Chapter 3 System Components (Part A)
Which of the following motherboard power connectors typically connect directly to the motherboard? (Select two.)
24-pin motherboard power. 4-pin CPU power.
You have a motherboard that uses a 24-pin ATX connector. Which types of power supply could you use with this motherboard?
A power supply with a 20-pin ATX and a +4-pin connector. A power supply with a 24-pin ATX connector only.
What is a ZIF socket?
A special socket for inserting and securing a processor.
You need to purchase a case that meets the following criteria: - Compatible with most for, factors. -At least two external and internal bays. -Good balance of size and space. Which case type should you purchase?
ATX mid-tower.
Which of the following functions does an ATX power supply perform?
Aids in thermal management. Converts AC to DC.
What is the purpose of cache memory?
Allows a processor to access data more quickly.
After working without problems for a couple years, your computer has begun to lock up. You suspect that it is a thermal issue but you can't find any component that is not functioning correctly. You have not replaced the CPU or installed any new devices. The CPU cooling fan and the power supply fan are working properly. The lock-ups are happening with increasing frequency. Which of the following is a common condition that might explain these symptoms?
An accumulation of dust has gradually built up.
To improve system performance, you have configured a motherboard to run with a higher multiplayer than what the CPU is specified to use. Since doing this, the system has become unstable and crashes frequently. To restore system stability, which of the following should be completed?
Back off on the overclocking settings until the system runs in a stable manner.
Maintains an accurate system time and date, even when the power is off.
CMOS Battery.
Which of the following devices use the 4-pin peripheral (Molex) connector?
Case fan. PATA CD-ROM.
You have just finished the upgrading the CPU in your desktop system. After running the system for about 15 minutes, the system spontaneously shuts down. To BEST troubleshoot this issue, which of the following steps would you perform first (Select TWO).
Check the thermal shutdown threshold in the BIOS. Check the CPU fan power.
Lately your computer is spontaneously shutting down after only a few minutes of use. What is the most likely cause? (Select TWO).
Cooling fans clogged with dust. Overheated CPU.
You are building a new computer. You want to select a power supply with features that can to help prevent circuit overloads by balancing the current flow. Which of the following is the BEST option for you?
Dual rail
Since it has no moving parts, a CPU will usually work properly for several years. Which of the following is a common factor that MIGHT cause a CPU to fail prematurely.
Electrostatic discharge (ESD)
Allows additional features and capabilities to be added to the motherboard.
Expansion Slots.
Which of the following objects is installed between the system case and the motherboard's back I/O ports?
Faceplate.
Contains firmware that is used to configure motherboard settings and initialize devices.
Flash Memory .
You need to replace the power supply in your home desktop computer. Which of the following specifications are the most likely to affect your power supply choice?
Form factor. Type and number of connectors. Output wattage.
What are two major disadvantages to overclocking the CPU (Select two.)
Increased heat output. Voided warranty.
You have a computer with a dual core 64-bit processor that uses the x86-x64 instruction set. You want to install the 32-bit application on the computer. Which of the following BEST describes the action you should perform?
Install the application normally.
Which of the following motherboard form factors BEST allows for low-consumption power supplies?
Mini-ITX
Which of the following form factors does not have expansion slots on the motherboard, but instead uses a riser card for expansion cards?
NLX
Stores custom configuration settings made by the user.
Non-volatile BIOS memory.
You need to replace the power supply in your home desktop computer. As you choose the replacement power supply, which of the following specifications are the most likely to affect your choice?
Output wattage Form factor Processor connector
To improve system performance, you have configured a motherboard to run with a higher multiplier than what the CPU is specified to use. Using the drop-down list, select what is this practice called?
Overclocking
Lately your computer is spontaneously shutting down after only a few minutes of use. What is the most likely cause?
Overheated CPU
Zoey as brought her computer in for servicing. When she dropped off her computer will sometimes spontaneously reboots and freezes occasionally. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?
Overheated CPU
Which expansion slot is best for high-end dedicated video cards?
PCIe x16.
You have an AMD processor and an Intel processor, both of which have the same speed rating. Which of the following statements is true about the relative performance of both processors?
Performance will depend on other factors such as cache and other features.
Which of the following components converts AC to DC?
Power supply.
Which of the following connectors are part of the system case and connect to header pins on the motherboard? (Select two.)
Power switch. HDD LED activity.
You have a computer system with a dual-core processor. You would like to upgrade to a quad-core processor, but you don't want to replace the motherboard? Which of the following steps SHOULD you perform first?
Read the motherboard documentation to identify which processors are supported.
You are servicing a client's computer that has been randomly restarting. You decide to test the power supply using a multimeter. You connect the positive lead to the yellow wire on one of the Molex connectors. Which action should you take based on the multimeter reading. (shown in the diagram)?
Replace the power supply because it is failing.
Your system crashes at various times, sometimes on startup, sometimes when running a software application, sometime when a certain group of applications is running. You suspect a malfunctioning CPU but none of the common issues seem to be present. You have not configured overclocking. There is no overheating. The CPU is seated correctly and locked into its socket. What can you do to definitively determine if the CPU is causing the system crashes?
Replace the suspect CPU with a known good CPU of the same make and model.
After arriving at work, you turn on your computer to begin your day. Instantly, you see smoke and smell a strange odor coming from the computer. Which of the following would be the MOST important action to take?
