220-1201 Practice Test 49 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A customer reports that their desktop computer intermittently freezes and emits a high-pitched whine. The issue occurs more frequently under heavy load, such as when rendering video. Which CPU-related feature is most likely causing this symptom?

Accepted Answer

Coil whine from the voltage regulator modules. The high-pitched whine from a CPU under load is typically coil whine, caused by electrical vibrations in the voltage regulator modules (VRMs) or inductors. This is not a sign of failure but can be annoying. The correct answer identifies the source as power delivery components, not the CPU itself.

Answer

CPU throttling due to overheating

Answer

A failing CPU fan bearing

Answer

Incorrect CPU multiplier setting in BIOS

Question 2

During a routine hardware upgrade, a technician installs a new CPU into a workstation. After powering on, the system emits a series of long beeps and the screen remains blank. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The RAM is not seated properly. POST beep codes are used to indicate hardware errors. A series of long beeps typically points to a memory issue, not a CPU problem. The technician should reseat the RAM modules to resolve this.

Answer

The CPU is not compatible with the motherboard socket

Answer

The CPU is installed backwards

Answer

The CPU fan is not connected to the motherboard

Question 3

A user complains that their PC is running slowly and the fan is constantly running at high speed. Task Manager shows the CPU is consistently at 100% usage even when idle. Which of the following is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

A background process is consuming CPU cycles, such as a mining script or system update. High CPU usage at idle is often due to background processes, such as malware or a runaway application. The constant high fan speed indicates the CPU is generating excess heat from this activity.

Answer

The CPU is overheating due to dried thermal paste

Answer

The power supply is failing and cannot provide enough power

Answer

The CPU has been overclocked beyond its limits

Question 4

A technician is replacing a CPU in a server that uses a LGA 1151 socket. After installing the new CPU and applying thermal paste, the system fails to post. The technician notices the CPU cooler is not making full contact with the CPU. What is the most likely consequence of this poor contact?

Accepted Answer

The CPU will overheat and the system will shut down to prevent damage. Poor contact between the CPU and cooler prevents effective heat dissipation. The CPU will quickly overheat, triggering thermal protection that shuts down the system to prevent damage. This is a common issue after improper cooler installation.

Answer

The CPU will operate at a lower clock speed but still function

Answer

The system will boot but display a warning about high CPU temperature

Answer

The CPU will be permanently damaged immediately

Question 5

A technician is building a new gaming PC and wants to ensure the CPU can handle heavy multitasking and overclocking. The motherboard supports both Intel and AMD CPUs, but the technician is unsure which CPU features to prioritize. Which CPU characteristic is most important for overclocking stability?

Accepted Answer

A high-quality aftermarket CPU cooler. Overclocking increases the CPU's clock speed beyond stock settings, which generates more heat. A robust cooling solution is essential to maintain stability and prevent thermal throttling or damage. Other features like core count or cache are secondary for overclocking.

Answer

A high number of cores (e.g., 12 cores)

Answer

A large L3 cache (e.g., 32 MB)

Answer

An unlocked multiplier (e.g., Intel K-series or AMD Ryzen)

Question 6

A user reports that their computer randomly restarts when playing games. The technician suspects the CPU is overheating. Which tool should the technician use to monitor the CPU temperature under load?

Accepted Answer

A third-party utility like HWMonitor. To diagnose overheating, a technician needs real-time temperature monitoring. A tool like HWMonitor or Core Temp provides accurate CPU temperature readings. BIOS/UEFI shows idle temps only, and Event Viewer logs crashes but not temperatures.

Answer

Windows Task Manager

Answer

The BIOS/UEFI hardware monitor

Answer

Windows Event Viewer

Question 7

A technician is troubleshooting a workstation that fails to boot. The motherboard has a POST code display showing '00'. The CPU fan spins, but there is no display output. Which component is most likely faulty?

Accepted Answer

The CPU. POST code '00' typically indicates a CPU-related issue, such as a faulty CPU, incorrect installation, or bent pins. Since the fan spins, power is reaching the board, but the CPU is not initializing. The technician should reseat the CPU and check for damage.

