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220-1201 Practice Question: A technician is troubleshooting a PC that powers…
A technician is troubleshooting a PC that powers on but does not display anything on the monitor. The fans spin, and the keyboard lights flash briefly. The power supply fan is spinning. What is the most efficient next step to isolate the issue?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Test the power supply output voltages with a multimeter
Testing the power supply with a multimeter or PSU tester is efficient because it quickly verifies if all rails are within spec. A failing PSU can cause no-post issues even if the fan spins. Other components like RAM or GPU could also be at fault, but checking power first avoids wasted effort.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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Replace the power supply immediately
Why it's wrong here
Replacing the power supply immediately is premature troubleshooting. While a faulty PSU is a common cause of power-on issues, other components like the motherboard, CPU, or even a short circuit could be preventing a proper boot. Without diagnostic testing, such as using a multimeter or a dedicated PSU tester, replacing the unit risks wasting time and money if the original power supply is functional.
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Test the power supply output voltages with a multimeter
Why this is correct
Testing the power supply output voltages with a multimeter is the most appropriate initial diagnostic step. This allows the technician to precisely measure the DC voltages (+3.3V, +5V, +12V) on the ATX 24-pin connector and the CPU's 4/8-pin EPS connector. Verifying these voltages are within acceptable tolerances directly confirms if the PSU is delivering stable and sufficient power to the system's critical components, effectively isolating or confirming a power supply fault.
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Reseat the GPU and RAM
Why it's wrong here
Reseating the GPU and RAM, while a valid troubleshooting step for display or boot issues, is not the primary action when the PC powers on but fails to fully boot. A fundamental power delivery problem, such as an insufficient or failing power supply, would prevent these components from operating correctly regardless of their physical connection. Verifying the power supply's integrity should precede attempts to reseat other internal components.
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Check the monitor cable connection
Why it's wrong here
Checking the monitor cable connection is irrelevant to a system-level power-on issue. A faulty monitor cable or connection would only affect the display output, not the internal boot process or the PC's ability to power on and potentially indicate system activity (e.g., keyboard lights flashing). The problem described suggests an internal hardware failure within the PC itself, making external display connections a secondary concern.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 220-1201 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 220-1201 exam.