220-1101 Hardware and Network Troubleshooting Practice Question
A technician is troubleshooting a desktop computer that powers on but the monitor displays 'No Signal.' The PC fans spin and the power LED is on. The technician has already reseated the graphics card and tried a different monitor and cable. The motherboard has integrated graphics, but the CPU does not support integrated graphics. The technician checks and finds that the graphics card's power connectors are not all plugged in. The card requires both a 6-pin and an 8-pin PCIe power connector, but only the 6-pin is connected. Which of the following should the technician do NEXT?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to assume the system is fully functional because fans spin and LEDs are on, overlooking that the graphics card requires dedicated power connectors to operate, and instead jump to component replacement or driver troubleshooting.
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
✓
Connect the 8-pin PCIe power connector from the PSU to the graphics card
The correct next step is to connect the 8-pin PCIe power connector because the graphics card requires both a 6-pin and an 8-pin connector to deliver sufficient power for operation. Without the 8-pin connector, the card may not initialize properly, causing the 'No Signal' issue despite the system appearing to power on. Since the technician has already verified the monitor and cable, and reseated the card, the missing power connection is the most likely root cause.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Connect the 8-pin PCIe power connector from the PSU to the graphics card
Why this is correct
Modern high-end graphics cards are designed to pull substantially more than the 75W supplied by the PCIe x16 slot alone, so they require auxiliary power from the PSU. A single 6-pin PCIe connector provides up to 75W, while the 8-pin connector provides up to 150W; many cards like this one need both inputs to reach the total power budget. With the 8-pin unconnected, the card cannot perform its initialization handshake, so the motherboard may not POST and no signal reaches the display. Attaching the 8-pin cable completes the required power path and is the correct first step.
- ✗
Replace the graphics card with a known-good unit
Why it's wrong here
Swapping in a known-good graphics card is too hasty because the evidence points to a simple power delivery defect, not a failed GPU. If the current card receives all required PCIe power connections, it will very likely operate correctly; the missing 8-pin cable is the root cause. Moreover, a known-good replacement card with the same or higher power draw would also require that 8-pin connector, so unless the PSU is also swapped or the cable is fixed, the replacement would exhibit the same no-signal symptom. Do not spend time or money replacing hardware before verifying all power inputs.
- ✗
Remove the graphics card and use the motherboard's integrated graphics
Why it's wrong here
Removing the discrete GPU and relying on the motherboard's video outputs will not work because the installed CPU is a model without integrated graphics (iGPU). Without an iGPU, the motherboard's built-in video connectors are electrically dead, so there is no way to generate a display. Even on systems that do have integrated graphics, inserting a discrete GPU often disables the iGPU automatically, and some boards require manual BIOS changes to re-enable it—but here it is not an option at all. This solution would leave the user with no display, making it worse than the original problem.
- ✗
Update the graphics card driver from the motherboard manufacturer's website
Why it's wrong here
Updating the graphics card driver is impossible in this situation because the machine does not even POST and produces no image, so there is no operating system session in which to run driver installation software. Driver corruption typically causes crashes, artifacts, or resolution failures within the OS, not a complete absence of signal during power-on. Furthermore, a driver update from the motherboard manufacturer's website would address chipset or integrated graphics drivers, not the discrete GPU, and it is irrelevant to a card that is not receiving the 8-pin power input. The hardware power connection must be fixed first; software cannot compensate for a missing physical cable.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Desktop as a Service (DaaS)
Key term
Light-emitting Diode
A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor device that emits light when an electric current passes through it, commonly used as an indicator or illumination source in electronic devices.
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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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.