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220-1102 Practice Question: A technician is configuring a new workstation for…
A technician is configuring a new workstation for a customer who is concerned about energy consumption. Which setting should the technician enable to reduce power usage when the computer is idle?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse 'turning off the display' with full system power saving, or they assume that a longer idle timer (like 1 hour for hibernation) is better than a shorter one (15 minutes for sleep), not realizing that sleep mode engages much sooner and thus saves more energy over typical idle periods.
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
✓
Enable sleep mode after 15 minutes of inactivity.
Enabling sleep mode after 15 minutes of inactivity places the computer into a low-power state (S3 sleep, Suspend-to-RAM) where the CPU is powered down but RAM retains data, allowing a quick wake-up. This directly reduces energy consumption during idle periods more effectively than simply turning off the display, as it cuts power to the processor, drives, and most peripherals.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Disable the screensaver and set the display to turn off after 30 minutes.
Why it's wrong here
Disabling the screensaver and merely turning off the display after 30 minutes only affects the monitor's power consumption, not the entire system. While the screen goes dark, the CPU, RAM, storage, and other components remain fully powered and active, consuming substantial energy. This approach offers minimal overall power savings compared to putting the entire workstation into a true low-power state.
- ✗
Enable hibernation mode after 1 hour of inactivity.
Why it's wrong here
Hibernation saves the current session to disk and powers off the machine, but it does not reduce power during idle periods—it requires a full shutdown and restart to resume, meaning the computer consumes zero power only after entering hibernation, not while idle. This option is tempting because hibernation is often associated with energy saving, and it would be correct if the customer wanted to completely eliminate standby power draw after a set idle time, rather than reducing consumption during active idle states.
- ✓
Enable sleep mode after 15 minutes of inactivity.
Why this is correct
Enabling sleep mode after 15 minutes of inactivity is the optimal choice for reducing power consumption while maintaining quick system responsiveness. In sleep (S3) mode, the system significantly reduces power to most components, but keeps the RAM powered to retain the current session data. This allows the workstation to resume operation almost instantly, making it ideal for short periods of user absence.
- ✗
Set the power plan to 'High performance' to reduce power draw.
Why it's wrong here
Setting the power plan to 'High performance' is counterproductive to the goal of reducing power draw, as this plan prioritizes maximum processing power and responsiveness over energy efficiency. It prevents the CPU from downclocking or entering lower power states, keeps hard drives spinning, and may increase fan speeds, resulting in continuous high power consumption. This configuration is designed for demanding tasks where every bit of performance is critical, not for energy conservation.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
Go deeper
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 220-1202 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 220-1202 exam.