hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
220-1201 Practice Question: A technician is replacing a faulty motherboard in…
A technician is replacing a faulty motherboard in a workstation. After installing the new board, the system powers on but there is no display output from the integrated graphics port. The CPU does not have integrated graphics. What should the technician do?
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
✓
Install a dedicated GPU into a PCIe slot
If the CPU lacks integrated graphics, the motherboard's video output ports will not function. A dedicated GPU must be installed. This is a common oversight when switching from a CPU with integrated graphics to one without.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Clear the CMOS to reset BIOS settings
Why it's wrong here
Clearing the Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) memory resets the motherboard's BIOS/UEFI settings to their factory defaults. While this can resolve configuration issues, it cannot fundamentally alter the hardware capabilities of the Central Processing Unit (CPU). If the installed CPU does not possess integrated graphics processing unit (iGPU) capabilities, resetting the BIOS will not magically enable video output from the motherboard's onboard ports, as there is no iGPU to generate a signal.
- ✓
Install a dedicated GPU into a PCIe slot
Why this is correct
When a Central Processing Unit (CPU) lacks an integrated graphics processing unit (iGPU), the video output ports on the motherboard (such as HDMI, DisplayPort, or VGA) will remain inactive because there is no internal graphics processor to generate a display signal. To obtain video output and display an image on a monitor, a dedicated Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) must be installed into an available Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) slot on the motherboard. This dedicated card will then handle all graphics rendering and provide the necessary display outputs.
- ✗
Update the motherboard BIOS
Why it's wrong here
Updating the motherboard's Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) or Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) firmware primarily provides compatibility for newer hardware, bug fixes, or performance enhancements. However, a BIOS update cannot physically add integrated graphics capabilities to a Central Processing Unit (CPU) that was manufactured without an integrated graphics processing unit (iGPU). The absence of an iGPU is a hardware limitation of the CPU itself, not a software setting or firmware version that can be enabled or patched.
- ✗
Check the monitor cable connection
Why it's wrong here
Checking the monitor cable connection is a fundamental troubleshooting step for display issues, but it is irrelevant in this specific scenario where the CPU lacks integrated graphics. Even if the cable is perfectly functional and securely connected, the motherboard's video output ports will not transmit a signal because there is no integrated graphics processing unit (iGPU) within the CPU to generate one. The problem lies upstream with the absence of a video source, not with the integrity of the physical connection to the display.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every 220-1201 question from scratch — 972 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 220-1201 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 220-1201 exam.