220-1101 Hardware Practice Test 14 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A technician is upgrading a desktop PC with a new SATA SSD. After installing the SSD and connecting the SATA data cable to the motherboard and the power cable from the PSU, the system boots but the SSD is not detected in the BIOS. The technician has verified the SATA cable is firmly connected at both ends and the drive is listed in the motherboard's manual as compatible. Which of the following should the technician check NEXT?

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

Accepted Answer

Enable the SATA port in the BIOS settings.. The SSD is not detected in the BIOS despite being properly connected and compatible. The most likely cause is that the SATA port to which the drive is connected is disabled in the BIOS settings. Many motherboards allow individual SATA ports to be turned off, and checking this setting is a standard first troubleshooting step before replacing hardware or updating firmware.

Answer

Replace the SATA data cable with a known-good one.

Answer

Update the motherboard's firmware.

Answer

Connect the SSD to a different SATA power cable from the PSU.

Question 2

A technician builds a new desktop computer. After pressing the power button, the system powers on for about 5 seconds, then shuts down, and then immediately attempts to power on again, repeating the cycle. The technician has verified that all power connections are secure and has reseated the CPU and RAM. Which of the following should the technician check NEXT?

Accepted Answer

The CPU heatsink fan connection. The symptom of a system powering on for a few seconds, then shutting down and immediately rebooting in a cycle is classic behavior of a thermal or overheat protection trigger. The CPU heatsink fan connection (option B) is the most likely cause because if the fan is not connected or is faulty, the CPU rapidly overheats, causing the motherboard's thermal protection circuitry to shut down the system; it then attempts to restart, only to overheat again, creating the loop. The technician has already reseated the CPU and RAM, so the next logical step is to verify the CPU cooler's power connection.

Answer

The power supply voltage selector switch

Answer

The front panel power switch header

Answer

The CMOS battery

Question 3

A technician is upgrading a desktop PC by adding two additional 8GB DDR4-3200 RAM sticks to an existing pair of 8GB DDR4-3200 sticks. After installation, the system powers on but does not POST; the fans spin and the power LED is on, but no display appears. The technician has reseated all four sticks and verified they are fully clicked into place. The original two sticks alone allow the system to boot normally. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the issue?

Accepted Answer

The memory controller cannot handle the combined load of four dual-rank modules, causing memory training failure during POST.. The most likely cause is that the memory controller cannot handle the combined load of four dual-rank modules, leading to memory training failure during POST. With four dual-rank sticks, the electrical load on the memory bus increases significantly, which can prevent the system from completing the initial memory training sequence. This is a common issue on consumer platforms where the memory controller is optimized for two modules or single-rank configurations, and the original two sticks alone boot normally because they present a lighter load.

Answer

The new RAM sticks are of a different DDR generation (e.g., DDR3) and are not compatible with the motherboard.

Answer

The motherboard does not support running four memory modules simultaneously; it only supports two modules in dual-channel mode.

Answer

The new RAM sticks are defective, as they do not match the speed of the original sticks.

Question 4

A technician is replacing the power supply unit in a desktop computer. The new PSU is correctly rated for the system and the technician connects the 24-pin main motherboard connector and the 4+4 pin CPU power connector. When the power button is pressed, the system does not power on; no fans spin and no LEDs light up. The technician verifies that the PSU's power switch is on and that the wall outlet is functional. Using a multimeter, the technician confirms that the PSU outputs correct voltages on the 24-pin connector when the paperclip test is performed. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the issue?

Accepted Answer

The 4+4 pin CPU power connector is not fully seated in the motherboard's EPS connector.. The 4+4 pin CPU power connector provides dedicated 12V power to the CPU VRM. If it is not fully seated, the motherboard's power delivery system will detect an open circuit and prevent the system from starting, even though the main 24-pin connector and PSU itself are functional. The paperclip test confirms the PSU can output correct voltages under no load, but it does not verify that the EPS connector is properly engaged.

Answer

The PSU is not compatible with the motherboard's power requirements.

Answer

The motherboard is shorting against the case.

Answer

The power button header is connected to the wrong pins.

