220-1101 Hardware Practice Test 12 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A technician is upgrading a workstation's CPU from an Intel Core i5-6500 (Skylake) to an Intel Core i7-7700 (Kaby Lake) on an LGA 1151 motherboard. The motherboard manufacturer's website lists the i7-7700 as compatible with BIOS version P2.10 or later. After installing the new CPU, the system powers on (fans spin, LEDs light) but displays a black screen with no POST beeps. The technician has already cleared the CMOS. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the issue?

Accepted Answer

The motherboard's BIOS version is too old to support the new CPU.. The Intel Core i7-7700 (Kaby Lake) requires a BIOS version P2.10 or later on this LGA 1151 motherboard. Since the system powers on but fails to POST with a black screen and no beeps, the most likely cause is that the current BIOS version predates P2.10, lacking the microcode needed to initialize the Kaby Lake CPU. Clearing CMOS does not update the BIOS, so the motherboard remains unable to communicate with the new processor.

Answer

The power supply unit is not providing enough wattage for the new CPU.

Answer

The new CPU is defective or was installed incorrectly.

Answer

The RAM modules are incompatible with the new CPU's memory controller.

Question 2

A technician is upgrading a workstation used for video editing. The current configuration includes an M.2 SATA SSD in the only M.2 slot on the motherboard, which supports both SATA and PCIe NVMe devices. The user wants the fastest possible storage performance for large video files. Which of the following upgrades will provide the GREATEST performance improvement without replacing the motherboard?

Accepted Answer

Replace the M.2 SATA SSD with an M.2 NVMe SSD. The M.2 slot on this motherboard supports both SATA and PCIe NVMe devices. Replacing the current M.2 SATA SSD with an M.2 NVMe SSD directly upgrades the interface from SATA (6 Gb/s, ~550 MB/s) to PCIe (up to 4 GB/s for Gen3 x4), providing the greatest performance improvement for large video files without replacing the motherboard.

Answer

Add a second 2.5-inch SATA SSD and configure them in RAID 0

Answer

Replace the M.2 SATA SSD with a larger 2.5-inch SATA SSD

Answer

Install a PCIe SATA controller card and add another SATA SSD

Question 3

A technician is installing two 8 GB DDR4-3200 memory modules into a desktop motherboard that has four DIMM slots: A1, A2, B1, B2. The technician installs the modules in slots A1 and A2. When the system boots, it only detects 8 GB of RAM. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The modules are installed in the wrong slots for dual-channel support. Installing two identical memory modules in slots A1 and A2 (both on the same memory channel) forces the system to run in single-channel mode. Most desktop motherboards require modules to be placed in alternating slots (e.g., A1 and B1) to enable dual-channel operation. When dual-channel is not activated, the system may only recognize one module's capacity due to a common BIOS behavior that prioritizes channel A and ignores channel B if the configuration is invalid.

Answer

One of the RAM modules is defective

Answer

The memory modules are not compatible with the motherboard

Answer

The memory speed is set too high in the BIOS

Question 4

A technician is building a desktop PC and installs two 8GB DDR4-3200 memory modules into a motherboard with four DIMM slots. The motherboard manual states that for dual-channel configuration, modules should be installed in slots A2 and B2 (or A1 and B1). The technician installs both modules in slots A1 and A2. When the system boots, it only detects 8GB of RAM. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The modules are installed in the wrong slots for the memory architecture.. The motherboard manual specifies that for dual-channel operation, modules should be installed in slots A2 and B2 (or A1 and B1). By placing both modules in slots A1 and A2, the technician has populated only one memory channel (channel A), leaving channel B empty. In single-channel mode, the system may only recognize one module or report reduced capacity, often detecting only 8GB instead of 16GB, because the memory controller cannot interleave access across both channels.

Answer

The RAM modules are not compatible with the motherboard.

Answer

The modules are not seated properly.

Answer

The CPU does not support the RAM speed.

Question 5

A technician replaced the power supply unit (PSU) in a desktop PC. After installation, the system does not power on at all—no fans spin and no LEDs light up. The technician confirms that the PSU is plugged into a known-good wall outlet and the PSU's power switch is in the 'ON' position. Which of the following should the technician check NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Verify that the front panel power button connector is properly attached to the motherboard header. The most likely cause of a completely dead system after a PSU replacement is a loose or incorrectly connected front panel power button header. The power button connector bridges two pins on the motherboard header to signal the power-on event; if it is not seated properly, the system will not respond to the button press, even with a functional PSU. Since the PSU is plugged into a known-good outlet and its switch is on, the next logical step is to verify this low-voltage signal path before testing the PSU itself.

