FC0-U71 Infrastructure Practice Question
A user reports that their laptop display looks extremely dim even though the image is visible and the operating system is running normally. The screen becomes readable when a flashlight is aimed at it. Which component has most likely failed?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming any blank-looking display means a dead GPU, when a faint image visible under a flashlight points specifically to the backlight or inverter.
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 inverter or backlight
The telltale sign of a failed backlight or inverter is an image that is present but nearly invisible until external light strikes the screen. The panel and signal path still function, so the fault lies with the illumination subsystem rather than the GPU, cable, or digitizer.
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 digitizer
Why it's wrong here
The digitizer converts touch input into electrical signals and has no effect on how bright the display appears. A digitizer fault would cause unresponsive touch or phantom touches, not a dim image. Since the user's problem is illumination rather than input, the digitizer is not the cause.
- ✗
The graphics processing unit
Why it's wrong here
A failed GPU typically produces no image at all, artifacts, or a black screen rather than a uniformly dim but intact picture. Because the user can see the desktop faintly with a flashlight, the video signal is clearly being generated and delivered. The GPU is therefore not the component that has failed in this case.
- ✗
The display cable
Why it's wrong here
A damaged or loose display cable usually causes flickering, missing color channels, or a completely blank screen, not a consistently dim image. The faint but complete picture indicates the signal path is intact. Replacing the cable would not restore the missing illumination, so this is not the failed component.
- ✓
The inverter or backlight
Why this is correct
When an image is faintly visible but only readable under an external light, the liquid crystal layer is still working while the illumination behind it is not. On older CCFL panels the inverter supplies high voltage to the backlight, and on LED panels the backlight driver or LED strip fails similarly. This matches the described symptom.
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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.