objective 3 Hardware

A user has requested to have a printer duplexer added to his printer. Which function is provided by this component? A) Document sorting B) Double-sided printing C) Document sizing D) Document stapling

A printer duplexer, also called a duplexing assembly, provides double-sided printing that usually is purchased as an add-on printer feature.

You have purchased a program that requires a joystick. Which of these types of computer ports could allow you to attach a joystick? (Choose two.) A) A USB port B) A DA-15 port C) An IEEE 1394 port D) An SPDIF port

A) A USB port B) A DA-15 port Most joysticks use a DA-15 connector, but joysticks that are compatible with the Universal Serial Bus (USB) standard are also commercially available. Gamepads use these same ports. Both joysticks and gamepads are input devices. DA-15 ports, often included on sound cards, have two rows of pins: one row of eight pins and one row of seven pins. They are often referred to as MIDI ports and can be used for MIDI musical equipment. Sound cards also usually include audio ports that can be used to connect speakers and a microphone. Speakers must be connected to output ports, while microphones should be connected to input ports.

You are connecting a video display wall that will use two 4K monitors. Which would be the best type of cable to transfer the video signal from the Windows 10 desktop source to the monitors? A) Thunderbolt B) Serial C) Lightning D) USB

Thunderbolt-3 cables can provide the bandwidth to support 4K monitors, up to 40 Gbps. Thunderbolt-3 includes a USB-C connection. Including this connection allows the cable to be used with other USB-C compatible devices. Thunderbolt also allows "daisy-chaining" devices, making it an ideal choice for video display walls that use multiple monitors. Although Thunderbolt cables were developed by Apple, many Windows computers have Thunderbolt-compatible ports.

You have been asked to implement the RAID volumes shown in the exhibit. You need to identify the RAID volumes. Match each RAID implementation on the left with the appropriate exhibit name on the right.

Volume A - RAID 1 Volume B - RAID 10 Volume C - RAID 0 Volume D - RAID 5 Volume A storage requires data to be mirrored across two disks. In the exhibit, Volume A shows the same data (A, B, and C) being written across both disks. RAID Level 1 provides disk mirroring and disk duplexing. Mirroring duplicates the original disk onto a separate disk. Disk mirroring requires two disks of equal size. It is simple to implement and offers fast recovery if a single disk fails, but only 50% of the available disk space is used. Disk duplexing builds on disk mirroring by adding a controller for each disk channel. Disk duplexing eliminates the disk controller as a single point of failure in the system. Volume B storage requires data to be striped across two disks in two identical sets. In the exhibit, Volume B shows the same data (A, B, and E or B, D, and F) being written across disks within the same mirrored volume. RAID1+0 or RAID 10 level is mirrored striped sets. A minimum of four drives is required for this RAID level. Volume C storage requires no data duplication across disks. In the exhibit, Volume C shows data being written across the two disks in the volume without any fault tolerance. RAID Level 0 is disk striping. A RAID-0 volume consists of two hard drives where data is striped across the entire volume. This RAID level provides no fault tolerance and fast data writing speeds. Volume D storage requires parity bits. In the exhibit, Volume D shows parity data (p1, p2, and p3) being written across all disks. RAID Level 5 is disk striping with parity. It requires at least three disks. This level provides fault tolerance. All of the disks in the volume appear as one disk to the end user, and parity information is spread across all the disks.

You were recently hired as an IT technician. The IT supervisor informs you that many of the desktop computers have Advanced Technology Extended (ATX) motherboards. Which of the following statements is TRUE for these computers? A) An ATX motherboard can support a maximum of seven expansion slots. B) An ATX motherboard can support Extended Data Output (EDO) Random Access Memory (RAM). C) The processor, memory, and expansion slots on an ATX motherboard are all in line with each other. D) An ATX motherboard has a 12-pin power connector.

A) An ATX motherboard can support a maximum of seven expansion slots. An Advanced Technology Extended (ATX) motherboard can support a maximum of seven expansion slots. ATX motherboards are generally an improvement over AT and baby AT motherboards and provide more space for expansion slots, such as Industry Standard Architecture (ISA), Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI), and Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) card slots.

You have a network that uses single-mode fiber optic cable. What is the transmission distance supported by this network? A) Approximately 20 miles B) Approximately 74 miles C) Approximately 50 feet D) Approximately 3,000 feet

A) Approximately 20 miles Single-mode fiber supports a transmission distance of approximately 20 miles or more. Single-mode fiber has an advantage over the multi-mode fiber and all other transmission mediums in terms of transmission distance.

Which type of communication is an HDMI port and cable designed to transmit? A) Both video and audio B) Audio only C) Data only D) Video only

A) Both video and audio A High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) port and cable is designed to transmit both video and audio over the same cable. There are three main sizes of HDMI ports: regular HDMI, mini-HDMI, and micro-HDMI

You are responsible for performing all routine maintenance on your company's dot matrix printers. Which of the following is NOT considered a part of routine maintenance for these printers? A) Calibrating the printer B) Replacing the ribbon C) Replacing the paper D) Replacing the print head

A) Calibrating the printer Calibrating the printer is not part of routine maintenance for dot matrix printers. Dot matrix printers do not require any type of calibration. Inkjet and laser printers require calibration to ensure that the print alignment and colors are configured correctly.

During class, an instructor shows a picture of a Zero Insertion Force (ZIF) socket. Which component can you connect using this socket? A) Central processing unit (CPU) B) Electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) C) Dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) D) Single in-line memory module (SIMM)

A) Central processing unit (CPU) A ZIF socket holds a central processing unit (CPU) in place on a system board and connects it to a computer's expansion bus. The ZIF socket design includes a lever for easy insertion. To install a CPU, users need only open the lever, insert the CPU, and then close the lever to secure the CPU's connection to a system board. The ZIF interface itself has evolved through several variations, each with different pin layouts. Intel's 486 CPU chips and early Pentium microprocessors are compatible with ZIF sockets. With a Pentium II processor, Intel changed to a new connection configuration called Slot 1.

You have just purchased a new color laser printer to be used on your 10 Mbps Ethernet network. When the printer arrives, you discover that it does not have an Ethernet connection. The printer has the following built-in connections: Bluetooth 2.1, Infrared, and 802.11g. You need to connect this printer to the network via the print server. Your solution should expend the least amount of additional money while providing the fastest connection as possible. Assuming that all of these connections are available in your office or on the print server, what should you do? A) Connect the printer to the print server using 802.11g. B) Purchase a NIC for the printer, and connect the printer to the print server over the network. C) Connect the printer to the print server using Bluetooth 2.1. D) Connect the printer to the print server using Infrared.

A) Connect the printer to the print server using 802.11g. You should connect the printer to the print server using 802.11g. This will provide a connection that operates at 54 megabits per second (Mbps). Other wireless network options include 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11n, 802.11ac, and 802.11ax.

Recently, you had to have the nozzle gate in an inkjet printer replaced. What is the function of this component? A) Controls whether ink is flowing from the ink cartridge B) Controls how much ink is flowing from the ink cartridge C) Contains ink in the ink cartridge D) Controls the paper movement

A) Controls whether ink is flowing from the ink cartridge The nozzle gate controls the flow of ink from the ink cartridge to the paper. When an inkjet printer starts printing, the nozzle gate opens and allows the nozzle to spray the ink onto the paper. After printing is stopped, the nozzle gate shuts down to stop the flow of the ink. When the printer is idle, the nozzle gate remains closed to prevent the flow of the ink from the ink cartridge.

Susan has just been hired as your new tech support. You are explaining different RAM types to her. Which random access memory (RAM) technology would you tell him fetches 4 bits of data per clock cycle and uses 1.8 V to operate? A) DDR2 SDRAM B) SGRAM C) DDR3 SDRAM D) SDRAM

A) DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 SDRAM uses differential pairs of signal wires to allow faster signaling without noise and interference problems to achieve higher throughput. DDR2 SDRAM uses 1.8 V to operate and fetches 4 bits of data per clock cycle instead of 2 bits as with DDR SDRAM. DDR2 chips typically use Fine Pitch Ball Grid Array (FBGA) packaging rather than the Thin Small Outline Package (TSOP) chip packaging used by most DDR and conventional SDRAM chips.

A user needs to transport a 1,100 MB file using physical media. Which media types could be used? (Choose two.) A) DVD+R B) CD-RW C) DDS-3 D) CD

A) DVD+R C) DDS-3 The DVD+R and Digital Data Storage (DDS)-3 media types could be used to transport a 1,100 MB file. The DVD+R, DVD-R, DVD+RW, and DVD-RW media standards can store up to 4.7 GB on a single optical disk. Double-sided DVDs can store up to 9.4 GB. DVD media are the media type most used to duplicate bootable media. DVD-ROM is the DVD version of the standard CD format and allows up to 16 GB of data. If a DVD recordable disc has the DL designation, it stands for Double Layer. DVD+R DL discs can store up to 8.5 GB.

