220-1101 Hardware Practice Question

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 CPU fan is not spinning fast enough.

  Why it's wrong here

  An insufficiently fast CPU fan would still allow heat to conduct from the CPU die into the heatsink base, so the heatsink would become noticeably warm or hot even if the fan failed to dissipate that heat. A cool heatsink during a thermal shutdown indicates that heat is not reaching the heatsink at all, pointing to a conduction problem rather than a convective airflow problem. Since the technician already verified the fan is spinning, a low RPM would merely reduce cooling capacity, not prevent the heatsink from warming up.

• ✓

  The heatsink is not making proper contact with the CPU.

  Why this is correct

  If the heatsink is loose or not seated correctly, there is a gap preventing heat transfer. The CPU quickly overheats and triggers a thermal shutdown, but the heatsink remains cool. This is a common issue after thermal paste replacement if the cooler is not reattached securely.

• ✗

  The power supply unit is failing.

  Why it's wrong here

  A failing power supply typically causes symptoms such as an inability to POST, unexpected resets during load, or the system turning off abruptly, but it cannot account for a heatsink that remains cool to the touch. The system powered on and the CPU fan spun for several seconds, demonstrating that the PSU's +12V and EPS rails were delivering enough power to run the processor and fan. A delay before a thermal shutdown combined with a cold heatsink points to a broken thermal path between the CPU and its cooler, not a fault in the voltages feeding those components.

• ✗

  The motherboard is shorted against the case.

  Why it's wrong here

  A motherboard shorted against the case would cause the power supply's overcurrent protection to trip almost immediately, typically resulting in a dead system that fails to POST or shuts down within a split second—not a several-second run followed by a thermal shutdown. Even with a marginal short, the CPU would still generate heat that would warm the heatsink before the short caused damage or triggered a shutdown. The observed cool heatsink right up until the thermal shutdown indicates the system was electrically stable enough to run, but the cooler was not physically carrying heat away, making a chassis short an inconsistent explanation.

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