220-1101 Hardware Practice Test 2 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A technician is installing a CPU on a motherboard with an LGA socket. After placing the CPU in the socket, closing the lever, applying thermal paste, and mounting the heatsink, the technician powers on the system. The CPU temperature quickly rises to 100°C and the system shuts down after a few seconds. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The heatsink fan is not connected.. The CPU temperature rapidly reaching 100°C and triggering a thermal shutdown within seconds indicates that the heatsink is not actively dissipating heat. The most common cause is that the heatsink fan is not connected to the CPU_FAN header, preventing the fan from spinning. Without airflow, the heatsink quickly becomes saturated with heat, leading to immediate overheating even if thermal paste is applied correctly.

Answer

The thermal paste was not applied evenly.

Answer

The CPU was not oriented correctly in the socket.

Answer

The CPU is overclocked beyond safe limits.

Question 2

A technician is replacing a failed hard drive in a server that uses RAID 1 (mirroring). The server has hot-swappable drive bays, and the operating system continues to function with the remaining drive. Which of the following steps should the technician perform FIRST to restore fault tolerance?

Accepted Answer

Remove the failed drive, insert a new drive of equal or larger capacity, and allow the RAID controller to rebuild the mirror automatically. In a RAID 1 (mirroring) configuration with hot-swappable bays, the failed drive can be removed and a new drive of equal or larger capacity inserted while the system remains online. The RAID controller will automatically detect the new drive and rebuild the mirror, restoring fault tolerance without manual intervention or backup restoration. This is the standard first step because it leverages the hot-swap capability and the automatic rebuild feature of RAID 1.

Answer

Replace both hard drives and restore the data from a recent backup

Answer

Format the new drive in the server's file system before inserting it

Answer

Remove the failed drive, insert a new drive, and launch the RAID configuration utility to designate the new drive as a hot spare

Question 3

A technician is upgrading the RAM in a desktop computer. After installing two new identical DDR4 modules into the appropriate slots, the computer powers on but does not display any video and emits a series of short beeps. The technician verifies that the modules are compatible with the motherboard and are firmly seated. Which of the following should the technician do NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Test the modules one at a time. The series of short beeps indicates a memory-related POST failure. Since the modules are compatible and seated correctly, the most likely issue is a defective module or a slot problem. Testing each module individually in a known-good slot isolates the faulty component without introducing unnecessary variables.

Answer

Replace the power supply

Answer

Replace the CPU

Answer

Update the BIOS

Question 4

A technician is building a new desktop computer. After installing the CPU, heatsink, RAM, and connecting all cables, the system powers on but displays no video. The motherboard has integrated graphics. The technician hears a series of short beeps. What should the technician check first?

Accepted Answer

The RAM. The series of short beeps is a common POST (Power-On Self-Test) code indicating a memory failure. Since the motherboard has integrated graphics and the system powers on, the CPU and power supply are likely functioning. The RAM is the most probable cause because improper seating or faulty modules prevent the system from completing POST and initializing video output.

Answer

The power supply

Answer

The CPU

Answer

The video cable

Question 5

A technician builds a new workstation. After installing the CPU, heatsink, RAM, and a discrete video card, the system powers on (fans spin, lights come on) but the monitor shows 'No Signal'. The technician verifies the monitor works with another computer. The motherboard has integrated graphics, and the technician tries connecting the monitor to both the integrated port and the discrete video card port; neither produces a display. The system emits no beep codes. Which of the following should the technician do NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Clear the CMOS by removing the battery or using the jumper. The system powers on with no display and no beep codes, which strongly indicates a POST failure that prevents the motherboard from initializing video output. Clearing the CMOS resets the BIOS/UEFI settings to factory defaults, which can resolve issues caused by incorrect configuration (e.g., a setting that disables integrated graphics or a corrupted video initialization parameter). This is a standard first step when no display is present and all basic connections are verified.

Answer

Reseat the CPU and reapply thermal paste

Answer

Replace the RAM modules one at a time

Answer

Check the power supply connections to the discrete video card

Question 6

A technician builds a new desktop computer. After connecting all components and pressing the power button, the system turns on for about three seconds and then shuts down. It repeatedly tries to restart in a loop. The technician has already reseated the CPU, RAM, and all power cables. The power supply unit passes the paperclip test and works in another system. Which of the following should the technician check NEXT?