Shut off the system immediately.
What is the biggest advantage of 64-bit processors over 32-bit processors?
The ability to use over 4 GB of memory
When you try to boot your computer, it hangs after POST. When you access the UEFI setup program, you see that the date is several years behind and the time is set to 12:01 am. What is the most likely problem?
The motherboard battery has failed.
Your company relocated you to their United Kingdom office in London. You brought your personal computer with you and are in the process of setting it up. Your computer was previously configured to receive 110 V AC, but the electricity in London uses 230 v AC. Which of the following would allow your computer to run on 230 V AC.
Toggle the voltage switch on the power supply to the different voltage.
You have been using the same computer for several years. To extend its service life, you decide to upgrade the processor. You check the motherboard documentation and purchase the fastest processor supported by the motherboard. However, When you start the computer, it beeps regularly and nothing is displayed on the screen and it doesn't start. While troubleshooting this computer, which of the following would be BEST to try first?
Update the UEFI firmware.
Your motherboard has two memory slots and supports a maximum of 8 GB of RAM. After installing two 4 GB modules and booting your system, you find that Windows only recognizes 3.5 GB of RAM. Which of the following would MOST likely fix this issue?
Upgrade to a 64-bit version of Windows.
You have a desktop computer that uses a 250 watt power supply. You recently added a 4-disk RAID 10 array to the system and now it spontaneously shuts down. Which of the following would MOST likely rectify this issue?
Upgrade to a power supply that provides more watts.
You are building a new computer from both new and used parts. The video card is a PCIe video card that requires an 8-pin power connector. However, your power supply doesn't have an 8-pin. PCIe power connector. Which solution would be the least expensive option for your system?
Use an adapter cable to connect two 4-pin Molex connectors to the 8-pin PCIe.
You decided to upgrade your PC with a faster processor. To do this, you ordered a new motherboard over the Internet that supports the processor you want to use. When it arrives, you discover that the motherboard uses the Mini-ATX form factor. Your current case is an ATX mid-tower with a standard ATX motherboard inside. What should you do?
Use the Mini-ATX motherboard in the ATX case.
You have a desktop computer that you want to upgrade. You add several internal components and external components. You realize that you need to ensure that your power supply can support all of the new devices. Which of the following power supply rating BEST describes the rating used to determine this?
Watt rating.
Which of the following statements are true? (Select TWO).
32-bit processors use only the IA-32 instruction set (also referred to as x86). 64-bit processors use the x86-64 instruction set (also referred to as x64).
Which of the following voltages are provided by an ATX power supply.
5 12 3.3
You have just upgraded the CPU on your computer. You consulted the motherboard documentation to make sure the CPU is compatible with the motherboard. You turned the system on and it locks up shortly after startup. While troubleshooting this issue, which of the following are the BEST steps to try first? (Select TWO).
Make sure the CPU is seated and oriented properly, and locked into the socket. Look for something that could be causing the new CPU to overheat.
An employee submitted a support ticket stating that her computer will not turn on. Which of the following troubleshooting steps should you take first? (Select two.)
Make sure the power cord is plugged into the wall. Make sure the surge protector is turned on.
You want to add a second processor to your dual-processor system. Which of the following should you do?
Match the speed of the new processor with the speed of the existing processor.
You want to build a computer that can stand upright on a desk and takes up the least amount of space possible. Which case type should you select?
Micro-ATX slim tower.
Controls communication between the CPU, memory, and high-speed graphic bus.
Northbridge.
You are testing the power in a PC system by measuring the voltage available on the 4-pin Molex connector. The voltage on the red wire in +5.1 volts. What should you do?
Nothing, the power supply is working normally.
You have a computer system with an Intel Core i3 processor that operates at 3.7 GHz. You would like to upgrade to a faster processor, but you don't want to replace the motherboard. Which of the following should you do first?
Read the motherboard documentation to identify which processors are supported.
You have been using the same computer for several years. To improve performance, you decide to upgrade the processor. You check the motherboard documentation and purchase the fastest processor supported by the motherboard. However, when you try to start the computer, it beeps regularly, and nothing is displayed on the screen.
Reinstall the old processor in the motherboard. Flash the UEFI firmware.
Your computer has one single core processor installed. The motherboard supports processors with up to four cores. You want to upgrade your computer to a dual-core system. Which of the following will by part of your configuration?
Replace the existing processor.
A user calls to complain that her computer is behaving erratically. Some days it functions correctly, other days it crashes frequently. Sometimes, the system won't boot at all. You open the system case and notice the following: -Two of the mounting screws are missing from the system hard disk drive. -The system uses memory modules from several different manufacturers with mismatched capacities. -Several capacitors on the motherboard are bulged and have a brown liquid oozing from them. -The chassis fan on the front of the case is oriented to blow air into the system. What should you do?
Replace the motherboard
You test installing a second CPU. You remove the terminating resistor from the second CPU slot, insert the CPU and perform your testing . Upon conclusion of the test you remove the second CPU and find that your system no longer boots up properly. How can you correct this situation?
Replace the terminating resistor in the slot that was occupied by the second CPU.
Houses the PCI bus controllers and communicates with the Super I/O controller.
Southbridge.
You are in the process of installing a motherboard in a system case. Which of the following objects would you place between the motherboard and the system case?
Standoffs.
