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220-1201 Practice Question: A technician is building a new PC for a video…
A technician is building a new PC for a video editing workstation. The selected components include an Intel i9-13900K, an NVIDIA RTX 4080, 64GB DDR5 RAM, three NVMe SSDs, and six case fans. What is the minimum recommended power supply wattage for this build?
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
✓
1000W
High-end CPUs and GPUs like the i9-13900K and RTX 4080 can draw over 300W each under load, plus other components. A 1000W PSU provides sufficient headroom for peak power spikes and ensures stability during intensive tasks.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
750W
Why it's wrong here
A 750W power supply is likely insufficient for a high-end PC configuration featuring modern, power-hungry CPUs and GPUs. These components can experience significant transient power spikes, exceeding the PSU's continuous wattage rating and potentially triggering over-power protection (OPP) or causing system instability and unexpected shutdowns under heavy load, such as during gaming or rendering tasks.
- ✗
850W
Why it's wrong here
While an 850W power supply might technically power the system, it offers very little overhead for the substantial transient power spikes characteristic of high-performance CPUs and GPUs. This limited headroom means the PSU would frequently operate near its maximum capacity, potentially triggering overcurrent protection (OCP) or over-power protection (OPP) during peak demands, leading to system crashes or reboots.
- ✓
1000W
Why this is correct
A 1000W power supply provides ample headroom for a high-end PC build, comfortably accommodating the combined power draw of a powerful CPU, a top-tier GPU, and all peripherals. This wattage ensures stable operation even during intense gaming or rendering sessions, allowing for significant transient power spikes without stressing the unit, and often enables the PSU to operate within its most efficient load range, promoting longevity.
- ✗
1200W
Why it's wrong here
A 1200W power supply, while certainly capable of powering the system, is significantly over-specified for a typical high-end single-GPU PC configuration. This excessive wattage adds unnecessary cost to the build without providing any tangible performance or stability benefits over a 1000W unit. Furthermore, PSUs often operate less efficiently when significantly underloaded, potentially leading to slightly higher power consumption and heat generation than a more appropriately sized unit.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Laptop Hardware and Components
Key term
RAM
RAM (Random Access Memory) is your computer's short-term memory, temporarily holding data the CPU needs right now or very soon.
Key term
NVMe
NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) is a high-speed storage protocol that allows solid-state drives to communicate directly with a computer's CPU, dramatically improving data transfer speeds compared to older storage interfaces.
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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.