220-1101 Hardware Practice Test 13 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A technician is installing a new power supply unit (PSU) into a desktop computer. The PSU has a 4+4 pin CPU power connector, but the motherboard only has a 4-pin CPU power header. Which of the following steps should the technician take to properly connect the CPU power?

Choose an answer to begin — your selection is scored in the full session.

Accepted Answer

Separate the connector into two 4-pin sections and connect one section to the motherboard. The 4+4 pin CPU power connector is designed to be split into two 4-pin sections for compatibility with motherboards that have either a 4-pin or an 8-pin CPU power header. Since the motherboard only has a 4-pin header, the technician should separate the connector and connect one 4-pin section to the header, ensuring proper power delivery to the CPU without overloading or damaging the connector.

Answer

Connect the full 8-pin connector to the 4-pin header

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Use a 24-pin to 4-pin adapter

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Leave the CPU power unconnected because the motherboard can draw power from the 24-pin connector

Question 2

A technician is building a PC for a video editor. The motherboard has one PCIe x16 slot and one PCIe x4 slot. The technician installs a high-end graphics card in the x16 slot. The system powers on but displays no video output. The graphics card's fans spin, and the LED on the card lights up. Which of the following should the technician check FIRST?

Accepted Answer

The graphics card's power connectors. The high-end graphics card's fans spinning and LED lighting up indicate the card is receiving power from the PCIe slot, but many modern GPUs require additional power from the PSU via 6-pin or 8-pin PCIe power connectors. If these supplemental power cables are not connected, the card will not output video despite appearing powered on. This is the most common cause of no display with a new GPU installation and should be checked first.

Answer

The BIOS boot order

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The RAM module seating

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The PCIe slot configuration in BIOS

Question 3

A technician is building a workstation and installs an AMD Ryzen 5 5600X CPU (which does not have an integrated GPU) onto an ASUS B550 motherboard that has an HDMI port. The technician connects a monitor to the motherboard's HDMI port, but the monitor displays 'No Signal'. The system powers on, fans spin, and RAM is installed. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the issue?

Accepted Answer

The CPU does not have an integrated GPU.. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X CPU does not include an integrated GPU (iGPU). Therefore, the motherboard's HDMI port, which relies on the CPU's integrated graphics to output video, will not receive any signal. The monitor displays 'No Signal' because there is no graphics source being sent through that port. To get video output, a discrete GPU must be installed and the monitor connected to it.

Answer

The power supply is not connected to the CPU power header.

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The RAM is not installed in the correct slots for dual-channel mode.

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The motherboard's CMOS battery is dead.

Question 4

A user recently purchased a new desktop computer that does not have any USB-C ports. The user wants to add USB-C connectivity to charge devices and transfer data. Which of the following expansion cards should the technician install?

Accepted Answer

PCIe USB 3.0 card with USB-C ports. A PCIe USB 3.0 card with USB-C ports is the correct choice because it directly adds USB-C connectivity to a desktop lacking native ports. USB 3.0 (now USB 3.2 Gen 1) supports up to 5 Gbps data transfer and can provide up to 4.5W (0.9A at 5V) for charging, which meets the user's stated need to charge devices and transfer data. The PCIe interface ensures compatibility with the desktop's expansion slot, making this a straightforward upgrade.

Answer

Thunderbolt 3 PCIe card

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eSATA PCIe card

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FireWire (IEEE 1394) PCIe card

Question 5

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 6

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

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

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Install a PCIe SATA controller card and add another SATA SSD

Question 7

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 8

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

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Inspect the device manager in Windows for uninitialized drives

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

Question 9

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

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Check the monitor's input source setting

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Reseat the discrete graphics card in its PCIe slot

Question 10

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

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Reinstall the operating system on the M.2 NVMe drive

Answer

Remove the SATA SSD from the system

Question 11

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

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The second module is defective

Answer

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

Question 12

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

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

Answer

The motherboard BIOS has a secure erase setting enabled

Question 13

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

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The monitor cable is faulty

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The motherboard PCIe slot is damaged

Question 14

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

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

Answer

The GPU lacks sufficient video memory to drive both displays

Question 15

A technician is assembling a new desktop PC. The technician needs to connect the power button, reset button, HDD LED, and power LED from the case to the motherboard. Which of the following should the technician consult for the correct pin layout?

Accepted Answer

Motherboard manual. The motherboard manual contains the front panel header pinout diagram, which specifies the exact layout for connecting the power button, reset button, HDD LED, and power LED from the case. Each motherboard manufacturer uses a unique pin arrangement, so consulting this manual ensures correct polarity and prevents damage to the motherboard or LEDs.

Answer

Power supply manual

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CPU manual

Answer

Case manual