Question 5

A technician builds a new desktop computer and installs a high-end dedicated graphics card. The system boots into Windows, but the display resolution is locked at 800x600 and the option to change it is grayed out. In Device Manager, the graphics card is listed under 'Other devices' with a yellow exclamation mark. Which of the following steps should the technician perform FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Install the latest graphics driver from the manufacturer's website.. The yellow exclamation mark in Device Manager under 'Other devices' indicates that Windows has not loaded a proper driver for the graphics card, which is why the display is stuck at the generic VGA resolution of 800x600. Installing the latest driver from the manufacturer's website is the correct first step because the operating system cannot utilize the dedicated GPU's capabilities without the correct driver, and this is the most common cause of the described symptoms.

Answer

Enable the device in the system BIOS.

Answer

Reseat the graphics card in the PCIe slot.

Answer

Disable the integrated graphics in the BIOS.

Question 6

A technician assembles a new desktop computer using a third-party CPU cooler. After powering on, the CPU temperature rapidly rises to 95°C within a few seconds, and the CPU fan spins at maximum speed. The technician verifies that the thermal paste is applied correctly and that the CPU fan is connected to the CPU_FAN header. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the high temperature?

Accepted Answer

The heatsink is not properly seated or the mounting pressure is uneven. The rapid temperature spike to 95°C within seconds, despite correct thermal paste application and fan connection to the CPU_FAN header, indicates that the heatsink is not making proper thermal contact with the CPU. Uneven mounting pressure or an improperly seated heatsink creates air gaps that drastically reduce heat transfer efficiency, causing the CPU to overheat immediately under even idle power draw.

Answer

The CPU is not compatible with the motherboard

Answer

The CPU fan connector is plugged into a chassis fan header

Answer

The power supply unit is underpowered for the CPU

Question 7

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop computer that boots normally and runs for approximately five minutes before the screen goes blank and the system becomes unresponsive. The technician has replaced the power supply, RAM, and graphics card, but the issue persists. The CPU fan is spinning, and the CPU temperature reads 45°C in the BIOS. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the issue?

Accepted Answer

Failing capacitors on the motherboard. The symptom of a system that boots and runs for a few minutes before becoming unresponsive, with a stable CPU temperature of 45°C, strongly points to a motherboard hardware failure. Failing capacitors on the motherboard can cause voltage ripple or droop that degrades over time as the system warms up, leading to instability and a blank screen. Since the power supply, RAM, and graphics card have already been replaced without resolution, the motherboard is the most likely remaining component to cause this intermittent failure.

Answer

Faulty CPU

Answer

Defective hard drive

Answer

Weak CMOS battery

Question 8

A desktop powers on but repeatedly shuts down under load. The CPU temperature rises quickly even after dust is removed from the case. What should the technician inspect next?

Accepted Answer

CPU heatsink seating and thermal paste application. The CPU temperature rising quickly under load, even after dust removal, indicates that the heatsink is not making proper contact with the CPU or the thermal interface material has degraded. Inspecting the CPU heatsink seating and thermal paste application is the correct next step because poor thermal transfer causes the CPU to reach its thermal throttle or shutdown threshold, triggering a protective shutdown. This is a classic hardware troubleshooting step for overheating-related intermittent shutdowns.

Answer

The keyboard layout

Answer

The Windows user profile

Answer

The monitor cable type

Question 9

A technician installs an NVMe SSD in a desktop, but the drive is not detected. The motherboard manual states that one M.2 slot supports SATA only. What should the technician do?

Accepted Answer

Move the drive to an M.2 slot that supports PCIe/NVMe. The NVMe SSD requires a PCIe-based M.2 slot to function, as NVMe uses the PCIe bus for communication. The motherboard manual indicates that one M.2 slot is SATA-only, which means it cannot detect or communicate with an NVMe drive. Moving the drive to an M.2 slot that supports PCIe/NVMe resolves the detection issue.

Answer

Disable all USB ports

Answer

Replace the HDMI cable

Answer

Format the drive from the printer control panel

Question 10

Drag and drop the steps for replacing a power supply unit (PSU) in a desktop computer into the correct order.

Accepted Answer

Step 1: Power off the computer and disconnect all external cables. Step 2: Remove the side panel, disconnect internal cables from the old PSU, and remove it. Step 3: Install the new PSU, connect internal cables, and close the case. Step 4: Reconnect external cables and power on the computer.. Safety first: power off, disconnect, then remove old PSU, install new one, and reconnect.

