easymultiple choiceObjective-mapped

A technician is building a new desktop computer. After installing the CPU, heatsink, and attaching the CPU fan to the motherboard header, the technician connects all power cables. When the system is powered on, the case fans spin and the motherboard LEDs light up, but no display appears and no beep codes are heard. The technician has already verified the monitor works and the video cable is connected to the dedicated GPU. Which of the following should the technician check FIRST?

Question 1easymultiple choice
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A technician is building a new desktop computer. After installing the CPU, heatsink, and attaching the CPU fan to the motherboard header, the technician connects all power cables. When the system is powered on, the case fans spin and the motherboard LEDs light up, but no display appears and no beep codes are heard. The technician has already verified the monitor works and the video cable is connected to the dedicated GPU. Which of the following should the technician check FIRST?

Answer choices

Why each option matters

Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.

A

Best answer

A. Ensure the 8-pin CPU power connector is connected to the motherboard

Correct. If the CPU power connector is not attached, the CPU receives no power, preventing the system from POSTing. This is a common mistake during assembly.

B

Distractor review

B. Reseat the graphics card in its PCIe slot

Incorrect. While a loose GPU can cause no display, the system would typically produce beep codes (if a speaker is installed) and the motherboard LEDs would still indicate power. The immediate step should be to rule out CPU power, a more fundamental requirement.

C

Distractor review

C. Check that the RAM modules are installed in the correct slots

Incorrect. Incorrect RAM installation can prevent POST, but the system would usually beep (if the board has a speaker) and the complaint of 'no beep codes' suggests the CPU is not even starting. CPU power is a higher priority check.

D

Distractor review

D. Verify the monitor's input source is set correctly

Incorrect. The technician has already verified the monitor works and cable is connected to the GPU. The lack of beep codes indicates the system is not POSTing, so the display issue is not the primary problem.

Common exam trap

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.

Technical deep dive

How to think about this question

This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.

KKey Concepts to Remember

  • Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
  • Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
  • Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
  • Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.

TExam Day Tips

  • Underline the problem statement mentally.
  • Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
  • Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.

Related practice questions

Related 220-1101 practice-question pages

Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.

More questions from this exam

Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.

Question 1

A user reports intermittent network connectivity on a desktop computer. The technician observes that the Ethernet link light on the NIC turns off for a few seconds and then turns back on. The cable passes a wiremap test, the switch port is verified good with another device, and the NIC driver is updated. The issue occurs more frequently when the computer's case fan runs at high speed. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Question 2

A workstation is unable to connect to the internet. The technician runs the 'ipconfig' command and sees the IPv4 address is 169.254.15.200 with a subnet mask of 255.255.0.0. The workstation can ping other devices on the local subnet but cannot ping the default gateway or any external addresses. Which TWO actions should the technician take to resolve this issue? (Select two.)

Question 3

A workstation is connected to a managed switch. It obtains a valid IP address (192.168.10.50) from the DHCP server, but it cannot ping the default gateway (192.168.10.1). The link light on both the workstation NIC and the switch port are solid green. Other workstations on the same switch CAN ping the default gateway successfully. The technician accesses the switch management interface and finds that the workstation's port is configured as an access port on VLAN 10. The default gateway is located on VLAN 20. An inter-VLAN router is configured but not explicitly allowing VLAN 10 access to VLAN 20. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the problem?

Question 4

A company develops a web application that relies on a custom library available only for a specific Linux distribution. They want to deploy the application in the cloud with minimal administrative overhead, but they need full control over the software stack, including the ability to install the custom library and configure the web server. Which cloud service model BEST meets these requirements?

Question 5

A company has a legacy virtual machine running on a deprecated hypervisor (Hyper-V). They want to migrate this VM to a new hypervisor (VMware vSphere) hosted in a private cloud while preserving the VM's configuration, installed applications, and data. The migration must be performed with minimal downtime. Which of the following methods is MOST appropriate?

Question 6

A company hosts a critical database on a virtual machine in a public cloud. The database requires persistent storage that must be retained even if the VM is terminated. The storage must also be accessible from multiple VMs simultaneously for a future high-availability configuration. Which type of cloud storage BEST meets these requirements?

FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this 220-1101 question test?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: A. Ensure the 8-pin CPU power connector is connected to the motherboard — When a system powers on (fans spin, LEDs) but does not POST (no beeps, no display), it often indicates a fundamental hardware issue. One common oversight is failing to connect the CPU power cable (usually a 4+4-pin or 8-pin connector) from the power supply to the motherboard's CPU power header. Without this, the CPU cannot execute instructions, leading to a no-POST scenario. The GPU power and RAM are also important but the CPU power is a frequent initial build omission.

What should I do if I get this 220-1101 question wrong?

Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.

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