220-1201 Practice Question: A technician is troubleshooting a desktop PC that…

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

• ✗

  Connect the 4+4 pin as a 4-pin connector only

  Why it's wrong here

  Connecting only one half of a 4+4 pin connector to an 8-pin EPS receptacle on a motherboard designed for modern CPUs is insufficient. While it might physically fit into a 4-pin ATX12V header on older boards, an 8-pin EPS connector is required for the higher power demands of contemporary processors. Supplying only 4 pins to an 8-pin requirement will lead to inadequate power delivery, resulting in system instability, frequent crashes, or a complete failure to boot.

• ✗

  Use a 6+2 pin PCIe power connector

  Why it's wrong here

  A 6+2 pin PCIe power connector is specifically designed to provide supplementary power to high-performance graphics cards, not the CPU. These connectors have a distinct physical keying that prevents them from being inserted into an 8-pin EPS (CPU power) socket on the motherboard. Attempting to force a PCIe connector into the CPU power header would likely damage both the connector and the motherboard's socket due to the incompatible pin configurations and voltage rails.

• ✓

  Combine the 4+4 pin into an 8-pin EPS connector

  Why this is correct

  The 4+4 pin connector is specifically engineered as a modular solution to provide the necessary 12V power to the CPU. It consists of two separate 4-pin segments that are designed to snap together, forming a single 8-pin EPS connector. This combined configuration correctly matches the 8-pin EPS power input found on most modern motherboards, ensuring stable and sufficient power delivery for the CPU's operation under various loads.

• ✗

  Leave the CPU power unconnected

  Why it's wrong here

  Leaving the CPU power connector completely unattached to the motherboard will prevent the system from booting entirely. The Central Processing Unit is the "brain" of the computer and requires a dedicated 12V power supply to function, separate from the main 24-pin ATX power connector which powers other components. Without this critical power connection, the CPU cannot initialize, and the system will exhibit no signs of life, or at best, fans may spin without any display output.

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