You have been tasked with performing several upgrades in a computer. Which hardware component will require the least amount of time to replace? A) Memory module B) Motherboard C) Power supply unit D) Network interface card

A) Memory module A memory module is inserted into the memory slot without investing substantial effort. The memory module will require the least time to replace. Memory modules are usually just inserted into the slot and snapped into place. No screws are required. You should install additional memory of the same type and speed as existing memory to ensure RAM compatibility.

When Kevin was hired, he inherited a box of different types of RAM. Which RAM would you ask him to set aside if you needed to increase the number of data wires available from 64 to 128? A) Dual-channel B) Single-sided C) Double-sided D) Single-channel

A) Dual-channel The dual-channel memory architecture increases the number of data wires available from 64 to 128. The triple- channel memory architecture increases the number of data wires to 192. The quad-channel memory architecture increases the number of data wires to 256. Single-channel architecture has 64 wires and has each RAM module run separately from the other installed RAM modules. Single-sided RAM has chips on one side of the RAM. Double-sided RAM has chips on both sides of the RAM.

You are setting up a network for a new company. Management is primarily concerned with EMI or signal capture. Which network medium is the least susceptible to these issues? A) Fiber optic B) Coaxial C) Shielded twisted-pair D) Unshielded twisted-pair

A) Fiber optic Fiber optic cable carries its signals in the form of modulated pulses of light. Because fiber optic cables use light pulses rather than electric signals, it is virtually impossible to intercept the signal on a fiber optic cable without interrupting it, and therefore, being detected. In addition, fiber optic cable is not susceptible to electromagnetic interference (EMI). It can span distances of up to two kilometers, or 2,000 meters (6,562 feet) and transmit data at a rate in excess of 100 Mbps. However, fiber optic cable is the most expensive type of networking cable.

You are installing the network cabling for your company. A diagram of the cabling is shown in the following image: Which type of cable are you installing? A) Fiber optic cable B) Shielded twisted pair (STP) cable C) Coaxial cable D) Unshielded twisted pair (UTP) cable

A) Fiber optic cable Based on the image displayed, you are installing fiber optic cable. Fiber optic cabling has a center glass core that is surrounded by protective materials. Fiber optic cabling transmits light. It provides a higher transmission speed and better security than the other options listed. However, it is the most expensive to implement.

A user contacts you stating that she received an error stating that the MBR is corrupt. You need to ensure that this issue is resolved. Where is the MBR stored? A) Hard disk B) BIOS C) Paging file D) CMOS

A) Hard disk The Master Boot Record (MBR) is contained in a partition's master boot sector, which is the first sector of a computer's hard disk or a system floppy disk. MBRs contain two primary components: executable code and a partition table. Executable code in the MBR is responsible for locating the appropriate operating system from the partition table and loading it into RAM to make the operating system active. Partition tables identify each partition that resides on a specific disk.

You have a color laser printer that is connected through the network and is managed by a Windows Server print server. A user has requested that he be allowed to print to the color laser printer. You need to create a permanent connection to the printer. During printer setup at the user's computer, which factors can you use to connect to the printer? (Choose two.) A) IP address B) NetBIOS name C) MAC address D) Host name

A) IP address D) Host name You can use the IP address or host name to connect to the printer. The host name should be in the \\server_name\\printer_name format. You should not use the MAC address or NetBIOS name to connect to the printer. Windows Server does not communicate using NetBIOS names. In addition, MAC addresses are used only by some network devices and are not used for connecting one node to another.

Aaron has been hired as the new PC repair technician. He has a motherboard that has a Socket AM3+. He has two different Socket AM3 CPUs that have lost their original packaging. What should Aaron do? (Choose all that apply.) A) Install one of the AM3 processors into the AM3+ socket. B) Remove the AM3+ socket from the motherboard and replace it with an AM3 socket. C) Purchase a new motherboard with an AM3 socket. D) Purchase a new AM3+ processor.

A) Install one of the AM3 processors into the AM3+ socket. Aaron should install one of the AM3 processors into the AM3+ sockets because they are completely compatible. AM3 processors include the Phenom II, Athlon II, Sempron, and Opteron 138x. AM3+ processors include the Phenom II, Athlon II, FX, and Opteron 3000.You cannot remove the AM3+ socket from the motherboard. Sockets are permanent parts of a motherboard and cannot be replaced.

What is the purpose of configuring printer availability on the Advanced tab of a printer's Properties dialog box? A) It configures the days and times that a printer is available. B) It configures the paper and print quality that is available. C) It configures the orientation that is available. D) It configures the users to whom the printer is available.

A) It configures the days and times that a printer is available. The purpose of configuring printer availability on the Advanced tab of a printer's Properties dialog box is to configure the days and times a printer is available.

Your company has recently purchased cabling that has a rating of plenum. What does this indicate about the cable? A) It will not produce toxic gas when it burns. B) It cannot be tapped without detection. C) It is not Layer 2 protocol-dependent. D) It is rated for speeds of 1,000 Mbps.

A) It will not produce toxic gas when it burns. A plenum-rated cable will not produce toxic gas when it burns; therefore, it can be used in plenum areas such as ventilation ducts and other areas that carry breathable air. Non-plenum cables are covered with PVC, which produces toxic gas when it burns. Most fire codes require plenum-rated cable in any area that carries breathable air.

You need to implement a RAID level that duplicates a partition on another physical disk, providing two identical copies of the data. Which RAID level should you use? A) Level 1 B) Level 2 C) Level 0 D) Level 3 E) Level5 F) Level4

A) Level 1 RAID Level 1, also known as disk mirroring, duplicates the original disk, and this duplicate is placed on a separate disk, creating a "mirror." Disk mirroring requires two disks of equal size. It is simple to implement and offers fast recovery if a single disk fails. However, because disk mirroring requires the duplication of the initial partition, only 50% of the total available disk space is used. RAID Level 1 is less efficient when performing disk writes.

You are teaching a class on repair and maintenance of laser printers. Which components are parts of a laser printer? (Choose all that apply.) A) Main control board B) Fuser C) Platen D) Ribbon

A) Main control board B) Fuser Main control boards (or system boards) and fusers (or fusing assemblies) are both laser printer components. A laser printer also contains an imaging drum, transfer belt, transfer roller, pickup rollers, separate pads, and duplexing assembly.

A company has a network that uses a light-emitting diode (LED) to transmit data. Which cable is being used on this network? A) Multi-mode fiber optic cable B) Unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) cable C) Shielded twisted-pair (STP) cable D) Coaxial cable

A) Multi-mode fiber optic cable A multi-mode fiber optic cable uses an LED to emit the light from the current that passes through the LED. An LED uses two semiconductors: p-type semiconductors and n-type semiconductors. When both the semiconductors are kept in direct contact, they form a region called a P-N junction. The current is passed from the p-type semiconductor to the n-type semiconductor, and light emits from the current. The LED is used in fiber optics for faster data transmission that occurs in remote controls and LCD backlighting. Coaxial cable does not use an LED.

Which printer upgrade option allows a printer to act as a standalone printer on a network? A) NIC B) Duplexer C) RAM D) Finisher

A) NIC Some printers allow you to install a network interface card (NIC) so that the printer can act as a standalone printer on a network. This allows you to attach the computer directly to the network as you would any other device. Print jobs can then be sent directly to the printer. Networked printers are public devices that are connected to the network using an Ethernet or coaxial cable, depending on the type of network used. USB and serial printers can be configured as shared devices over the network by sharing them via the operating system of the computer to which they are attached. However, with USB and serial printers, the computer to which the printer is installed must be left on so other users can print.

Steven wants to upgrade the RAM in his gaming system. Which features are important considerations before he adds memory modules to a computer's system board? (Choose two.) A) Parity B) Level 1 cache C) CPU type D) Access Speed

A) Parity D) Access Speed Adding new memory modules with access speeds and parity settings different from those of existing modules on the same memory bank can cause intermittent system failures. Therefore, the most important considerations are access speed and parity.

Which CPU cooling method should you implement when other convective methods will not work? A) Peltier cooling B) Heat sinks C) Water cooling D) Heat pipes

A) Peltier cooling Peltier cooling should be implemented when convective methods will not work. A Peltier device gets colder when voltage is applied. A convective method of CPU cooling works by moving heat from the CPU to the cooler surroundings.

You are creating a crossover cable. You know that each end of the crossover cable must be configured differently. Which pins contain the Blue wire? A) Pin 4/Pin 4 B) Pin 5/Pin 5 C) Pin 3/Pin 1 D) Pin 6/Pin 2

A) Pin 4/Pin 4 In a crossover cable, the Blue wire should be in Pin 4 at both ends of the cable. Basically, a crossover cable is wired for the 568A specification at one end and the 568B specification at the other end. The wiring scheme for a crossover cable is shown here: Pin 1 (End 1) - Orange/White Pin 1 (End 2) - Green/White Pin 2 (End 1) - Orange Pin 2 (End 2) - GreenPin 3 (End 1) - Green/White Pin 3 (End 2) - Orange/White Pin 4 (End 1) - Blue Pin 4 (End 2) - Blue Pin 5 (End 1) - Blue/White Pin 5 (End 2) - Blue/WhitePin 6 (End 1) - Green Pin 6 (End 2) - OrangePin 7 (End 1) - Brown/White Pin 7 (End 2) - Brown/White Pin 8 (End 1) - Brown Pin 8 (End 2) - Brown

A new computer has been purchased that includes an integrated GPU. What is the primary purpose of this component? A) Processing video and graphics B) Processing gaming applications C) Providing video capture capability D) Providing additional memory

A) Processing video and graphics The primary purpose of an integrated Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) is processing video and graphics.

