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220-1201 Practice Question: A technician is troubleshooting a desktop PC that…
A technician is troubleshooting a desktop PC that will not power on. The power supply unit (PSU) has a 24-pin main connector and a 4+4 pin CPU connector. The motherboard has a 24-pin ATX connector and an 8-pin EPS connector. How should the technician connect the CPU power?
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
✓
Combine the 4+4 pin into an 8-pin EPS connector
The 4+4 pin CPU connector can be used as an 8-pin EPS connector by combining the two halves, which is standard for modern motherboards. This tests knowledge of PSU connector configurations and motherboard compatibility. Incorrectly using a 6+2 pin PCIe connector could damage components.
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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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.
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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.
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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.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Laptop Hardware and Components
Key term
Peripheral Component Interconnect Express
PCI Express (PCIe) is a high-speed expansion bus standard that connects internal hardware components like graphics cards, SSDs, and network adapters to a computer's motherboard.
Key term
PCIe
PCI Express (PCIe) is a high-speed interface standard that connects components like graphics cards, SSDs, and network cards to a computer's motherboard.
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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.