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220-1201 Practice Question: That their laptop's external monitor connected…
A user reports that their laptop's external monitor connected via USB-C to HDMI adapter flickers intermittently. The adapter works fine with other devices. What is the most likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
The CompTIA A+ exam often tests the distinction between hardware and software issues by presenting a symptom that seems like a driver or cable problem, but the key clue is that the adapter works elsewhere, pointing to a port-level hardware fault.
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 USB-C port on the laptop has a loose connection.
The adapter works fine with other devices, which isolates the problem to the laptop's USB-C port. A loose connection in the port can cause intermittent signal loss, leading to flickering. This is a common hardware issue with USB-C ports that support DisplayPort Alt Mode for video output.
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 HDMI cable is defective.
Why it's wrong here
A defective HDMI cable typically causes a complete loss of signal, constant visual artifacts, or a persistently unstable image, rather than intermittent flickering. If the USB-C to HDMI adapter functions correctly with other devices, it strongly suggests the HDMI cable itself is not the root cause. The issue's intermittent nature and specificity to this laptop point away from a consistently faulty cable.
- ✓
The USB-C port on the laptop has a loose connection.
Why this is correct
A loose connection within the laptop's USB-C port can intermittently disrupt the high-speed data lanes responsible for transmitting video signals. This physical instability causes the display signal to drop or become corrupted momentarily, leading to the observed flickering or temporary loss of the external monitor's image. Such intermittent behavior is a classic symptom of a compromised physical connection.
- ✗
The monitor's refresh rate is set too high for the adapter.
Why it's wrong here
If the monitor's refresh rate were set too high for the adapter or monitor's capabilities, the display would typically present a constant 'out of range' error, a consistently distorted image, or a black screen. This type of mismatch usually results in a continuous, rather than intermittent, failure to display the image correctly. The flickering suggests a transient signal issue, not a constant capability overload.
- ✗
The laptop's graphics driver is outdated.
Why it's wrong here
While outdated graphics drivers can cause various display anomalies, including incorrect resolutions or rendering issues, they rarely manifest as intermittent flickering specific to a single port while the adapter works with other devices. Driver-related problems are generally consistent across all external display attempts from that particular laptop and would likely affect the display in a more persistent or predictable manner, not as a sporadic hardware-like disconnection.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Laptop Hardware and Components
Key term
CAN
A CAN (Controller Area Network) is a robust vehicle bus standard designed to allow microcontrollers and devices to communicate with each other without a host computer.
Key term
Laptop
A portable personal computer that integrates a display, keyboard, touchpad, battery, and internal components into a single clamshell device for mobile computing.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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