Christine has a motherboard with a Socket 1156 and has called you to see if a Socket 1150 CPU could be used in its place. What would you recommend that she do? A) Purchase a new motherboard that has an 1150 socket. B) Upgrade the socket on the existing motherboard so it compatible with an LGA 1156. C) Replace the thermal paste and pins. D) Replace the heat sink.

A) Purchase a new motherboard that has an 1150 socket. Intel motherboards with a Socket 1156, also known as Socket H, hold LGA Socket 1156 CPUs and have 1,156 pins. An 1156 socket is not compatible with LGA Socket 1150 (Socket H3), which has 1,150 pins and was compatible with 4th- and 5th-generation Core desktops and Xeon E3, v3, and v4 for servers. Therefore, you should recommend that she purchase a new motherboard that has an 1150 socket. Alternatively, you could recommend that she purchase a new CPU. If both choices are an option, determining which has the best value for the price would help you to determine what to do.

You are adding a new computer to an existing 1000BaseT network. Which cable connector is used in this network? A) RJ-45 B) MTRJ C) ST D) SC

A) RJ-45 The RJ-45 cable connector is used in a gigabit Ethernet or 1000BaseT network. The RJ-45 connector is used with unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) copper wire cabling and can be used to carry data at up to 1,000 Mbps, which is 1 gigabit per second (Gbps).

You have noticed dust, debris, and toner particles inside a laser printer. You need to vacuum the inside of the laser printer. What should you do first? A) Remove the toner cartridge. B) Remove the photosensitive drum. C) Remove excess toner with a damp cloth. D) Remove the roller blade.

A) Remove the toner cartridge. You should remove the toner cartridge first. If you do not, you may have a larger mess than when you started. Using a damp cloth would be a mistake since the water can mix with the toner, again causing a larger mess than the one you started with.

You are a desktop engineer for Verigon Corporation. Gloria requires a PCI network interface card and a PCI sound card installed in her computer. Her computer has three PCI slots, two of which contain the video card and the modem, respectively. Which card should you use to attach both the PCI network interface card and sound card to the computer? A) Riser card B) USB PCI card C) Flash memory card D) PCMCIA card

A) Riser card You should use a riser card to attach both the PCI network interface card and the sound card to the computer. A riser card is an expansion card that can be directly connected to the motherboard on a PCI or ISA slot. Riser cards have several slots to hold additional cards, such as PCI or ISA, that work in parallel with the motherboard. A riser card is commonly used in Low Profile Extended (LPX) and New Low Profile Extended (NLX) computers because these form factors are for slim-line cases.

You are installing a new fiber-optic network. Which connectors are used in this type of network? (Choose two.) A) SC B) AUI C) ST D) RJ-45 E) RJ-11

A) SC C) ST The ST and SC connectors are the two most popular connectors available for fiber-optic cabling. Other common fiber-optic connectors are FC, FDDI, LC, D4, MU, MT, and MT-RJ. The following exhibit shows the four most used fiber optic connectors:

A user contacts you regarding his front panel connectors on his PC. He wants to plug a device into one of those ports. Which of the following are you LEAST likely to see as a front-panel connector on a motherboard? A) SCSI port B) Reset button C) USB port D) Drive activity lights

A) SCSI port You are LEAST likely to see a SCSI port as a front-panel connector on a motherboard.

You have decided to enable overclocking to increase the performance of a computer. On which computer components can you specifically enable overclocking? (Choose all that apply.) A) System bus B) Hard drive C) RAM D) Processor E) Motherboard

A) System bus C) RAM D) Processor You can specifically overclock the processor, RAM, and system bus. No other computer components can be overclocked. However, overclocking the system bus may also cause other components to be overclocked. Overclocking allows you to run the processor or system bus at a higher speed than the manufacturer's rating to gain increased performance.

Your company implements a new policy that all computers must use drive-level encryption for security. You want to enhance the security provided by BitLocker. What should you enable A) TPM B) EFS C) BIOS passwords D) NTFS

A) TPM You should enable the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) to enhance the security provided by BitLocker. BitLocker is a hard drive encryption technology included in Windows 7 and above. A TPM chip is an international standard secure crypto processor that will exclusively handle encryption and decryption for a device, thereby freeing up time and energy from the main CPU.

As an IT technician, you are responsible for maintaining your company's laser printers. Recently, you read that laser printers have a cleaning phase. Another IT technician explains that you do not need to clean a laser printer because of this phase. However, you do not agree. What actually occurs during this phase? A) The discharge lamp neutralizes the imaging drum. B) The primary corona wire applies a uniform charge on the imaging drum. C) The transfer corona applies a positive charge to the paper. D) The laser writes an image on the imaging drum.

A) The discharge lamp neutralizes the imaging drum. The discharge lamp neutralizes the photoreceptor in the cleaning stage of the laser printing process. The following are the seven stages of the laser printing process: Processing - The computer sends the printed document to the printer spooler. The printer spooler contacts the printer. The printer processes the image. Charging - The charge corona (also referred to as the primary corona) applies a uniform charge (typically negative) to the imaging drum. This creates a "blank slate" to which the laser will write. Exposing - The modulated laser beam writes an electrostatic image on the rotating drum. Any areas on the imaging drum that the laser beam touches lose most of their electrostatic charge. This differential in electrostatic charge between the areas of the drum that have been written to and the remainder of the drum allows the image to attract toner in the next phase. Developing - Toner is transferred from the toner cartridge to the imaging drum. The toner cartridge has a metallic roller called a developing cylinder that takes on a charge equal to the imaging drum. The toner sticks to the developing cylinder, and as it rotates toward the paper, a "toner fog" is created as the toner is both attracted to and repelled from the imaging drum. The toner is repelled from areas that were not touched by the laser because they have the same electrostatic charge as the toner, and it is attracted to the areas on the drum that were touched by the laser because of the difference in the electrostatic charges. This creates an image that is ready to be transferred to a piece of paper. Transferring - The transfer corona charges the paper so that the toner on the imaging drum is attracted to the paper as the drum rotates and the paper and drum come into very close proximity. A corona discharges the electrostatic charge on the paper immediately after the toner transfers from the imaging drum to the paper, preventing the paper from sticking to the drum. Transfer rollers move the paper through the transferring process. Fusing - The final step permanently bonds the toner to the paper. A fusing roller, heated by a quartz lamp, melts the toner to the paper, and the paper exits the printer. Cleaning - A rubber cleaning blade removes any toner left on the imaging drum and deposits it into a waste bin, and a discharge lamp neutralizes the charge on the drum.

You are explaining to a group of new IT technicians the workings of a magnetic hard drive. As part of this discussion, you must cover the different parts. Which term is used to identify the concentric circles on a hard disk platter? A) Track B) Cluster C) Sector D) Cylinder

A) Track The term track identifies the concentric circles on a hard disk platter. A hard disk platter is divided into various smaller circles referred to as tracks. There are 1,024 tracks on a single platter, numbered from 0 to 1,023.

You need to provide users with an external hard drive. The company issued laptops have two Type A USB ports that are black, and an additional Type A port that is teal. To provide the best data transfer, which USB connector should the external drives have? A) USB 3.0 B) USB-C C) USB 2.0 D) USB

A) USB 3.0 Universal Serial Bus (USB) 3.0 has a data transfer capacity of 5 gigabits per second (Gbps) and was introduced in late 2008. The connector and ports are typically blue. USB 3.1 was introduced as an improvement to USB 3.0 and has a capacity of 10 Gbps. USB 3.1 connectors and ports are typically a teal color.

Alice needs to connect many external devices to her PC. Which of the following expansion cards would enable her to connect the largest number of devices? A) USB expansion card B) Riser card C) Thunderbolt card D) FireWire expansion card

A) USB expansion card A USB expansion card would allow her to connect the largest number of devices. A USB port supports up to 127 devices.

You are hired to train a group of new users to become technicians. One of your lessons is on how to construct Cat5 and Cat6 Ethernet cables. To make sure they know the difference between 568A and 568B cables, what are the two most important areas you would focus on during the training? A) Use the correct color scheme pattern for a T568A and T568B cable. B) T568B is called a crossover cable, and T568A is called a straight-through cable. C) Purchase 568B wiring cables only. D) A cable with one end wired as 568A and the other end wired as 568B is called a crossover cable, and a cable with both ends wired with the same standard is called a straight-through cable.

