A computer has a quad-core CPU with a 2.4 GHz frequency, 16 GB RAM, and a 1TB SSD. A program that uses many threads and performs…

Question

A computer has a quad-core CPU with a 2.4 GHz frequency, 16 GB RAM, and a 1TB SSD. A program that uses many threads and performs frequent disk operations is running very slowly and sometimes crashes. What is the most likely cause?

1. A. Inefficient multithreading and high memory usage (Correct answer)
2. B. Insufficient CPU core performance
3. C. Large SSD causing slow disk access
4. D. Slow processor frequency

Correct Answer

Option A — A

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is Option A.

Key Points

• inefficient multithreading and high memory usage.
• (Note: the provisional key showed D; the final JKSSB key is A.)
• The machine is capable — quad-core, 2.4 GHz, 16 GB RAM, SSD.
• A program that spawns many threads and does frequent disk I/O, running slowly and crashing, points to a software problem: poor thread management (contention, deadlocks) and excessive memory use leading to instability.
• Why (D) is wrong: 2.4 GHz on a quad-core is not 'slow', and a slow clock would cause steady slowness, not crashes.
• The crash symptom is the giveaway that the cause is software, not raw clock speed.

Exam Tip

• match the symptom to the layer — crashes + high thread count → software/memory; uniform slowness → could be hardware; disk thrashing → insufficient RAM causing swapping.

Additional Information

• A program that is slow despite ample hardware usually points to software limits rather than hardware: poor thread utilisation leaves most cores idle, and excessive memory use forces swapping.
• With a quad-core CPU, a single-threaded program uses only about 25% of available processing capacity however fast the clock.
• This item too was revised from its provisional key — check the final JKSSB key when revising.