Answer

Test the PSU with a multimeter to ensure the voltages are correct

Answer

Swap the PSU for a different unit to rule out a defective power supply

Answer

Check the motherboard CPU power connector (EPS12V) for proper seating

Question 6

A technician installs a new SATA SSD into a desktop computer. The drive is not detected in the BIOS or the operating system. The technician has confirmed that the SATA data cable and power cable are securely connected to both the drive and the motherboard/PSU. Which of the following should the technician check NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Ensure the SATA controller mode is set to AHCI or RAID in BIOS.. The SATA controller mode in the BIOS must be set to AHCI or RAID for modern SATA SSDs to be recognized. If the mode is set to IDE (or Legacy), the SSD may not be detected because IDE mode does not support the native command queuing and hot-plug features that AHCI provides. Since the technician has already verified physical connections, the next logical step is to check this BIOS setting.

Answer

Update the motherboard chipset drivers.

Answer

Replace the SATA data cable with a different one.

Answer

Verify that the drive jumper is set to Master.

Question 7

A technician is installing a new M.2 NVMe SSD into a desktop computer that previously used only SATA drives. After physically installing the drive, the BIOS does not detect the new M.2 SSD. The technician confirms the M.2 slot on the motherboard supports NVMe and the drive is properly seated. Which of the following should the technician check NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Check for a BIOS update that adds NVMe support. The motherboard supports NVMe, but the BIOS may not have the necessary NVMe driver or firmware support to recognize the drive. A BIOS update often adds NVMe support for older chipsets or UEFI implementations, which is the most likely next step before troubleshooting other components.

Answer

Ensure the SATA data cables are not obstructing the M.2 slot

Answer

Inspect the device manager in Windows for uninitialized drives

Answer

Swap the M.2 drive to the other M.2 slot if available

Question 8

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop computer that powers on (fans spin, LEDs light) but the monitor displays 'No Signal.' The technician has already verified the monitor is functional by testing it with another computer, and the video cable is securely connected to both the computer and monitor. The computer has both an integrated GPU on the motherboard and a discrete graphics card installed. Which of the following should the technician do NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Remove the discrete graphics card and connect the monitor to the motherboard's video port. The correct next step is to remove the discrete graphics card and connect the monitor to the motherboard's video port. This isolates whether the discrete GPU is faulty or improperly seated, because the system may be defaulting to the discrete card even if it is malfunctioning, preventing the integrated GPU from outputting video. Since the monitor and cable are verified functional, the issue is likely with the video output path, and testing the integrated GPU bypasses the discrete card entirely.

Answer

Replace the RAM modules with known-good sticks

Answer

Check the monitor's input source setting

Answer

Reseat the discrete graphics card in its PCIe slot

Question 9

A technician upgrades a desktop computer by installing a new M.2 NVMe SSD. The computer previously booted from a SATA SSD connected to port 0. After the installation, the computer fails to boot and enters the BIOS setup utility. The BIOS detects both the SATA SSD and the M.2 NVMe drive. Which of the following should the technician do FIRST to resolve the boot issue?

Accepted Answer

Change the boot order in the BIOS to prioritize the SATA SSD. The correct first step is to change the boot order in the BIOS to prioritize the SATA SSD. Installing a new M.2 NVMe SSD often causes the BIOS to reset the boot order or default to the newly detected drive, especially if the M.2 slot shares bandwidth with SATA ports. Since the BIOS detects both drives, the boot failure is due to the system attempting to boot from the empty M.2 drive rather than the existing SATA SSD with the OS.

Answer

Disable the M.2 slot in the BIOS

Answer

Reinstall the operating system on the M.2 NVMe drive

Answer

Remove the SATA SSD from the system

Question 10

A technician has assembled a new desktop computer. When the power button on the case is pressed, the system does not power on at all—no fans spin and no LEDs light up. The technician has verified that the power supply unit (PSU) is connected to the motherboard and that the PSU switch is in the ON position. Using a multimeter, the technician tests the PSU and confirms that it outputs the correct voltages on the 24-pin and CPU power connectors when the power button is pressed. Which of the following should the technician check NEXT?

Accepted Answer

The power button header is connected to the correct pins on the motherboard.. Since the PSU outputs correct voltages when the power button is pressed, the issue is likely that the power button signal is not reaching the motherboard. The power button header must be connected to the correct front panel pins (typically labeled PWR_SW or PWRSW) on the motherboard; an incorrect or loose connection prevents the system from turning on despite functional PSU and motherboard.