A) Use the correct color scheme pattern for a T568A and T568B cable. D) A cable with one end wired as 568A and the other end wired as 568B is called a crossover cable, and a cable with both ends wired with the same standard is called a straight-through cable. You should instruct them on the proper color scheme or order. For T568B, the correct order is: Orange/white orange, Green/white blue, Blue/white green, and Brown/white brown. For T568A, it switches the green, orange, and blue wires with the correct order as follows: Green/white green, Orange/white blue, Blue/white orange, and Brown/white brown.

George is only familiar with VGA connectors for monitors. What should you tell him are the main differences between VGA and DVI connectors? (Choose all that apply.) A) VGA and DVI video signals travel at different speeds. B) VGA connectors provide a maximum output resolution of 1024 × 768. C) DVI connectors are always white. D) VGA connectors and cables carry analog signals, while DVI can carry both analog and digital signals. E) VGA connectors are always blue.

A) VGA and DVI video signals travel at different speeds. D) VGA connectors and cables carry analog signals, while DVI can carry both analog and digital signals. The main differences between VGA and DVI connectors are the speed in which video signal travels and the types of signal they carry. A standard VGA cable only carries analog signal, and its resolution is 2053 × 1536. Its signal conversions influence electrical noises, so the output is not comparable. Since DVI cables carry both analog and digital signals, they offer a cleaner, faster, and more precise display, with resolutions of 1920 × 1200. For cables that are 50 feet or longer, the resolution is limited to only 1280 × 1024.

You are helping students install Windows and Linux servers in various configurations on their laptops. What would be the most important CPU or motherboard feature to configure? A) Virtual technology B) Speed C) Hyperthreading D) Integrated GPU

A) Virtual technology Virtual technology would be the most important CPU or motherboard feature to configure. Virtual technology allows you to install another operating system on top of the existing operating system without overwriting the original OS. You install a hypervisor, such as Oracle Virtual Box or VMware's VM Player, and then install the desired operating system within the hypervisor. In essence, the newly installed operating system launches like an application, but has the same functionality as an operating system that was installed directly on the host system. Virtualization technology is typically disabled in the BIOS. To enable the virtualization feature, go into the BIOS menu, look for Intel Virtualization Technology or AMD-V, and enable it.

Your company purchases a new USB mouse for a server. Which statement characterizes this mouse? A) You can plug it into a computer while the computer is on. B) You must connect it to the computer through a parallel port. C) You must restart the computer immediately after connecting it. D) You cannot connect it if another USB device is already connected to the computer.

A) You can plug it into a computer while the computer is on. You can attach USB devices to a computer that is functioning and then use the USB devices immediately without having to restart the computer; doing so is often referred to as hot swapping or hot plugging. The operating system should recognize any newly attached USB devices and prompt users for drivers, if necessary. If the device driver has previously been installed, then you should be able to use the device immediately. A mouse is an input device.

You need to set up a network that needs to span multiple buildings. For this reason, you want to use the cabling that supports the longest maximum cable length. Which network topology provides this? A) 100BaseT B) 10BaseF C) 10Base2 D) 10Base5

B) 10BaseF Of the choices given, 10BaseF networks, which operate at 10 megabits per second (Mbps), support the longest cable length with a maximum distance of 2,000 meters (m) or 2 kilometers(km). 10BaseF is also known as 10BaseFL; another fiber-optic standard known as 10BaseFP exists, but it never received widespread acceptance. The 100BaseFX standard is identical to 10BaseFL except that the network speed is 100 Mbps rather than 10 Mbps.

What is the greatest distance that can separate the USB 2.0 device from the computer? A) 10 meters B) 5 meters C) 1.5 meters D) 3 meters

B) 5 meters The maximum length of a Universal Serial Bus (USB) cable is limited to 5 meters. USB supports two modes for data transfer: isochronous and asynchronous. An isochronous connection uses a high bandwidth and transfers data at a guaranteed fixed rate. Such transfers are required for demanding multimedia applications and high- performance USB devices. Asynchronous connections transfer data at a low bandwidth. These data transfers can only occur when there is no isochronous traffic on the bus.

Your company has decided to make several computers that will be used for specialized functions. You have been tasked with assembling these computers. Management wants you to ensure that the computers will not experience any overheating issues. Which components are used to help with this? (Choose all that apply.) A) A ZIF socket B) A heat sink C) A fan D) Thermal compound

B) A heat sink C) A fan When installing processors, thermal compound, a heat sink, and a fan are used to help with overheating issues. If the processor is overheating, the computer will shut down after being on for a while. It can be powered back up after the processor has cooled. If shutdowns continue, you may need to consider replacing the heat sink or fan. Thermal compound used with a heat sink is a passive cooling system. Fans are active cooling systems because they require electricity to cool. Fans must operate at a certain RPM level or be replaced. Processor fans should never be removed permanently. While heat sinks are more common for CPUs, you can also purchase heat sinks for memory modules. You should avoid touching the copper piping on heat sinks because oil from the skin can decrease copper's ability to conduct heat.

A customer has a Windows 7 computer with a HD DVD drive. He is asking about DVD compatibility. Which type of disk will he be unable to use in his computer? A) HD DVD disks B) Blu-ray disks C) DVD disks D) CD-ROM disks

B) Blu-ray disks High-definition DVD (HD DVD) drives can play CD-ROM disks, DVD disks, and HD DVD disks. All HD DVD drives are backwards compatible with CD-ROM and DVD disks.

You are responsible for performing routine maintenance on your company's laser printers. Which of the following routine maintenance does NOT require that you disconnect the laser printer from its power source? A) Cleaning the printer B) Calibrating the printer C) Replacing the toner D) Installing the maintenance kit

B) Calibrating the printer Calibrating the printer does not require that you disconnect the laser printer from its power source. Calibrating the printer requires that the power is on because calibrating involves printing out diagnostic sheets for a technician to analyze.

Jack has several areas in the office where he needs to install cabling. He has coaxial cable on hand, and he would like to use splitters to connect the different computers and areas. If he runs multiple splitters, which effects should he anticipate? (Choose all that apply.) A) More collisions B) Connection speed issues C) Service quality issues D) Signal loss E) Fewer collisions

B) Connection speed issues C) Service quality issues D) Signal loss If he runs multiple splitters, he should anticipate signal loss, connection speed issues, and service quality issues. You should advise him to have a certified cable installer install the splitters. No matter who installs the splitters, they should test signal strength and boost incoming signals from the outside or provide the correct type of amplified splitter.

You are repairing a computer that contains two processor cores in a single processor package. Which processor technology provides this? A) i5 technology B) Dual-core technology C) Hyper-Threading technology D) CPU throttle technology E) MMXtechnology

B) Dual-core technology Dual-core technology contains two processor cores in a single processor package and provides almost of all the advantages of a multi-processor computer. Dual-core technology was introduced by both AMD and Intel in 2005. Dual-core processors are 32-bit processors that can run in 64-bit mode. A single-core processor contains a single processor core. A CPU chip that has an x86 architecture refers to a 32-bit CPU, whereas an x64 architecture refers to a 64-bit CPU. The biggest difference in these two types of CPUs is the amount of RAM they can access. The 32-bit CPU has a limited amount of maximum physical memory capped at 4 GBs where the 64-bit CPU can handle 8-32 GBs of memory.

You have both UTP and STP cable available to set up a new subnetwork on an existing network. What is the main difference in the physical composition of these two cable types? A) Number of twists in the wires B) Mesh shielding C) Wire gauge D) Separators between the wire pairs

B) Mesh shielding Shielded twisted-pair (STP) cables are identical to UTP except for the mesh or foil shielding that encloses the twisted pairs. This metallic shield protects the STP cable from interference caused by fluorescent light fixtures, motors, and other electromagnetic interference (EMI) sources.

You are replacing the toner cartridge for an old laser printer. You are concerned that several internal components are reaching their maximum age based on the printer's page count, and you need to replace the parts. However, you also know that certain components are included with the toner cartridge. You do not want to replace any components that are included in the toner cartridge. Which components are normally included in the cartridge? (Choose all that apply.) A) A transfer corona B) Electrostatically charged toner C) A fuser D) A photosensitive drum

B) Electrostatically charged toner D) A photosensitive drum Laser printer toner cartridges ordinarily contain a photosensitive drum and electrostatically charged toner, which is fused to paper during the printing process. To reduce maintenance costs, printer manufacturers typically incorporate laser printer components into replaceable toner cartridges.

What are the two most important factors to consider when selecting a replacement power supply for a desktop computer? (Choose two.) A) Voltage levels B) Form factor C) Output capacity in watts D) Fan type

B) Form factor C) Output capacity in watts When replacing a power supply, you should first look for a replacement that fits the form factor of the computer. Power supplies are designed to operate with specific form factors, such as ATX and ATX12V v1.x that connect to the motherboard with a 20-pin version connector. The ATX12V v2.x and micro ATX all use the standard 24-pin connector. Once you have found the proper form factor, the next characteristic that you should look for is the rated output capacity in watts. You must make sure that the replacement can supply sufficient power for the components inside the computer. You should estimate the wattage consumed by the computer's components and then install a power supply that is rated higher than your estimate. This allows components to be added to the computer and gives a buffer for estimating errors.

