Question 1hardmultiple choice
Full question →hardmultiple choiceObjective-mapped
A technician is upgrading a desktop PC with a new high-end graphics card. The card requires two 8-pin PCIe power connectors. The power supply unit (PSU) has two 6+2 pin PCIe cables. After installing the card and connecting both cables, the system powers on, all fans spin, but there is no display output from the graphics card. The technician has verified the card is fully seated in the PCIe slot, the monitor is connected to the card's output, and the monitor works with another computer. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?
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
Distractor review
The PSU wattage is insufficient to power the new graphics card.
An underpowered PSU usually causes system crashes, random restarts, or shutdowns under load, especially when the GPU demands more power. It rarely prevents the card from outputting any video at boot, as the card can still use minimal power for POST. The system powers on and stays on, making insufficient wattage less likely.
B
Best answer
The 6+2 pin PCIe connectors are not fully inserted into the graphics card.
The 6+2 pin connectors consist of a 6-pin portion and a separate 2-pin portion. If the 2-pin part is not fully clicked into place, the card may not receive 8 pins of power, even though the system can power on. This partial connection can prevent the card from initializing and outputting video. Fully reseating the connectors often resolves the issue.
C
Distractor review
The motherboard's PCIe slot is configured for Gen 3, but the card requires Gen 4.
PCIe generations are backward and forward compatible; a Gen 4 card will work in a Gen 3 slot (and vice versa) at the lower speed. This does not prevent video output. The system would still boot and display the BIOS or an error message, not a completely black screen from the GPU.
D
Distractor review
The graphics card drivers have not been installed yet.
While drivers are necessary for full OS-level functionality and gaming, the system should still display the POST screen and BIOS/UEFI interface without any drivers. A black screen at power-on is not caused by missing drivers; it indicates a hardware connection or power issue.
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.
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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: The 6+2 pin PCIe connectors are not fully inserted into the graphics card. — When a graphics card receives power but the system fails to output video, one common hardware cause is that the 6+2 pin PCIe power connectors are not fully inserted. The 6+2 design allows connectors to be split: the '2' part can be left dangling if not pushed in completely, leaving the card without all required power pins. Even if the system powers on, the card may not have enough power to initialize and output video. An insufficient PSU wattage typically causes instability or shutdowns under load, not a complete lack of video. Incorrect PCIe slot version usually results in reduced performance, not a black screen. While drivers are needed for full functionality, the card should output a basic BIOS screen without drivers; if it doesn't, it's likely a hardware connection issue.
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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