Answer

The CPU is seated correctly.

Answer

The RAM is seated in the correct slots.

Answer

The graphics card is properly installed.

Question 11

A technician is assembling a new desktop PC. The motherboard has integrated graphics and a discrete PCIe graphics card is installed. The monitor is connected to the discrete graphics card. When powered on, the system fans spin and the power LED lights, but there is no video output and no POST beep codes. Which of the following should the technician do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Connect the monitor to the integrated graphics port on the motherboard. The correct first step is to connect the monitor to the integrated graphics port on the motherboard. Since the system powers on (fans spin, power LED lights) but shows no video and no POST beep codes, the discrete graphics card may be faulty or improperly seated. By switching to the integrated graphics, the technician can quickly determine if the discrete card is the cause of the no-display issue without replacing components. This isolates the problem efficiently, as the integrated graphics are known to work if the CPU and motherboard are functional.

Answer

Reseat the RAM modules

Answer

Replace the discrete graphics card with a known-good unit

Answer

Check the CPU power connector

Question 12

A technician is building a new desktop PC and installs a single 16GB DDR4-3200 memory module into slot A1. The system boots and displays 16GB. The technician then adds a second identical 16GB module into slot B1. The system now only shows 16GB total. What is the most likely reason?

Accepted Answer

The second module is not fully seated. The most likely reason is that the second memory module is not fully seated in slot B1. When a module is not properly inserted, the system may not detect it, resulting in the same total memory capacity as before (16GB). This is a common issue during installation, and reseating the module typically resolves it.

Answer

The motherboard does not support dual-channel memory

Answer

The second module is defective

Answer

The modules are installed in the wrong slots for dual-channel

Question 13

A technician is building a video editing workstation. The motherboard supports PCIe 4.0, and the installed M.2 NVMe SSD is rated for PCIe 4.0 x4 speeds. The system boots and runs, but benchmarking the SSD shows it only achieves about half of its expected sequential read/write speeds. The technician confirms the SSD is correctly installed in the M.2 slot labeled for PCIe 4.0. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The CPU does not support PCIe 4.0. The motherboard supports PCIe 4.0, but the CPU must also support PCIe 4.0 to provide the necessary lanes. If the CPU only supports PCIe 3.0, the M.2 slot will negotiate down to PCIe 3.0 speeds, cutting the bandwidth in half (from ~7.9 GB/s to ~3.9 GB/s), which matches the symptom of achieving about half the expected sequential read/write speeds.

Answer

The SSD is a SATA-based M.2 drive, not NVMe

Answer

The M.2 slot shares bandwidth with a SATA port that is occupied

Answer

The motherboard BIOS has a secure erase setting enabled

Question 14

A technician is upgrading a gaming desktop with a new high-end graphics card that requires additional power. After installing the card and connecting the PCIe power cables from the 500W power supply, the system powers on but there is no display output when the monitor is connected to the graphics card. However, when the monitor is connected to the motherboard's integrated graphics port, the system boots normally. The technician has verified that the graphics card is properly seated and the PCIe power connectors are fully inserted. What is the MOST likely cause of this issue?

Accepted Answer

The power supply does not provide enough wattage for the graphics card. The most likely cause is that the 500W power supply does not provide enough wattage for the new high-end graphics card. High-end GPUs often have a high peak power draw that can exceed the total capacity of a 500W PSU, especially when the rest of the system (CPU, drives, fans) is also drawing power. When the GPU does not receive sufficient power, it may fail to initialize and output a display signal, even though the system powers on and the integrated graphics work fine.

Answer

The graphics card is not fully seated in the PCIe slot

Answer

The monitor cable is faulty

Answer

The motherboard PCIe slot is damaged

Question 15

A technician installs a second monitor on a desktop PC. Both monitors are connected to the same discrete GPU. The first monitor works correctly, but the second monitor shows 'No Signal'. The technician verifies the second monitor and its cable are functional by testing them on the first monitor's port. The GPU has two HDMI ports. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The second HDMI port on the GPU is faulty. Since the technician verified that the second monitor and its cable work on the first monitor's HDMI port, the issue is isolated to the second HDMI port on the GPU. The most likely cause is that the second HDMI port is faulty, as all other components have been proven functional. This aligns with the symptom of a single port failing while the GPU otherwise supports dual displays.

Answer

The GPU does not support dual monitors

Answer

The monitor's resolution is set higher than the GPU supports

Answer

The GPU lacks sufficient video memory to drive both displays