Management has mandated that hard disks installed in servers provide the best disk performance and speed. You need to ensure that you purchase hard disks that conform to this mandate. Which factors should you consider? (Choose all that apply.) A) Higher latency time B) Higher rate of revolutions per minute C) Faster seek time D) Higher disk capacity E) Bigger disk geometry

B) Higher rate of revolutions per minute C) Faster seek time A faster seek time and higher rate of revolutions per minute (RPM) improve hard disk performance and speed. The seek time, measured in milliseconds (ms), largely depends on the speed with which the actuator arm can read the information from the platters of the disk's read/write position. The actuator positions the head to different tracks on the hard drive's platter surface. An actuator is also used in CD-ROM drives. The actuator is the part that moves. The faster the actuator arm moves and reaches the read/write position, the faster the response. The drive access speed is also dependent on the spinning speed of the platters. The spinning speed is measured in RPMs. A higher RPM value indicates a higher speed for the disk. Hard disk drives are the primary type of media rated using an RPM value. Other types of drives, including tape drives and flash drives, are not rated using an RPM value. Common RPMs for drives include 5,400 RPM, 7,200 RPM, 10,000 RPM, and 15,000 RPM.

An instructor is explaining a technology that allows a central processing unit (CPU) to execute two separate instructions concurrently. Which technology provides this functionality? A) Network Access Protection (NAP) B) Hyper-threading C) Hyper-V D) Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA)

B) Hyper-threading Hyper-Threading (HT) technology allows a CPU to execute multiple instructions at the same time. This option is enabled by default. You can disable or enable Hyper-threading from the system basic input/output system (BIOS) setup program.

Every time a Windows 10 computer boots, you receive an error message stating that the cover was previously removed. You want to prevent this alert from being displayed. In which location should you disable this alert? A) In the System Configuration utility B) In the BIOS C) In Event Viewer D) In the Device Manager

B) In the BIOS To prevent an alert regarding the cover being removed from displaying, you should disable the chassis intrusion detection, no matter which operating system you are running. Chassis intrusion detection is always configured in the system BIOS. Chassis intrusion detection is a method of physical intrusion detection. It provides an alert the next time the computer is booted that tells the user that the chassis has been opened. Often, hackers will physically open a computer to insert hardware that is used to capture confidential or sensitive information.

You are responsible for performing all routine maintenance on your company's laser printers. Which of the following maintenance tasks would result in the need to reset the page count? A) Cleaning the printer B) Installing the maintenance kit C) Calibrating the printer D) Replacing the toner

B) Installing the maintenance kit You should only reset the page count when you install the maintenance kit. The maintenance kit may include a new fuser as well as new rollers and pads. Maintenance kits need to be installed when a printer reaches a certain print threshold number. Resetting the count will ensure that you will be reminded after a certain number of pages have been printed.

You are responsible for managing your research department's network. This network uses RG6 coaxial cabling. Which of the following statements is TRUE regarding this network? A) It does not have a foil shield. B) It is thicker than RG59 coaxial cable. C) It should be used in situations that require lower frequencies than 50 MHz. D) Its signal quality is not as good as that of RG59 coaxial cable.

B) It is thicker than RG59 coaxial cable. RG6 coaxial cable is thicker than RG59 coaxial cable.

A customer brings you a computer that he wants to upgrade to SATA drives. Currently, all the drives in the system are EIDE drives. What should you do first? A) Install the new SATA drive, and use jumpers on the system board to configure the new disk as a master. B) Make sure that the motherboard will support SATA drives. C) Install an SSD drive and configure it manually. D) Disable the floppy drive, remove it, and install a second SATA drive in that bay.

B) Make sure that the motherboard will support SATA drives. Most motherboards come with two to six internal SATA ports, and occasionally, an external SATA (eSATA) port. However, older motherboards may not have a SATA port, so your first step would be to check whether SATA ports are available on the motherboard. If a SATA port is available, the next step would be to make sure the data on the EIDE drives is backed up and that empty bays are available. Finally, you would remove the old drive, install the new drives, and restore the backups on the new SATA drives. SATA drives are much faster than EIDE drives and have no moving parts, so that makes it a logical choice for installing locally. You should not first install the new SATA drive and use jumpers on the system board to configure the new disk as a master. You should first check that the motherboard has SATA ports available. You can install an eSATA card in your computer to expand the functionality to support eSATA.

You have purchased a new 20-pin power supply to replace one that failed. However, the motherboard only has a 24-pin connector. What should you do? A) Plug the 20-pin power supply into the motherboard, leaving pins 1, 2, 13, and 14 on the motherboard unconnected. B) Plug the 20-pin power supply into the motherboard, leaving pins 11, 12, 23, and 24 on the motherboard unconnected. C) Change the setting on the voltage selector switch. D) Purchase a 24-pin power supply. E) Purchase a motherboard with a 20-pin power connector.

B) Plug the 20-pin power supply into the motherboard, leaving pins 11, 12, 23, and 24 on the motherboard unconnected. You should plug the 20-pin power supply into the motherboard, leaving pins 11, 12, 23, and 24 unconnected. These four pins are for higher current capabilities of the processor, which do not need to be used in the current scenario.

You have just installed and configured an inkjet printer on Beth's desktop. Which step should you perform first to ensure that the inkjet printer is working properly? A) Assign print permissions to everyone. B) Print a test page C) Load the device drivers for the inkjet printer. D) Explain the basic printer functionality to Beth. E) Assign print permissions to Beth

B) Print a test page The first step toward ensuring that the inkjet printer is working properly is to print a test page. This page typically contains printer-related information, such as the printer's driver, data format, model, and configuration. To print a test page, you can invoke the printer's properties page and print the test page. A number of printer manufacturers provide printer management utilities that you can use to configure the printer and print a test page. You typically print a test page after you have configured the printer on a computer. After configuring the printer, you should print a test page. If the test page is printed, you have configured the printer appropriately on a computer. Many printers also have calibration software to ensure that your printer is printing with proper alignment and colors. Printer calibration should occur after changing ink cartridges.

Vincent has a computer with two DVI ports and wants to connect it to an HDMI display. What is the easiest solution? A) Install a video adapter card in the PCI slot. B) Purchase a DVI-to-HDMI cable or adapter. C) Install a video adapter card in the PCIe slot. D) Connect the HDMI cable to the DVI port.

B) Purchase a DVI-to-HDMI cable or adapter. The easiest solution is to purchase a DVI-to-HDMI cable or adapter. High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) and Digital Video Interface (DVI) ports are not compatible with one another. The digital video signals for DVI and HDMI are similar, but you would need a DVI-to-HDMI cable or adapter to transfer the digital data between the ports.

Susan called the help desk to ask about which type of BIOS password she should configure to restrict access to the BIOS setup program. Which password type would you explain? A) User password B) Supervisor password C) Administrator password D) System password

B) Supervisor password You should configure the supervisor password to restrict access to the basic input output system (BIOS) setup program. Modern computers use two passwords, namely the user password and the supervisor password, to restrict access to a computer and to protect the CMOS settings within the BIOS. The supervisor password restricts access to BIOS settings to ensure that unauthorized users are not able to change the BIOS settings. The user password can be used to restrict access to a computer. The computer prompts for the user password each time a user attempts to boot a computer. The computer prompts for the supervisor password each time a user attempts to enter the BIOS setup program.

You are preforming some hardware upgrades on an old computer. You notice that the computer has an available Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) slot. Which statement is an accurate characterization of this architecture? A) The PCI bus is for 80386 and 80486 computers only. B) The PCI architecture supports 32- and 64-bit data transfers. C) All PCI cards support bus mastering. D) The PCI architecture is for Intel-compatible computers only.

B) The PCI architecture supports 32- and 64-bit data transfers. The PCI architecture supports 64-bit data transfers and includes 32-bit data paths for backward compatibility, whereas older Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) buses support only 8-bit and 16-bit data transfers. Because PCI slot circuitry is more compact than ISA circuitry, PCI slots are shorter and take up less space on a system board than their ISA counterparts.

A user has been issued a printer that uses heat to transfer thermal wax onto paper. Which printer type is this? A) Ink jet B) Thermal C) Laser D) Dot matrix

B) Thermal A thermal printer uses heat to transfer thermal wax onto paper. The wax is melted onto special thermal paper to create the document. A disadvantage of this type of printer is that the documents cannot be used for long-term archiving because the print tends to disappear.

You have a desktop computer that supports both IEEE 1394 and USB 2.0. You are purchasing some devices that will connect to these ports. Which characteristic distinguishes the two ports? A) Only USB supports hot swapping. B) USB supports more devices on a single bus. C) IEEE 1394 supports more devices on a single bus. D) Only IEEE 1394 supports hot swapping.

