CompTIA Core 1 A+ Certmaster 3.4 Given a scenario install and configure motherboards, central processing units, and add-on cards
A cinematography student wants to record video input and save it as a movie or streaming media file. What should the student use? Video card Sound card Capture card NIC
Capture card A graphics card generates an output video signal to drive a monitor. The student uses a capture card to record video input and save it as a movie or streaming media file.
A vulnerability manager is looking at the overall posture of an organization. Which of the following presents a unique challenge that can be harder to patch than traditional enterprise devices since they are often not connected? Business client NOS Home client Cell phone
Cell phone A cell phone (smartphone) or tablet is an OS designed to work with a handheld portable device. This type of OS must have a touch-operated interface. The main OSs in this category are Apple iOS, iPadOS, and Android.
A server administrator assesses various types of server hardware, specifically chipsets. The administrator plans to run a hypervisor on the hardware, which will run several hundred virtual machines. What would be the best chip type to use? x64 x86 ARM Emulation
x64 The x64 chip is the best and most powerful type to use. The x86 instruction set is extended for 64-bit operation as the x64 instruction set, developed initially by AMD as AMD64 or x86-64.
A server administrator researches various chipsets for the organization's physical servers, which use x64 chipsets. Who are the main companies that make these chipsets? (Select all that apply.) Qualcomm Samsung AMD Intel
AMD Intel The x86 instruction set is extended for 64-bit operation as the x64 instruction set, developed initially by Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) as AMD64 or x86-64. Intel is another big chip manufacturer and refers to it as EM64T or Intel 64. x86 PC processors. Intel and AMD designed and manufactured these 64-bit platforms.
A PC technician often likes to build computers from scratch and resell them. The technician is researching chip architectures and is interested in a system-on-chip. What does the technician have an interest in? x64 x86 ARM Emulation
ARM An advanced reduced instruction set computing (RISC) machine design implements a system-on-chip (SoC). SoC means that all the controllers, video, sound, networking, and storage are part of the CPU.
A curious IT professional takes old cell phones and looks at the various components inside to see how similar and different they are to a computer. The professional looks at a chipset to determine what type of chip it uses. The IT professional is most likely looking at what? x64 x86 ARM Emulation
ARM An advanced reduced instruction set computing (RISC) machine design implements a system-on-chip (SoC). SoC means that all the controllers, video, sound, networking, and storage are part of the CPU.
A gamer wants to build a new desktop completely from scratch, and the standard regular case has just come in. Which type of motherboard should the gamer order? RAID ATX mATX ITX
ATX The advanced technology extended (ATX) specification is the standard form factor for most desktop PC motherboards and cases. Full-size ATX boards are 12 inches wide by 9.6 inches deep (or 305 mm x 244 mm).
A medium-size company has a fleet of standard computers that are several years old. A clever manager has realized that most components are fine, but upgrading the RAM will make a significant impact, and users will be happier. They also want to give the appearance that they bought completely new desktops, so they will buy new cases with the memory upgrade. Which of the following cases should they purchase? ATX mATX SFF ITX
ATX The advanced technology extended (ATX) specification is the standard form factor for most desktop PC motherboards and cases. Full-size ATX boards are 12 inches wide by 9.6 inches deep (or 305 mm x 244 mm).
A curious IT professional is exploring how AMD and Intel graphics cards operate. They are conducting a basic test for the frame rate it can produce for a particular game or application. Which part of the graphics card is the IT professional testing? Memory GPU Video port Hardware security module (HSM)
GPU The graphics processing unit (GPU) is a microprocessor designed and optimized for processing instructions that render 2-D and 3-D images and effects on-screen.
A PC technician is helping out a nonprofit organization who has older laptops. They want to implement data at rest encryption, but the laptops are older and do not support a trusted platform module (TPM). What should the technician use? Boot password UEFI HSM PGA
HSM A secure USB key or thumb drive used to store cryptographic material can be a hardware security module (HSM), which is useful if the computer does not support TPM.
A server technician sets up a small server at home to keep up with emerging technology and to learn in a test environment at home. However, the technician wants a low power consumption to use a small form factor. Also, since the technician is building it from scratch, what type of motherboard should the technician get? ITX ATX mATX CompactFlash
ITX Small form factor (SFF) PCs are popular as home machines and mini servers. SFF PCs often use Via's Mini-ITX (Information Technology Extended) form factor.