Answer

The power supply unit

Answer

The RAM modules

Answer

The graphics card

Question 8

A technician is upgrading a workstation from a dual-core CPU to a quad-core CPU. After installation, the system boots but only shows two cores in the operating system. The technician has already verified the CPU is properly seated. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The motherboard BIOS is outdated and does not fully support the new CPU. If the OS only detects half the cores, the CPU might be faulty, but a more common cause is that the motherboard's BIOS needs an update to support the new CPU's full feature set. Older BIOS versions may not recognize all cores.

Answer

The CPU is counterfeit and only has two functional cores

Answer

The operating system is limited to two cores due to licensing

Answer

The CPU cooler is too tight, causing physical damage to the CPU

Question 9

A technician is configuring a server that requires maximum memory bandwidth for virtual machines. The motherboard has four memory slots and supports dual-channel architecture. The technician installs two 16 GB DIMMs. Which configuration will provide the best performance?

Accepted Answer

Install both DIMMs in slots 1 and 3 (different channels). Dual-channel memory architecture requires matched pairs of DIMMs installed in specific slots (usually slots 1 and 3 or 2 and 4) to operate in dual-channel mode. Installing them in the same channel (e.g., slots 1 and 2) forces single-channel mode, halving memory bandwidth.

Answer

Install both DIMMs in slots 1 and 2 (same channel)

Answer

Install one DIMM in slot 1 and leave the other empty

Answer

Install both DIMMs in slots 2 and 3 (adjacent slots)

Question 10

A technician is troubleshooting a system that experiences random lockups and blue screens. The technician suspects a CPU issue but has already run a stress test without errors. Which diagnostic step should the technician perform next to isolate the problem?

Accepted Answer

Run a memory diagnostic tool like MemTest86. Random lockups and blue screens can also be caused by memory errors. Running a memory diagnostic tool like MemTest86 will test the RAM for faults, which can produce symptoms similar to a failing CPU. This helps rule out memory before replacing the CPU.

Answer

Replace the CPU with a known good one

Answer

Update the motherboard BIOS to the latest version

Answer

Check the CPU voltage in BIOS and increase it slightly

Question 11

A customer reports that their desktop computer randomly shuts down when they run video editing software. The system has a high-end GPU and 32 GB of RAM. During troubleshooting, you notice the CPU temperature quickly rises to 95°C under load. Which of the following is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

CPU cooler fan failure or poor thermal paste application. Overheating is a common cause of random shutdowns, especially under heavy load. The CPU thermal protection mechanism triggers to prevent damage. This scenario tests the understanding of thermal management and its impact on system stability.

Answer

Insufficient power supply wattage

Answer

Faulty RAM module

Answer

Outdated BIOS firmware

Question 12

A technician is building a new workstation for a graphic designer. The user needs fast single-threaded performance for Adobe Photoshop. Which CPU characteristic should the technician prioritize?

Accepted Answer

Higher clock speed (GHz). For applications like Photoshop that rely heavily on single-threaded performance, higher clock speed is more important than core count. This question tests the understanding of CPU performance metrics for specific workloads.

Answer

Maximum number of cores

Answer

Larger L3 cache size

Answer

Lower TDP

Question 13

A user complains that their computer is running slowly, especially when opening multiple browser tabs. Task Manager shows the CPU is at 100% usage constantly, even when idle. Which of the following is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

Background malware or a driver issue. Constant 100% CPU usage at idle suggests a background process is consuming resources, often due to malware or a misbehaving driver. This tests the ability to distinguish between hardware and software issues.

Answer

Insufficient RAM

Answer

CPU thermal throttling

Answer

Failing hard drive

Question 14

During a motherboard replacement, a technician installs a new CPU but the system fails to POST. The CPU fan spins, but the screen remains blank. Which of the following should the technician check first?

Accepted Answer

Verify the CPU is on the motherboard's supported CPU list and update BIOS if needed. When a system fails to POST with a new CPU, the most common issue is compatibility or improper installation. The technician should verify the CPU is supported by the motherboard's BIOS version.

Answer

Check if the CPU power connector is plugged in

Answer

Reseat the RAM modules

Answer

Replace the CMOS battery

Question 15

A technician is upgrading a server CPU to improve multi-threaded performance for a virtualization host. The current CPU has 8 cores and 16 threads. Which of the following specifications is most important to consider for compatibility?

Accepted Answer

CPU socket type. CPU upgrades require careful consideration of socket type, chipset support, and BIOS compatibility. The socket is the most critical physical compatibility factor.

Answer

CPU clock speed

Answer

CPU core count

Answer

CPU TDP