B) USB supports more devices on a single bus. The Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0 standard supports up to 127 devices on a single bus, whereas the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 1394 standard supports up to 63 devices on a single bus. The USB 2.0 standard allows data transfer rates of up to 480 megabits per second (Mbps) and the IEEE 1394 standard allows data transfer rates of 400 Mbps. A newer version of this standard, known as IEEE 1394b, allows data transfer rates of 800 Mbps. For comparison, a standard RS-232C serial interface, such as would be used by a dial-up modem, supports a maximum data transfer rates of only 115 kilobits per second (Kbps).

Jane is responsible for making sure her team has all the items it needs when traveling for business. One of her users has a laptop with no active Ethernet port. Which accessory should she purchase for that team member? A) USB-to-Wi-Fi dongle B) USB-to-RJ-45 dongle C) USB 3.0 cable D) USB-to-Thunderbolt cable

B) USB-to-RJ-45 dongle She should purchase a USB-to-RJ-45 dongle. The RJ-45 connection is an Ethernet connection. The dongle is an accessory or adaptor that allows users to convert a USB port on a laptop to an Ethernet port. It will allow her to plug a standard RJ-45 cable into the port. It can also be useful to have as a backup if the onboard connector becomes inoperable.

You are explaining the significance of the wires running from a power supply. The Power Good signal sends power to the motherboard to indicate that the electrical power is sufficient and can prevent the computer from booting. Which voltage is used by the Power Good signal? A) -5 B) +12 C) +5 D) -12 E) +3.3

C) +5 The Power Good signal is a +5 voltage sent over a specific wire in the connector. This wire sends power from the power supply to the motherboard. If the motherboard does not receive the signal, the computer will not boot. If this is occurring, the only solution is to replace the power supply. The +5 voltage provides power to the motherboard. It also provides power to older CD/DVD drives, hard drives, PCI cards, and Pentium III and earlier processors.

You are assessing several computers to decide on a purchase for your company. Which CPU-to-front-side bus ratio would provide better performance? A) 5:1 B) 4:1 C) 2:1 D) 3:1

C) 2:1 The 2:1 CPU-to-front-side bus (FSB) ratio would provide better performance than the other ratios. The smaller the ratio, the more efficiently the processor will operate. When the ratio is high, the processor often has to wait for data to be sent out over the FSB before getting new data to process.

You need to install several USB devices on a server. You have been asked to attach USB hubs to the computer. Only one USB port is available. How many hubs can you daisy chain using the single port? A) 4 B) 2 C) 5 D) 3

C) 5 According to the USB specifications, you can daisy chain up to five hubs. Daisy chaining means that the hubs are attached to each other in a line. While the specification does allow chaining of up to five hubs, you may experience problems configuring more than two hubs in a line.

You have several different RAM modules that you can use in a new computer. You need to ensure that the fastest memory is used. Which speed denotes the fastest memory? A) 8ns B) 60ns C) 7 ns D) 10 ns

C) 7 ns Memory access speed is sometimes expressed in terms of access time. Access time measures, in nanoseconds (ns), the amount of time from when the memory module receives a data request to the time when that data becomes available. The smaller the number, the less time it takes to access data in the memory.

A user has been given an inkjet printer that connects locally to this desktop computer. What does this printer use to push ink onto paper? A) A moving pin B) An electrostatic charge C) A piezoelectric crystal D) A nozzle

C) A piezoelectric crystal Inkjet printers use either of two methods to push ink onto the print medium, typically paper. One method is to precisely vibrate a piezoelectric crystal, which then pumps ink through a nozzle. The other method is to apply a voltage to a resistor, which heats ink to the boiling point. When the ink boils, the vaporization pressure pushes the ink through fixed-position nozzles and onto paper.

A user has recently reported to you that it appears as if a laser printer used by his department is becoming overheated. When you investigate, you do not find any overheating issues. You suspect that the problem was with the fuser within the laser printer overheating. Which laser printer component protects a fuser from overheating? A) A transfer corona B) A controller C) A thermal fuse D) A primary corona

C) A thermal fuse Thermal fuses keep fusers from overheating. A thermal fuse is designed to open when it is heated to a particular temperature, much the same way that an ordinary fuse is designed to open when a particular amount of current is passed through it. Thermal fuses can be one-time-use devices; when the fuse opens, or blows, it must be replaced. Alternatively, a thermister can be used for temperature protection. When a thermister reaches a certain temperature, it will open the fuser circuit and cut power to the heater.

You are using a color inkjet printer. You print an image containing multiple colors. However, colors in the printed document are not the same as those displayed on the monitor. You want to ensure that printed documents contain the same colors as displayed on your monitor. What should you do? A) Remove the color cartridge of the printer, shake it, and replace in the printer. B) Change the screen resolution of your computer to 800 × 600 pixels. C) Calibrate the printer. D) Install a new color cartridge in the printer.

C) Calibrate the printer. You should calibrate the printer to ensure that printed documents contain the same color as those displayed on your monitor. When colors of an image are different on your monitor than the printed output of the image, the first step is to calibrate your monitor. The next step is to calibrate your printer, which can be done by using the printer software. For an inkjet printer, you should also perform the following routine maintenance: clean the print heads, replace the cartridges, and clear paper jams.

You need to install a network that uses cable that can operate at up to 10 gigabits per second (Gbps). Which cabling should you use? A) Cat3 B) Cat5e C) Cat6 D) Cat5

C) Cat6 Cat6 cable can operate at up to 10 Gbps in 55-meter segments. It is often referred to as Gigabit Ethernet. Cat6 UTP standards support up to 1,000 Mbps at 100-meter segments. Cat6a supports up to 10 Gbps and 250 MHz at 100-meter segments. Cat7, known as F type cabling, supports the same speed and length but up to 600 MHz.

A user contacts you with a printer configuration issue. The user wants to print multiple copies of a document. However, he wants the individual pages to print together, meaning all the copies of page 1 should print before the copies of page 2. Which configuration option should you tell the user to adjust? A) Orientation B) Order C) Collation D) Quality

C) Collation You should tell the user to adjust the Collation option. Collation determines how the individual pages within a multiple-page document are printed when you print multiple copies of the document. Collated printing prints an entire copy of a document together before starting the next copy of a document. Non-collated printing prints all copies of a page before proceeding to the next page.

A user has requested that you order a transfer belt for this department's printer. Which printer uses this component during the image transfer process? A) Monochrome laser printer B) Monochrome dot matrix printer C) Color laser printer D) Color inkjet printer

C) Color laser printer A color laser printer uses a transfer belt during the image transfer process. In monochrome printers, the image is transferred directly from the imaging drum to the paper. In color laser printers, the image is transferred to an intermediate component, the transfer belt. The toner cartridges are mounted on a carousel, which rotates and prints a single color image onto the transfer belt. This process is repeated for each of the four colors, building the complete image on the transfer belt. The complete image is then transferred from the belt to the paper in a single pass.

You have a motherboard that includes an LGA 1155 CPU socket. Which CPU would NOT be supported with this motherboard? A) Xeon B) Core i7 C) Core 2 Duo D) Celeron

C) Core 2 Duo A motherboard that includes an LGA 1155 CPU socket will NOT support a Core 2 Duo CPU. An LGA 1155 CPU socket supports Core i3/i5/i7, Pentium, Celeron, and Xeon CPUs.

A user needs to install a DVD drive in his desktop system. The DVD drive needs to be capable of backing up his system files. He wants to install the DVD drive that is capable of storing the most data. Which DVD specification should he install? A) DVD+RW B) DVD-R C) DVD+R DL D) DVD-RW

C) DVD+R DL The DVD+R DL specification is capable of storing the most data. It can hold up to 8.5 gigabytes (GBs) of data because it writes to multiple layers on the disc. DVD-RW DL is a double-layer DVD drive that is rewritable, meaning that it can be written to multiple times.

You need to install a new video card in a Windows XP Professional computer. You need to ensure that the installed technology supports both analog and digital transmissions. Which technology should you install? A) DVI-D B) HDMI C) DVI-I D) DVI-A

C) DVI-I Digital Video Interface-I (DVI-I) technology supports both analog and digital transmissions. DVI technology is newer than Video Graphic Array (VGA) technology.

You are providing consulting services for a client who plans to purchase a large number of printers that can print multipart forms. Which printer type should you advise him to consider? A) Inkjet B) Laser C) Dot matrix D) Thermal

C) Dot matrix Dot matrix printers can print multipart forms, often referred to as carbon copies, because the act of printing is accomplished by physically striking paper with a print head. Another impact printer, the daisy-wheel printer, can also be used for multipart forms. Inkjet, thermal, and laser printers cannot print on all layers of a multi-part form. A multi-part form has two or more sheets of paper per page, and only an impact printer can create an impression on the pages under the top page.

You must purchase new RAM to install in a computer. The company policy states that RAM must be able to detect both single-bit and multi-bit errors. Which component should the RAM you order have? A) L2 cache B) L1 cache C) ECC D) Parity bit

C) ECC Error correction code (ECC) detects both single-bit and multi-bit errors in RAM. ECC memory should be required for mission-critical applications. The motherboard in the computer must support ECC memory. Without memory controller support built into the motherboard, the ECC memory module is effectively the same as non-ECC memory.

