easyMultiple Choice
220-1201 Practice Question: During a routine hardware upgrade, you install a…
During a routine hardware upgrade, you install a new PCIe x16 graphics card into a desktop motherboard. The system powers on, but the display remains blank. The graphics card's fans are spinning. What should you check first on the motherboard?
⚠ Common exam trap
220-1201 often tests the trap of jumping to complex causes (BIOS, power, dead slot) when the simplest physical cabling mistake — monitor plugged into the motherboard instead of the new GPU — is the actual answer.
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 monitor cable is connected to the graphics card, not the motherboard
The most common cause of a blank display after installing a discrete GPU is that the monitor cable is still plugged into the motherboard's integrated video output rather than the new card's ports. Since the GPU fans spin, the card is receiving power, so the first and simplest check is verifying the cable is on the graphics card. This is a physical, no-cost check that resolves the majority of 'no signal' cases.
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 BIOS settings for primary display adapter
Why it's wrong here
While BIOS/UEFI settings can designate a primary display adapter, most modern motherboards are configured to automatically prioritize a dedicated PCIe graphics card when one is detected. It is less common for a default BIOS setting to prevent display output from a newly installed, functional discrete GPU, especially if the card is otherwise receiving power and its fans are spinning. Manual intervention in BIOS is usually only needed for specific multi-GPU setups or troubleshooting.
- ✓
The monitor cable is connected to the graphics card, not the motherboard
Why this is correct
When a dedicated graphics card is installed, the system's BIOS/UEFI typically disables the integrated graphics chipset on the motherboard to prevent resource conflicts and optimize performance. Consequently, if the monitor cable remains connected to the motherboard's video output port instead of the new dedicated graphics card, no display signal will be transmitted, even if the dedicated card is fully functional and its cooling fans are operating.
- ✗
The graphics card power connectors are properly attached
Why it's wrong here
Although the graphics card's fans are spinning, indicating it receives some power from the PCIe slot, high-performance dedicated GPUs require additional direct power from the power supply via 6-pin or 8-pin PCIe power connectors. However, a complete lack of these supplemental power connections would typically prevent the card from fully initializing or even spinning its fans, often triggering diagnostic LEDs or POST errors. Since the fans are spinning, the card is likely receiving enough power to initiate, making missing power connectors less probable as the sole cause of 'no display' compared to other issues.
- ✗
The PCIe slot is damaged
Why it's wrong here
A damaged or faulty PCIe slot would most likely prevent the system from detecting the graphics card entirely, leading to a complete lack of functionality. In such a scenario, the card would not receive power through the slot, meaning its fans would not spin, and the system would likely fail to POST or display specific error codes. The fact that the graphics card's fans are spinning indicates that the PCIe slot is at least providing basic power and allowing initial communication with the card.
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Common Ports and Protocols for A+
Key term
Motherboard
The main circuit board inside a computer that connects all components so they can communicate with each other and receive power.
Key term
GPU
A GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) is a specialized processor that handles the rendering of images, video, and animations for display output and can also be used for general-purpose parallel computing tasks.
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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.