Accepted Answer

The motherboard standoffs are causing a short circuit. The system powering on for a few seconds and then shutting down in a loop, after the CPU, RAM, and power cables have been reseated and the PSU is verified working, strongly points to a short circuit. The most common cause in a new build is incorrect or missing motherboard standoffs, which can allow solder points on the motherboard's underside to contact the metal case, triggering the PSU's overcurrent protection (OCP) and causing the immediate shutdown.

Answer

The CPU cooling fan is not spinning

Answer

The CMOS battery is dead

Answer

The front panel power button is stuck

Question 7

A technician is building a new desktop computer for a graphic designer. After installing the motherboard, CPU, RAM, and a high-end discrete GPU, the system powers on (fans spin, LEDs light) but the monitor displays 'No Signal' when plugged into the GPU. The technician verifies the monitor works with another computer. Which of the following should the technician check FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Verify that the PCIe power cables from the power supply are properly connected to the graphics card. The most common cause of a 'No Signal' error when a discrete GPU is installed is that the PCIe power cables from the power supply are not connected or are insufficiently seated. High-end GPUs require dedicated 6-pin or 8-pin PCIe power connectors; without them, the card may power its fans and LEDs via the PCIe slot but cannot initialize the display output. Since the monitor works with another computer, the issue is isolated to the GPU's power delivery, making this the logical first check.

Answer

Reseat the graphics card in the PCIe slot

Answer

Replace the HDMI or DisplayPort cable

Answer

Update the motherboard BIOS to the latest version

Question 8

A technician is building a gaming PC. The motherboard has a PCIe 4.0 x16 slot occupied by a PCIe 3.0 graphics card, and an M.2 slot that supports PCIe 4.0 x4. The user wants to install a high-performance NVMe SSD. Which of the following is the BEST practice for installing the NVMe SSD to maximize performance?

Accepted Answer

Install the SSD in the dedicated M.2 PCIe 4.0 slot. The M.2 slot supports PCIe 4.0 x4, which provides up to 8 GB/s bandwidth, perfectly matching a high-performance NVMe SSD. Installing the SSD in this dedicated slot avoids any bottleneck from the PCIe 3.0 graphics card or slower interfaces, ensuring maximum sequential read/write speeds.

Answer

Use a PCIe 3.0 x1 expansion card for the SSD

Answer

Connect the SSD via a SATA III cable to a SATA port

Answer

Use a PCIe 2.0 x16 slot with an adapter

Question 9

A technician is building a workstation with a motherboard that has four DIMM slots arranged as two channels (slots 1/2 for channel A, slots 3/4 for channel B). The technician installs two identical 8 GB DDR4 modules in slots 1 and 2. The system POSTs successfully and shows 16 GB of RAM, but subsequent memory benchmarks indicate that the memory bandwidth is only half of the expected value. Which of the following should the technician do to resolve this issue?

Accepted Answer

Move one of the RAM modules to slot 3. The motherboard has two memory channels: channel A (slots 1 and 2) and channel B (slots 3 and 4). Installing both modules in slots 1 and 2 places them on the same channel, which prevents dual-channel interleaving. This halves the memory bandwidth because the CPU can only access one module at a time per channel. Moving one module to slot 3 (channel B) enables dual-channel mode, doubling the effective bandwidth.

Answer

Enable XMP (Extreme Memory Profile) in the BIOS

Answer

Replace both modules with single-rank modules

Answer

Increase the memory voltage in the BIOS

Question 10

A technician replaced a failed power supply in a desktop computer with a higher wattage unit. The computer now powers on for one second then shuts down. The technician has verified all cable connections are secure and the PSU passes the paperclip test. What should the technician check NEXT?

Accepted Answer

The voltage selector switch on the PSU.. The voltage selector switch on the PSU must match the local mains voltage (115V for North America, 230V for Europe/Asia). If set to 230V while plugged into a 115V outlet, the PSU will briefly start but immediately shut down due to undervoltage protection. The paperclip test only verifies the PSU fan spins, not that it delivers correct voltages under load.

Answer

The motherboard BIOS settings.