A computer operator has an x8 PCIe but plugs it into an x16 connector. The operator notices that performance seems to be a bit sluggish. What is the most likely cause? It defaulted to a slower speed because of the mismatch. The RAM does not match. It is only working at x1. It is working fine.
It is only working at x1. An x8 card will fit in an x8 or x16 socket. Therefore, the card should work at x8, but in some circumstances, it may only work at x1.
A PC technician is diagnosing a faulty laptop and finds that the memory has likely gone bad, so the technician opens the case to try and replace it. However, the technician gets sidetracked when noticing that the SSD is provisioned in an adapter card form factor. What format is this most likely in? SATA eSATA M.2 SAN
M.2 A technician can provision a solid-state drive (SSD) in an adapter card form factor. These often use an M.2 interface. As well, an M.2 port orients horizontally.
A user accidentally entered the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) setup program. How can the user generally get out? Escape F10 F2 Mouse
Mouse UEFI setup programs use a graphical interface and have mouse support, though advanced menus may still require keyboard navigation.
A server administrator often downloads large files onto the desktop provisioned as virtual machines. The administrator often waits for hours, even though there is a physical connection to the internet. The company's internet should be able to handle significantly faster downloads. What component should the administrator upgrade to increase their download? Hard drive Memory NIC Capture card
NIC A dedicated network interface card (NIC) may also provide multiple ports. The administrator can bond these into a single higher bandwidth link.
A server engineer replaces the company's gold standard image quarterly, which they use to provision virtual machines. The engineer often has to wait for hours for the gold images to download since the company has several operating systems to maintain. The engineer checks with the networking department and confirms that internet speed, routing, and switching are not the holdup. What component can the engineer replace on their endpoint to help? Hard drive Memory Capture card NIC
NIC A dedicated network interface card (NIC) may also provide multiple ports. The engineer can bond these into a single higher bandwidth link.
A curious teenager opens up a desktop case and looks at all the components inside to see how they connect. The teenager is currently looking at a mainstream interface for a modern adapter card. What is the teenager most likely looking at? PCI PCIe SATA eSATA
PCIe The peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) bus is the mainstream interface for modern adapter cards. It uses point-to-point serial communications, meaning that each component can have a dedicated link to any other component.
A computer specialist works on a personal computer and needs to locate the soft power. Where would that be? Drive power Power button Audio ports USB ports
Power button The power button (soft power) sends a signal interpreted by the OS as a command to shut down rather than switch the PC off. However, holding down the power button for a few seconds will cut the power.
A technician locates soft power on a desktop. Which of the following is known as soft power? Drive power Audio ports Power button USB ports
Power button The power button (soft power) sends a signal interpreted by the OS as a command to shut down rather than switch the PC off. However, holding down the power button for a few seconds will cut the power.
A security technician reviews the posture of client machines and finds that the core operating system is not protected. What can the technician do to protect it? TPM USB permissions Boot password Hardware security module (HSM)
TPM During the boot process, the trusted platform module (TPM) compares hashes of key system state data (system firmware, boot loader, and OS kernel) to ensure no tampering has occurred.
An IT manager reads news about remote access trojans and modifying the core operating system. What can the manager do to protect the integrity of a core operating system? USB permissions Boot password TPM Hardware security module (HSM)
TPM During the boot process, the trusted platform module (TPM) compares hashes of key system state data (system firmware, boot loader, and OS kernel) to ensure no tampering has occurred.
A helpdesk technician checks a computer for a developer who complains that the computer is running relatively slow and needs a fast computer. Which of the following will help the technician see if the system is a multi-socket? UEFI File explorer Task manager Programs and Features
Task manager The CPU page in Task Manager shows whether the system is multi-socket and the number of cores and logical processors (HyperThreading), plus whether virtualization is enabled.
An avid gamer receives a new rig that should handle games at their most intensive graphics settings. The gamer starts immediately and finds that the desktop runs quite warm, but the fans have not started kicking in yet. What is the first thing the gamer should check? Power Heat sink Thermal paste UEFI
UEFI System settings can control most cooling fans, typically under a cooling, power, or advanced menu. The Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) can control this.
A marketing manager wants to keep a backup of their files on an external drive that is accessible everywhere they go. Which of the following would best suit that purpose? eSATA SATA M.2 NAS
eSATA There is an external SATA (eSATA) standard for the attachment of external drives, with a 2 m (78 in.) cable.
