220-1201 Hardware and Network Troubleshooting Practice Question
A user reports that their desktop PC powers on, but the monitor displays 'No Signal' and remains black. The PC's fans spin, and the power LED is solid. After reseating the video card and trying a different monitor cable, the issue persists. What is the MOST likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that a running system with no display must have a power or monitor issue, overlooking that the GPU or PCIe slot can fail while other components still receive 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
✓
The motherboard's PCIe slot or the GPU itself is faulty.
The system powers on but shows no display after reseating the GPU and swapping cables, pointing to a faulty GPU or PCIe slot. A power issue would likely cause shutdowns or no power, while a monitor input error would have been addressed by cable changes. A CMOS battery problem would not block video entirely. Thus, the most likely cause is a hardware failure in the video card or slot.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The power supply is failing to provide sufficient wattage to the GPU.
Why it's wrong here
A failing power supply could cause the system to shut down under load or fail to POST, but here the fans spin and the LED is solid, indicating power is supplied. Insufficient wattage typically manifests as random shutdowns or boot loops, not a consistent 'No Signal' with a running system. Reseating the GPU and swapping cables did not resolve it, so the PSU is not the most likely cause.
- ✗
The CMOS battery is dead and the BIOS has reset.
Why it's wrong here
A dead CMOS battery causes loss of BIOS settings like date/time, but it does not prevent video output. The system would still POST and display an error or boot with default settings. The symptoms of no display with fans spinning are not consistent with a CMOS battery issue. This is a plausible distractor but does not match the scenario.
- ✗
The monitor's input source is set to the wrong port.
Why it's wrong here
If the monitor were set to the wrong input, changing the cable or reseating the GPU would not help, but the user likely checked the input source. The scenario states the issue persists after trying a different cable, implying the monitor input was considered. However, a wrong input is a common oversight, but it's not the MOST likely given the troubleshooting steps already taken.
- ✓
The motherboard's PCIe slot or the GPU itself is faulty.
Why this is correct
After reseating the GPU and trying a new cable, the persistent 'No Signal' suggests the GPU or the PCIe slot is not functioning. The system powers on, so the issue is likely with the video output path. A faulty slot or GPU would prevent any display output, matching the symptoms. Testing the GPU in another slot or system would confirm.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Power Supply Units and Connectors
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.
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.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
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.