You are in the process of replacing the toner cartridge for a laser printer. However, you notice that toner particles have been spilt inside the printer. What should you use to effectively remove these particles? A) Damp cloth B) Household vacuum cleaner C) ESD-safe vacuum cleaner D) Compressed air

C) ESD-safe vacuum cleaner An ESD-safe vacuum cleaner is recommended for effectively cleaning a laser printer if toner particles spill into the printer. An ESD-safe vacuum cleaner is a special type of vacuum cleaner that has an electrically conductive hose and a high-efficiency filter.

You are responsible for providing printer maintenance for your company's laser printers. A user reports that a printer is having trouble bonding the toner to the paper. During which stage of the laser printing process does this occur? A) Exposing B) Transferring C) Fusing D) Charging E) Developing F) Cleaning

C) Fusing The toner permanently bonds to the paper during the fusing stage. The following are the seven stages of the laser printer operation: 1. Processing - The computer sends the printed document to the printer spooler. The printer spooler contacts the printer. The printer processes the image. 2. Charging - The charge corona (also referred to as the primary corona) applies a uniform charge (typically negative) to the imaging drum. This creates a "blank slate" to which the laser will write. 3. Exposing - The modulated laser beam writes an electrostatic image on the rotating drum. Any areas on the imaging drum that the laser beam touches lose most of their electrostatic charge. This differential in electrostatic charge between the areas of the drum that have been written to and the remainder of the drum allows the image to attract toner in the next phase. 4. Developing - Toner is transferred from the toner cartridge to the imaging drum. The toner cartridge has a metallic roller called a developing cylinder that takes on a charge equal to the imaging drum. The toner sticks to the developing cylinder, and as it rotates toward the paper, a "toner fog" is created as the toner is both attracted to and repelled from the imaging drum. The toner is repelled from areas that were not touched by the laser because they have the same electrostatic charge as the toner and it is attracted to the areas on the drum that were touched by the laser because of the difference in the electrostatic charges. This creates an image that is ready to be transferred to a piece of paper. 5. Transferring - The transfer corona charges the paper so that the toner on the imaging drum is attracted to the paper as the drum rotates and the paper and drum come into very close proximity. A corona discharges the electrostatic charge on the paper immediately after the toner transfers from the imaging drum to the paper, preventing the paper from sticking to the drum. Transfer rollers move the paper through the transferring process. 6. Fusing - The final step permanently bonds the toner to the paper. A fusing roller, heated by a quartz lamp, melts the toner to the paper, and the paper exits the printer. 7. Cleaning - A rubber cleaning blade removes any toner left on the imaging drum and deposits it into a waste bin, and a discharge lamp neutralizes the charge on the drum.

Your company's mobile sales force is complaining about how slow their laptops are. You are considering replacing the mechanical hard drives in their laptops with solid state drives (SSD). This will provide an increase in performance, but you are concerned about the SSD's limited storage capacity. What type of SSD should you consider? A) SATA 2.5 drives B) M2 drives C) Hybrid drives D) NVME drivesC) Hybrid drives

C) Hybrid drives You should consider hybrid drives, which have both SSD and mechanical hard drives. Hybrid drives store the operating system, applications, and system files on the SSD side, and use the mechanical hard drive for long- term storage. This type of drive will provide the users with a performance boost while still maintaining the storage capacity of mechanical drives.

Which serial communication standards provide hot-swap capability? (Choose two.) A) RS-232C B) USB C) IEEE 1394 D) PS/2

C) IEEE 1394 Universal Serial Bus (USB) and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 1394 are serial bus standards that allow hot swapping of devices. The term hot swapping, which is also known as hot plugging, refers to the ability to add or remove a device from the bus while the computer is turned on and operational. Older bus standards do not support this feature. Indeed, removing or adding a device while the computer is running can damage the device or the computer. For example, the ATX motherboard has two adjacent PS/2 ports for the keyboard and mouse connectors. If these connectors are reversed, the computer will usually beep and show an error message during the POST routine. If you unplug and reinsert the connectors while the computer is still turned on, you can cause a power surge through a connector and damage the motherboard. A typical response to an error message associated with such a connector reversal would be to press F1, but because the keyboard is connected to the mouse port, pressing this function key will have no effect.

You are trying to help your customer connect a Universal Serial Bus (USB) 3.0 printer to her laptop and desktop computer. The laptop computer has only USB 1.1 ports and PCIe slots available. What would be the most logical and affordable option to recommend to her? A) Replace all USB 1.1 ports with USB 3.0 hubs. B) Purchase another printer that supports USB 1.1. C) Install a USB 3.0 card in the PCIe slot D) Purchase a newer laptop with USB 2.0 ports. E) Purchase another printer that supports USB2.0.

C) Install a USB 3.0 card in the PCIe slot You can purchase an inexpensive USB 3.0 PCIe card and install it into the PCI Express slot. Newer-model laptops will usually have two to four port USB 3.0 Express Card Adapter cards that can easily plug into the PCIe slot located on the side of the laptop. To connect a USB printer to a computer or laptop, you will need to install the USB A (female) type connector into the computer port and the USB B (male) type connector or side into the printer or peripheral itself.

After performing several upgrades on a computer, the user reports that he is having trouble with an overheating problem. You want to make recommendations to help prevent the computer from overheating during use. What should you recommend? A) Use an installed video card rather than a built-in video chip on the system board. B) Use a blank-screen screen saver. C) Keep the computer cover closed and secured. D) Apply a higher voltage to the cooling fans.

C) Keep the computer cover closed and secured. Keeping the computer cover closed and secured helps prevent a computer from overheating because the closed case maintains the desired airflow cooling circulation pattern through the computer. The computer case, or enclosure, is the box that contains the components of a computer. The case provides a chassis to which components are attached, an electrical ground through the power supply's power cable, and a cover that isolates the inside components from the outside world.

You want to ensure that a computer has a 64-bit architecture and is able to fully utilize 64-bit computing. Which component is NOT important for this purpose? A) Device drivers B) Processor C) Memory D) Operating system

C) Memory The computer's memory is not important. A benefit of using 64-bit processors is that the maximum amount of RAM that can be used increased from 4 gigabytes to 1 terabyte (1,000 gigabytes).For a computer to provide a full 64-bit architecture, the computer must have a 64-bit processor installed. In addition, a 64-bit operating system and 64-bit device drivers must be used to ensure that the 64-bit processor is fully utilized.

You need to replace a computer's power supply. When you purchase the new power supply, you notice an 8-pin power connection. For which device type is this connection intended? A) SATA hard drives B) ATA hard drives C) PCI Express devices D) CPU connector

C) PCI Express devices The 8-pin power connector is used for PCI Express (PCIe) devices. This is an 8-pin 12V power connection. It provides 12 volts. PCIe can also use 6-pin connectors.

You work the service desk at a manufacturing firm that has several different types of printers. An employee who runs one of the 3D printers calls to say she can no longer print. What should you most likely bring to her workstation to get her up and running? A) Imaging drum B) Ink cartridge C) Plastic filament D) Toner cartridge

C) Plastic filament You should bring a plastic filament. Most 3D printers work by heating up a special plastic filament until it is liquid, depositing that liquid plastic in a specific pattern for a given layer, then adding additional layers until the final product is complete. The 3D printer will print these objects onto a print bed.

You have finished preparing a user guide containing password reset instructions for your users. Rather than printing out a hard copy, you are going make it available in an online repository. Users will be reading the document on Windows, Android, and Apple devices. Which virtual print technology would be the most restrictive and be the least compatible with users' devices? A) Print to File B) Print to Image C) Print to XPS D) Print to PDF

C) Print to XPS Print to XPS would be the most restrictive format. XPS is a file format created by Microsoft as their own version of a PDF file. In its XPS state, the document would only be available to Windows users, and only to those users who have an XPS viewer installed.

Which of the following is NOT considered an input device? A) Digitizer B) Scanner C) Printer D) Barcode reader

C) Printer A printer is an output device. Output devices include printers, speakers, monitors, and other display devices. Printers are used to produce a physical printed copy of something on the screen. Monitors are display devices. Speakers are audio devices. Other output devices include a headset and virtual reality (VR) headset. A headset usually provides audio headphones and a microphone, while a VR headset often provides audio, a microphone, and some sort of display over your eyes to allow you to be immersed into the video.

Abigail works in Europe. She has a laptop with a standard VGA port that she uses for presentations at client sites. When she gets to the United States, she realizes that the companies she's presenting for all have HDMI displays and interfaces. What would you recommend she purchase for her travel bag as the most cost-effective solution? A) Purchase an HDMI-to-DVI cable. B) Purchase a new laptop with both VGA and HDMI connectors. C) Purchase a VGA-to-HDMI adapter. D) Purchase a portable projector for VGA.

C) Purchase a VGA-to-HDMI adapter. The best solution for Abigail is to purchase a VGA-to-HDMI adapter for her existing HDMI cable. While purchasing a new laptop with both VGA and HDMI connectors would be the ultimate solution, it is not the most cost effective.

