What cause of packet loss is typically associated with full queues?

The phenomenon of packet loss associated with full queues is fundamentally linked to the concept of queue overflow. When the transmitting device receives more packets than it can process and store, its buffer fills up. Once the buffer reaches its maximum capacity, any additional packets that arrive must be dropped, which is referred to as packet loss due to queue overflow. This scenario commonly occurs in network devices such as routers and switches when they are overwhelmed by high traffic volumes or insufficient resources to handle incoming data flows.

The other options relate to factors that can lead to packet delays or errors but do not directly address the specific mechanism of queue overflow, which is the most pertinent cause of packet loss in this context. CPU processing delays might result in slower handling of packets, and while this can contribute to network congestion, it does not directly result from a full queue condition. Similarly, link faults pertain to issues with the physical transmission path, which would lead to packet loss through means other than queue management. Delays in scheduling packets may cause latency but do not inherently cause packets to be discarded unless they lead to overflow situations. Thus, the primary reason for packet loss in this case is the overflow of queues when they cannot accommodate incoming traffic, confirming queue overflow as the correct answer.