220-1101 Hardware and Network Troubleshooting Practice Question
A technician is troubleshooting a desktop PC that randomly restarts during intensive tasks, such as rendering video. The technician has replaced the power supply, updated drivers, run memory diagnostics, and verified CPU temperatures. The problem persists. The technician examines the motherboard and notices that several capacitors near the CPU socket appear slightly domed on top. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the random restarts?
⚠ Common exam trap
CompTIA often tests the misconception that random restarts under load are always caused by a failing power supply or overheating CPU, when in fact motherboard capacitor failure is a classic hardware symptom that mimics those issues.
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
✓
The motherboard has failing capacitors causing voltage instability.
Domed capacitors indicate that the electrolytic fluid inside has leaked or the capacitor has failed, leading to an inability to maintain stable voltage regulation. Under the high current draw of intensive tasks like video rendering, this voltage instability causes the motherboard to trigger a reset or shutdown to protect components. Since the technician has already replaced the power supply and verified CPU temperatures, the failing capacitors are the most likely remaining 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.
- ✗
The CPU is failing under load.
Why it's wrong here
Although a faulty CPU can cause system instability, the technician has already verified normal temperatures under load, ruling out thermal-related throttling or shutdowns. A failing CPU typically manifests as machine check exceptions, computational errors, or system freezes, not the smooth power-cycling restarts observed here. The presence of bulging capacitors on the motherboard provides a direct, physical cause, making the CPU a less likely culprit.
- ✓
The motherboard has failing capacitors causing voltage instability.
Why this is correct
Domed or bulging capacitors on the motherboard indicate that the electrolyte has dried out, increasing their equivalent series resistance (ESR) and reducing their ability to smooth DC voltage. Under heavy CPU load, current draw spikes, causing voltage ripple and droop that exceed the tolerance of the voltage regulator, triggering a reset or shutdown. This perfectly matches the symptom of random restarts during load—a definitive sign of power delivery failure, not a generic crash.
- ✗
The hard drive is failing.
Why it's wrong here
A failing hard drive primarily causes data corruption, file read/write errors, or a blue screen when critical system files are unreadable—it does not cause instantaneous power-cycle restarts. During CPU-intensive tasks, the hard drive is barely stressed, so its condition would not influence system stability under that specific load. The load-dependent nature of the restarts points to power delivery (motherboard capacitors), not storage medium failure.
- ✗
The operating system is corrupt.
Why it's wrong here
A corrupt operating system typically presents visible symptoms such as boot loops, specific blue screen stop codes, application crashes, or error messages when files are accessed, not silent random reboots during CPU-utilization spikes. Since the drivers are already updated and the restarts occur only under heavy load, a software-level cause is implausible because OS code does not change behavior based on CPU load alone. Hardware-level power instability from the motherboard is the only consistent explanation.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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