Answer

Step 1: Remove the side panel, disconnect internal cables from the old PSU, and remove it. Step 2: Power off the computer and disconnect all external cables. Step 3: Install the new PSU, connect internal cables, and close the case. Step 4: Reconnect external cables and power on the computer.

Answer

Step 1: Power off the computer and disconnect all external cables. Step 2: Install the new PSU, connect internal cables, and close the case. Step 3: Remove the side panel, disconnect internal cables from the old PSU, and remove it. Step 4: Reconnect external cables and power on the computer.

Answer

Step 1: Power off the computer and disconnect all external cables. Step 2: Remove the side panel, disconnect internal cables from the old PSU, and remove it. Step 3: Reconnect external cables and power on the computer. Step 4: Install the new PSU, connect internal cables, and close the case.

Question 11

Drag and drop the steps for upgrading laptop RAM into the correct order.

Accepted Answer

Shut down the laptop and remove the battery, then locate and open the RAM access panel, then insert the new RAM module at a 45-degree angle and press down until it clicks, then replace the access panel and battery, and power on to verify.. Safety first: power off and remove battery, then access, install RAM, reassemble.

Answer

Locate and open the RAM access panel, then shut down the laptop and remove the battery, then insert the new RAM module, then replace the panel and battery.

Answer

Shut down and remove battery, then insert the new RAM module, then open the RAM access panel, then replace panel and battery.

Answer

Shut down and remove battery, then open RAM panel, then replace panel and battery, then insert new RAM module.

Question 12

Match each display type to its characteristic.

Accepted Answer

LCD: Uses liquid crystals and requires a backlight. Different display technologies have distinct properties. LCD relies on liquid crystals and a backlight; OLED is self-emissive using organic compounds; CRT uses an electron beam; plasma uses ionized gas. Common confusions include mistaking LCD for OLED and CRT for LCD.

Answer

LCD: Emits light through organic compounds

Answer

CRT: Uses liquid crystals

Question 13

Match each cloud service model to its description.

Accepted Answer

IaaS: Provides virtualized computing resources over the internet. Cloud service models categorize the level of abstraction: IaaS provides raw infrastructure, PaaS adds development platforms, SaaS delivers applications, and FaaS offers serverless compute.

Answer

IaaS: Provides software applications over the internet

Answer

PaaS: Provides virtualized computing resources

Question 14

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop computer that powers on but produces no video output. The graphics card is a PCIe x16 card that requires a 6-pin PCIe power connector. The technician confirms the card is fully seated in the PCIe x16 slot and that the monitor is connected to the graphics card's DisplayPort output. The monitor and cable are known-good. The power supply is a 600W unit with two 6-pin PCIe connectors available. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the lack of video?

Accepted Answer

The graphics card's 6-pin PCIe power connector is not connected.. The graphics card requires a 6-pin PCIe power connector, and the technician has not verified that it is connected. Without this supplemental power, the card will not initialize and no video will be output. The other options are either already ruled out by the scenario or less likely given the known-good components and the card's explicit power requirement.

Answer

The monitor is connected to the motherboard's integrated video output instead of the graphics card.

Answer

The power supply's 600W rating is insufficient for the graphics card.

Answer

The PCIe x16 slot is not providing enough power to the graphics card.

Question 15

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop computer that powers on, but the monitor displays no signal. The motherboard has a discrete PCIe x16 graphics card installed, and the CPU also has integrated graphics. The technician confirms the monitor works and is connected to the discrete card's HDMI port. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The BIOS is configured to use the integrated graphics as the primary display adapter.. The most likely cause is a BIOS setting that prioritizes integrated graphics over the discrete card. When a discrete GPU is added, the motherboard may not automatically switch to it if the primary display adapter is set to integrated or auto. The monitor connected to the discrete card receives no signal. Adjusting the BIOS to use PCIe/PEG as primary resolves the issue.

Answer

The CPU does not support integrated graphics, so the motherboard cannot output video from either adapter.

Answer

The monitor cable is defective.

Answer

The PCIe x16 slot is not supplying enough power to the graphics card.