220-1101 Hardware Practice Question
A desktop powers on but repeatedly shuts down under load. The CPU temperature rises quickly even after dust is removed from the case. What should the technician inspect next?
⚠ Common exam trap
CompTIA often tests the misconception that dust removal alone resolves all overheating issues, but the trap here is that the technician must verify the physical mounting and thermal interface of the CPU cooler, not just clean visible dust.
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
✓
CPU heatsink seating and thermal paste application
The CPU temperature rising quickly under load, even after dust removal, indicates that the heatsink is not making proper contact with the CPU or the thermal interface material has degraded. Inspecting the CPU heatsink seating and thermal paste application is the correct next step because poor thermal transfer causes the CPU to reach its thermal throttle or shutdown threshold, triggering a protective shutdown. This is a classic hardware troubleshooting step for overheating-related intermittent shutdowns.
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 keyboard layout
Why it's wrong here
Keyboard layout is a software-level input configuration that maps physical keys to characters and does not interact with the CPU's thermal management, power delivery, or system stability under load. A desktop that shuts down under CPU stress is experiencing a hardware-level thermal or power failure, not an input configuration issue. Even a completely corrupted or misconfigured keyboard layout would only alter keystroke interpretation, never trigger a thermal shutdown.
- ✓
CPU heatsink seating and thermal paste application
Why this is correct
The CPU heatsink and thermal paste are the primary path for heat to move from the CPU die to the ambient air. If the heatsink is not seated evenly across the Integrated Heat Spreader (IHS), or the thermal paste has dried out, cracked, or been applied too thinly or thickly, heat transfer is severely impaired. Under load, the CPU rapidly hits its thermal throttling or shutdown threshold because the cooler simply cannot remove the heat fast enough. The system's thermal protection then cuts power to prevent permanent silicon damage, causing the repeated shutdowns described.
- ✗
The Windows user profile
Why it's wrong here
The Windows user profile stores personal settings, preferences, and application data, but it has no control over hardware-level thermal management or CPU power delivery. Even a corrupted or resource-intensive user profile would not cause a desktop to power off specifically under CPU load, as the shutdown is initiated by the motherboard's thermal protection circuitry, not by the operating system. While a driver issue in a profile could theoretically cause a bugcheck, a clean, sudden power loss under load is the classic signature of overheating hardware, not a software profile defect.
- ✗
The monitor cable type
Why it's wrong here
Monitor cable type (VGA, DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort) determines video signal transmission and has absolutely no bearing on CPU temperature or system power behavior. If the display cable were faulty, you would see artifacts, flickering, or no signal at all—not a desktop that powers off under CPU load. The shutdown is a hardware protection response triggered by excessive CPU heat, entirely unrelated to the display output path.
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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.