FC0-U71 Infrastructure Practice Question
A technician is preparing a desktop workstation for a user who needs to run several virtual machines locally for software testing. The host must have enough resources to keep the virtual machines responsive while the desktop remains usable. Which TWO hardware upgrades would most directly support this workload? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming any hardware upgrade speeds up virtual machines, when only the resources the guests actually consume, namely CPU cores and RAM, make a direct difference.
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
✓
A CPU with more cores
Running multiple virtual machines locally consumes processor cores and memory above what the host operating system needs. More cores let guests execute in parallel, and additional RAM prevents the host from paging virtual machine memory to disk. Graphics, power, and optical drive upgrades do not address the core resource demands of this workload.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
A CPU with more cores
Why this is correct
Virtual machines share the physical processor, and each guest needs virtual CPUs assigned from the host's cores. A processor with more cores allows the hypervisor to distribute work across guests and the host simultaneously, preventing one busy virtual machine from starving the others. This directly supports running several virtual machines responsively.
- ✗
A discrete graphics card
Why it's wrong here
A discrete GPU accelerates graphics rendering and can help with specific compute workloads, but software testing virtual machines typically rely on CPU and memory resources. It does not increase the number of virtual machines the host can run or keep them responsive. This upgrade does not directly support the stated virtualization workload.
- ✗
A larger power supply
Why it's wrong here
A higher-wattage power supply delivers more total power but does not improve virtualization performance. As long as the existing supply meets the system's power draw, replacing it changes nothing about how many virtual machines can run or how quickly they respond. It is not a resource that virtual machines consume directly.
- ✗
A faster optical drive
Why it's wrong here
An optical drive reads discs such as DVDs and is essentially irrelevant to running local virtual machines. Virtual machine performance depends on processor cores, memory, and storage speed rather than optical media throughput. Upgrading this component would not make the guests more responsive or allow more of them to run.
- ✓
Additional RAM
Why this is correct
Each running virtual machine needs its own allocation of memory, and the host operating system also requires memory for itself. Adding RAM allows more virtual machines to run concurrently without forcing the host to swap to disk, which would otherwise make everything sluggish. This directly addresses the requirement to keep both the guests and the desktop responsive.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
This FC0-U71 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 FC0-U71 exam.