Answer

The CPU fan header connection.

Answer

The front panel power switch.

Question 11

A technician is building a new desktop computer. After installing the CPU, RAM, and a high-end graphics card, the system powers on but shuts down after about 10 seconds. The CPU fan spins erratically during this time. The technician has verified the CPU is supported and properly seated. The heatsink came with pre-applied thermal paste. Which of the following should the technician check NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Ensure the CPU fan cable is connected to the CPU_FAN header. The CPU fan cable must be connected to the motherboard's CPU_FAN header, not a chassis fan header, because the system monitors the CPU_FAN header for a tachometer signal. If the fan is connected elsewhere, the motherboard detects no fan RPM on the CPU_FAN header and may shut down after a few seconds to prevent CPU overheating, even if the fan is spinning. The erratic fan behavior suggests the fan is receiving power but not being properly controlled or monitored by the CPU_FAN header.

Answer

Replace the CPU with a known-good unit

Answer

Remove and reseat the graphics card

Answer

Check the RAM modules are in the correct slots

Question 12

A technician is upgrading a desktop computer with a new CPU and motherboard. After installation, the computer powers on but the monitor displays 'No Signal'. The technician verifies the monitor works, and the GPU fans spin. The motherboard has no onboard video. Which of the following should the technician do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Check the CPU power connector. The CPU power connector (typically a 4+4 pin EPS12V connector) supplies dedicated power to the CPU. If it is not connected or is loose, the CPU will not initialize, causing the system to power on (fans spin, lights come on) but fail to POST, resulting in a 'No Signal' display. Since the GPU fans spin and the monitor works, the issue is likely a lack of CPU power, making checking this connector the first logical step.

Answer

Reseat the GPU

Answer

Clear the CMOS

Answer

Update the BIOS

Question 13

A technician built a new desktop computer. When the power button is pressed, all fans spin and the case LEDs light up, but the monitor shows 'No Signal'. The technician has verified that the monitor works with another computer. Which of the following should the technician do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Ensure the monitor cable is connected to the discrete GPU instead of the motherboard. The correct first step is to ensure the monitor cable is connected to the discrete GPU rather than the motherboard. Modern CPUs often lack integrated graphics, or the motherboard may disable the integrated graphics when a discrete GPU is installed. Connecting to the motherboard's video port would result in a 'No Signal' error because the system is outputting video through the discrete GPU.

Answer

Reseat the RAM modules

Answer

Replace the power supply with a higher wattage unit

Answer

Reinstall the CPU and check for bent pins

Question 14

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop computer that fails to POST. The system powers on, fans spin, but no video is output and no beep codes are heard. The technician has already reseated the RAM, GPU, and all power cables. The motherboard has a built-in speaker. The technician then removes all RAM sticks and powers on the system; this time, the system emits a series of long beeps. Which of the following should the technician do NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Install one RAM stick at a time and test each in slot 1. The system's behavior—no POST, no beeps with RAM installed, but long beeps when RAM is removed—indicates the motherboard's BIOS is successfully detecting the absence of memory and reporting it via the speaker. This confirms the CPU, motherboard, and power delivery are likely functional, and the issue is isolated to the RAM or its configuration. The next logical step is to test each RAM stick individually in slot 1 to identify a faulty module or slot, following standard memory troubleshooting procedures.

Answer

Replace the power supply unit

Answer

Reinstall the CPU and heatsink

Answer

Clear the CMOS by removing the battery

Question 15

A technician builds a new desktop computer. When powered on, all fans spin and LEDs light up, but the monitor shows 'No Signal'. The monitor is known to work. The motherboard has no onboard video output. The GPU fans spin. Which of the following should the technician check FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Verify the GPU power cables are fully seated.. The GPU fans spinning indicates the card is receiving power from the PCIe slot, but the monitor showing 'No Signal' suggests the GPU may not be receiving sufficient supplemental power. The most common cause is a loose or unseated PCIe power cable from the PSU to the GPU. Checking and reseating these cables is the quickest, least invasive step before attempting reseating or replacement.

Answer

Reseat the GPU in its PCIe slot.

Answer

Connect the monitor to the motherboard's video output.

Answer

Replace the GPU with a known-working unit.