocks in the same line
c) By using multiple lines for each block
d) By increasing the cache size
Answer: a) By replacing the block that maps to the same line with the new block

What is a common strategy to mitigate cache conflicts in direct-mapped caches?
a) Using a higher associativity in set-associative caches
b) Increasing the cache size
c) Reducing the block size
d) Using a fully associative cache
Answer: a) Using a higher associativity in set-associative caches

Which cache mapping technique typically has the lowest tag storage requirements?
a) Direct-mapped cache
b) Fully associative mapping
c) Set-associative mapping
d) Random cache mapping
Answer: a) Direct-mapped cache

How does set-associative mapping balance between direct-mapped and fully associative caches?
a) By providing a compromise in flexibility and complexity
b) By increasing the cache size
c) By reducing the number of cache lines
d) By simplifying the replacement policy
Answer: a) By providing a compromise in flexibility and complexity

What is the primary characteristic of an 8-way set-associative cache?
a) Each set contains 8 cache lines
b) Each cache line maps to 8 possible sets
c) The cache is fully associative
d) The cache has 8 blocks
Answer: a) Each set contains 8 cache lines

In a fully associative cache, what is required for each cache lookup?
a) A search of all cache lines for the requested block
b) A search of a specific set of cache lines
c) A search of a single cache line
d) A search of main memory
Answer: a) A search of all cache lines for the requested block

Which cache mapping technique is most prone to conflict misses?
a) Direct-mapped cache
b) Fully associative mapping
c) Set-associative mapping
d) Random cache mapping
Answer: a) Direct-mapped cache

What factor primarily determines the number of sets in a set-associative cache?
a) The level of associativity and cache size
b) The block size
c) The tag size
d) The cache line size
Answer: a) The level of associativity and cache size

What advantage does a set-associative cache provide over a direct-mapped cache?
a) It reduces the likelihood of cache misses due to its multiple lines per set
b) It simplifies the cache lookup process
c) It decreases the cache size
d) It increases the complexity of tag comparison
Answer: a) It reduces the likelihood of cache misses due to its multiple lines per set

Which cache mapping technique requires the longest search time for a cache lookup?
a) Fully associative mapping
b) Direct-mapped cache
c) Set-associative mapping
d) Random cache mapping
Answer: a) Fully associative mapping

How does “set-associativity” impact the design of a cache?
a) It requires additional hardware for tag comparisons and block placement
b) It reduces the need for complex replacement policies
c) It simplifies the management of cache blocks
d) It decreases the cache’s flexibility
Answer: a) It requires additional hardware for tag comparisons and block placement

What is the main benefit of a direct-mapped cache?
a) It provides a simple and fast mapping mechanism
b) It offers high flexibility in block placement
c) It reduces the complexity of tag comparison
d) It maximizes cache size
Answer: a) It provides a simple and fast mapping mechanism

What does “N-way” refer to in N-way set-associative caches?
a) The number of cache lines per set
b) The total number of cache lines
c) The number of sets in the cache
d) The size of the cache blocks
Answer: a) The number of cache lines per set

What happens during a cache miss in a set-associative cache?
a) The cache controller searches multiple lines within a set for the requested block
b) The cache controller searches a single line
c) The cache controller writes data to disk
d) The cache controller replaces all blocks in the cache
Answer: a) The cache controller searches multiple lines within a set for the requested block

Which cache mapping technique typically results in the most cache lines per set?
a) Fully associative mapping
b) Direct-mapped cache
c) Set-associative mapping
d) Random cache mapping
Answer: a) Fully associative mapping

How does a direct-mapped cache handle multiple blocks that map to the same cache line?
a) It replaces the existing block with the new block
b) It stores multiple blocks in the same line
c) It increases the cache size
d) It uses a set-associative technique
Answer: a) It replaces the existing block with the new block

What is the effect of increasing the associativity in a set-associative cache?
a) It decreases the probability of conflict misses
b) It increases the complexity of cache management
c) It reduces the cache hit rate
d) It simplifies the tag comparison
Answer: a) It decreases the probability of conflict misses

How is data indexed in a fully associative cache?
a) By searching all cache lines
b) By searching a specific set
c) By searching a single cache line
d) By searching main memory
Answer: a) By searching all cache lines

What is the impact of having a higher number of ways in a set-associative cache?
a) It allows for more flexibility in block placement and reduces conflict misses
b) It increases the complexity of tag comparison
c) It decreases the overall cache size
d) It simplifies cache design
Answer: a) It allows for more flexibility in block placement and reduces conflict misses

What does “cache associativity” refer to in set-associative caches?
a) The number of lines per set in the cache
b) The number of cache lines
c) The size of each cache block
d) The total number of cache sets
Answer: a) The number of lines per set in the cache

What is the purpose of “cache tags” in direct-mapped caches?
a) To identify which block is currently stored in a cache line
b) To manage cache size
c) To handle network communication
d) To increase cache speed
Answer: a) To identify which block is currently stored in a cache line

How does “cache replacement policy” interact with different cache mapping techniques?
a) It determines which blocks to remove or replace in the cache based on the mapping technique
b) It decides the size of the cache
c) It manages disk storage
d) It handles network traffic
Answer: a) It determines which blocks to remove or replace in the cache based on the mapping technique

Cache Mapping Techniques (Direct, Associative, Set-Associative) MCQs
By: Prof. Dr. Fazal Rehman Shamil | Last updated: September 20, 2024

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