220-1201 Practice Question: A user's PC randomly restarts during heavy…

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

• ✗

  Replace the CPU fan with a higher RPM model.

  Why it's wrong here

  Replacing the CPU fan with a higher RPM model primarily addresses insufficient airflow across the heatsink fins. However, if the heat cannot efficiently transfer from the CPU's integrated heat spreader (IHS) to the heatsink base due to degraded thermal paste, increasing fan speed will have minimal impact on core temperatures. The fan's role is secondary to the thermal interface material's ability to conduct heat away from the CPU die, making this an ineffective primary solution.

• ✓

  Apply new thermal paste between the CPU and heatsink.

  Why this is correct

  Applying new thermal paste directly addresses the critical interface between the CPU's integrated heat spreader and the heatsink base. Over time, thermal paste can dry out, crack, or pump out, creating microscopic air gaps that significantly impede heat transfer due to air's poor thermal conductivity. Fresh thermal paste fills these imperfections, ensuring maximum thermal conductivity and allowing the heatsink to efficiently dissipate the CPU's heat, preventing overheating and subsequent system instability.

• ✗

  Underclock the CPU in BIOS.

  Why it's wrong here

  Underclocking the CPU in the BIOS reduces its operating frequency and voltage, thereby lowering the amount of heat generated. While this might temporarily mitigate overheating symptoms by reducing the thermal load, it does not resolve the underlying issue of inefficient heat transfer from the CPU to the heatsink. This approach sacrifices system performance as a workaround, rather than fixing the root cause of the degraded thermal interface.

• ✗

  Add an additional case fan.

  Why it's wrong here

  Adding an additional case fan improves the overall airflow within the computer chassis, which can help lower ambient temperatures around components. However, this measure primarily affects the general internal environment and does not directly enhance the crucial heat transfer pathway from the CPU die to its dedicated heatsink. The immediate problem of a CPU overheating under load is almost always related to the direct contact and thermal conductivity between the CPU and its cooler, not merely the surrounding air temperature.

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