Steven's computer includes a hard drive that connects to the computer's motherboard using a 7-wire cable with a single interface. Which hard drive interface is used by Steven's disk drive? A) EIDE B) SCSI C) Serial ATA D) IDE

C) Serial ATA The hard disk drive in Steven's computer uses the Serial ATA (SATA) interface. SATA supports a maximum data transmission speed of 150 Mbps and uses a 7-wire cable that can be up to one meter in length. SATA hard drives are the primary storage devices used in many desktop computers.

You must print a large number of pages on an inkjet printer in the minimum possible time. What should you do? A) Specify high-resolution printing. B) Change page orientation of all pages to Portrait. C) Specify low-resolution printing. D) Change page orientation of all pages to Landscape.

C) Specify low-resolution printing. You should specify low-resolution printing for the pages to print. Printer resolution specifies the quality of printer output. Dots per inch (DPI) measures printer resolution. The higher the DPI of a printer, the higher the quality of the printer output. For example, the DPI of dot matrix printers is lower than the DPI of laser printers. However, a higher DPI printer will consume more computer memory and will require more time to process print jobs. Therefore, in scenarios where you want to print documents at high speed with low quality, you should specify low-resolution printing.

Beverly has contacted you and stating that her computer will not boot and keeps beeping. Which components must pass a computer's power-on self-test (POST) before an operating system will load? (Choose three.) A) The hard disk drive B) The keyboard C) The memory D) The central processing unit (CPU) E) The video card F) The network interface card(NIC)

C) The memory D) The central processing unit (CPU) E) The video card A computer will not load an operating system if it encounters fatal errors during the POST. A central processing unit (CPU), memory, or video card failure during the POST routine will generate a fatal error and halt the startup process. A hard disk drive and a keyboard are both optional devices for a computer. Many server computers do not have a keyboard for security reasons, and most basic input/output system (BIOS) routines allow the POST to bypass a keyboard error.

Your company recently had to call in a service representative to repair a laser printer. During the service call, the representative explains that the laser printer's charge or primary corona was having problems. What is the main purpose of this laser printer component? A) To melt the toner into the paper B) To write the image on the drum C) To apply a uniform negative charge to the photosensitive drum D) To charge the paper E) To neutralize the charge on the paper F) To coordinate the components to print a page

C) To apply a uniform negative charge to the photosensitive drum The purpose of the charge corona (called conditioning rollers in some laser printers) is to apply a uniform negative charge to the photosensitive particles on the surface of the imaging drum. It operates in tandem with the discharge lamp to essentially create a blank slate on which the laser can write. After the drum passes through the charge corona, an electrostatic image can be created on the imaging drum with the laser. Any areas on the imaging drum that the laser beam touches loses its electrostatic charge. These areas attract the charged toner as the drum rotates through the toner container, creating an electrostatic image on the drum.

The research department has decided to purchase a new dot matrix printer for department-wide use. Which components are normally found in these printers? (Choose two). A) Focusing lens B) Print nozzles C) Tractor feeds D) Toner E) Ribbons

C) Tractor feeds E) Ribbons Dot matrix printers often use continuous feed paper with pinholes on each side of the paper. The pinholes are placed in tractor feeds, which advance the paper through the printer. This allows for very fast printing and reduces jams. Dot matrix printers use a platen (rubberized roller) to hold the paper in place and to advance the paper. The paper is advanced one line at a time while the print head moves horizontally back and forth across the paper. An inked ribbon is positioned between the print head and the paper. Pins in the print head strike the ribbon as it moves across the paper, which eventually forms letters and characters. The main advantage of dot matrix printers is that they can be used to print multipart forms (often referred to as impact paper) and carbon forms. This is because the pins in the print head physically impact the paper to form letters and characters. For this reason, they are called impact printers.

Your company employs a team of trainers who travel to remote locations to make presentations and teach classes. The team has been issued new laptops to use for those presentations and classes. A contractor is coming to your office to show the trainers the ports they will use to connect different devices for the presentations. Which of the following will he most likely need to demonstrate? (Choose all that apply.) A) ExpressCard ports B) RJ-45 ports C) VGA ports D) Audio jacks E) Display Port ports F) USB port adapters

C) VGA ports E) Display Port ports F) USB portadapters The trainers will probably use DisplayPort ports, VGA ports, and USB port adapters. DisplayPort is an interface developed by Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA). It connects video sources to a computer monitor and can carry audio, USB, and other forms of data to various devices. VGA ports are legacy ports and are old-style connectors that are no longer widely used. Some laptops do include these for backward compatibility. Older projectors may include a VGA port. A USB port is a standard interface for most computers and consumer electronic devices, such as MP3 players, speakers, and monitors. Thunderbolt 3 and 4 cables use USB-C ports. USB port adapters allow you to connect non-USB devices to a USB port. Common USB adapters will interface with HDMI (which is included in most projectors), Bluetooth, or VGA devices.

You need to install a TV tuner adapter card in a computer. All of the following steps are necessary EXCEPT A) plugging the antenna into the TV tuner adapter card. B) plugging the TV tuner adapter card into a PCI slot. C) plugging the TV tuner adapter card into a USB port. D) plugging the audio cable into the TV tuner adapter card and sound card.

C) plugging the TV tuner adapter card into a USB port. To install a TV tuner adapter card in a computer, you should NOT plug the TV tuner card into a USB port. While there are TV tuners available that plug into a USB port, the USB TV tuners are not adapter cards. Instead, they are external devices that plug into a USB port. A TV tuner card can decode NTSC/PAL signals from an external source.

You are an IT technician for your company. The company has 10BaseT, 100BaseT, and 1000BaseT networks that are interconnected. What is the maximum segment distance for data transmission on these networks? A) 185 meters (607 feet) B) 500 meters (1,640 feet) C) 25 meters (82 feet) D) 100 meters (328 feet) E) 50meters(164feet)

D) 100 meters (328 feet) 10BaseT, 100BaseT, and 1000BaseT Ethernet use unshielded twisted-pair cable (UTP) as their transmission medium. The maximum transmission distance of UTP cable is 100 meters, or 328 feet. This distance can be increased using repeaters.

You have been instructed to build a new computer using an existing Advanced Technology Extended (ATX) motherboard. You must purchase a computer case that will be able to hold this motherboard. What are the dimensions of the motherboard? A) 11.2 inches wide by 8.2 inches deep B) 9.6 inches wide by 9.6 inches deep C) 6.7 inches wide by 6.7 inches deep D) 12 inches wide by 9.6 inches deep

D) 12 inches wide by 9.6 inches deep The correct dimensions for an ATX motherboard are 12 inches wide and 9.6 inches deep. An ATX motherboard has the processor and memory located at a right angle to the expansion slots so that more expansion slots can be installed easily. An ATX motherboard supports up to seven expansion slots in a combination of Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) and Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) slots. The ITX form factor is 8.6 inches wide by 7.5 inches deep and had very little impact in the marketplace. The mini-ITX form factor is 6.7 inches wide by 6.7 inches deep and is designed for smaller and lower-cost PCs. You would typically see this form factor used when users have space or height limitations in their desk space.

You need to connect two computers for a customer. The customer does not have a network and does not wish to purchase a concentrator, but both computers include functional Ethernet network interface cards with RJ-45 connectors. Which component will allow you to meet your customer's needs? A) An Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) card B) A passive hub C) A protocol analyzer D) A crossover cable

D) A crossover cable You can use a crossover cable to connect two computers directly through the RJ-45 connectors on their Ethernet network cards. A crossover cable consists of a standard 10BaseT cable with RJ-45 connectors that have specific pin contacts reversed. RJ-45 connectors, when used to connect Ethernet interface cards, support a 10BaseT network topology. On a standard 10BaseT network, computers' network interface cards must connect to a concentrator, often referred to as a hub, before they are able to communicate with other computers. The reversed pin contacts in crossover cables accomplish the same signal conditioning that Ethernet concentrators are responsible for on a typical 10BaseT network. One reason to use a crossover cable is to connect two computers directly without incurring the cost of a concentrator.

You have determined that several computers on your company's network need to have the BIOS updated. Which of the following changes to your computer would MOST likely require that you flash a computer's BIOS afterward? A) Replacing the system board B) Changing the boot sequence C) Upgrading the CPU D) Adding memory

D) Adding memory Most modern computers make use of a technology known as flash read-only memory (ROM) or flash basic input/output system (BIOS) that allows code in a computer's core chips (firmware) to be updated by software that is available through the BIOS manufacturer or system board manufacturer. You may need to flash a computer's BIOS after you integrate certain types of technological enhancements, such as a central processing unit (CPU) with a new instruction set, into your computer. Before you flash the BIOS, you should back up the BIOS settings on a floppy disk and document the complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) configuration settings. This update can also be referred to as a firmware update.

You are responsible for performing all routine maintenance on your company's thermal printers. Which of the following is NOT part of routine maintenance for these printers? A) Replacing the paper B) Cleaning the heating element C) