easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
220-1201 Practice Question: A customer reports that their external monitor…
A customer reports that their external monitor connected via HDMI flickers intermittently. They have tried a different HDMI cable and a different monitor, but the issue persists. The laptop display works fine. Which component is most likely causing the problem?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates may incorrectly blame the graphics driver because they assume external display issues are always software-related, ignoring the physical integrity of the port. In CompTIA A+ troubleshooting, it's important to isolate the problem by swapping known-good components before concluding.
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 laptop's HDMI port
Since the issue persists after swapping both the HDMI cable and the external monitor, the problem is isolated to the laptop's HDMI port. A faulty or damaged HDMI port can cause intermittent signal loss due to poor physical contact, bent pins, or internal solder fractures, leading to flickering. The laptop's internal display works fine, ruling out the graphics driver as the primary 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 laptop's graphics driver
Why it's wrong here
A faulty or outdated graphics driver typically impacts the rendering capabilities for all connected displays, including the laptop's integrated screen. Since the internal display is functioning correctly, it indicates that the core graphics processing unit (GPU) and its associated driver are likely operating as expected. Therefore, a driver-specific issue is improbable if only the external monitor connection is failing.
- ✗
The HDMI cable
Why it's wrong here
The customer's proactive step of trying a different HDMI cable effectively eliminates the cable itself as the source of the problem. If the issue persisted with a known-good or new cable, it confirms that the fault lies elsewhere in the signal chain, either at the source (laptop port) or the destination (monitor input). This systematic troubleshooting step is crucial for isolating hardware failures.
- ✗
The external monitor
Why it's wrong here
The customer's action of connecting a different external monitor and experiencing the same problem conclusively rules out the original monitor as the cause. This diagnostic step confirms that the issue is not with the display panel, its internal electronics, or its input ports. By eliminating the monitor, attention can then shift to the laptop's output capabilities or the connecting cable.
- ✓
The laptop's HDMI port
Why this is correct
Given that the laptop's internal display functions properly, and both the HDMI cable and the external monitor have been swapped out with known-good alternatives without resolving the issue, the laptop's HDMI output port becomes the most probable point of failure. A physical defect, bent pins, or an internal circuit board issue specific to that port could prevent it from transmitting video signals correctly, even if the GPU and its drivers are otherwise functional.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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