220-1101 Hardware Practice Question
A technician is building a high-performance gaming PC for a client. The technician installs a motherboard that supports DDR4-3200, an Intel Core i7-10700K CPU, and 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) of DDR4-3600 RAM rated at 1.35V. The system boots normally, but the BIOS reports the RAM running at 2133 MHz. The technician enables XMP Profile 1 in the BIOS, but the system fails to POST and must be reset via CMOS clear. After clearing CMOS, the system boots again at 2133 MHz. The technician has verified that the CPU and motherboard support DDR4-3200. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the failure?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers assume XMP always works if the RAM is rated for that speed, ignoring that the motherboard's maximum supported speed is a hard limit for stable operation.
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 RAM speed is higher than the motherboard's supported maximum
The motherboard supports DDR4-3200, but the installed RAM is rated at DDR4-3600, which exceeds the motherboard's maximum supported speed. When XMP Profile 1 is enabled, it attempts to run the RAM at 3600 MHz, causing the system to fail POST because the motherboard's memory controller cannot reliably handle that speed. The CMOS clear restores default settings, returning the RAM to the JEDEC standard 2133 MHz.
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 RAM speed is higher than the motherboard's supported maximum
Why this is correct
The motherboard's memory specifications cap out at DDR4-3200; selecting the XMP profile for 3600 MT/s asks the board's memory controller to run at a frequency it was never validated for, so the system cannot complete memory training and fails POST. The CPU is not the limiting factor; the board's electrical design and BIOS simply don't support that data rate.
- ✗
The RAM modules are not installed in the correct slots for dual-channel mode
Why it's wrong here
If the RAM were in the wrong slots for dual-channel mode, the system would still POST and detect all 32GB—only memory bandwidth would drop. Since the system does boot and report 32GB, the modules are correctly populated and dual-channel operation is active even at 2133 MHz. Incorrect slot placement would not cause an XMP-related POST failure.
- ✗
The XMP profile requires a higher voltage than the motherboard can provide
Why it's wrong here
XMP for DDR4-3600 typically specifies 1.35V VDIMM, a voltage within the motherboard's power delivery range even on entry-level boards; most VRMs can easily supply it. If the motherboard couldn't deliver that voltage, you'd likely see unstable operation or memory errors after boot, not a halt during POST. The immediate showstopper is the frequency exceeding the board's DDR4-3200 maximum, not voltage.
- ✗
The CPU does not support any RAM speed above 2133 MHz
Why it's wrong here
Intel's official specification for the i7-10700K lists DDR4-2933 as the maximum supported JEDEC speed, but that is a standard-speed rating, not an absolute silicon limit. The CPU's memory controller can handle higher transfer rates when the motherboard interprets XMP profiles; the limiting factor here is the motherboard, which only validates up to 3200 MT/s, so 3600 MHz is beyond the board's capability, not the CPU's.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
RAM Types and Memory Slots
Key term
Double Data Rate
Double Data Rate (DDR) is a technology that doubles the data transfer rate of a memory or bus by sending data on both the rising and falling edges of the clock signal, effectively doing twice as much work per clock cycle.
Key term
Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor
A type of semiconductor technology used in microchips that combines two types of transistors to create circuits with very low power consumption.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 220-1101 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 220-1101 exam.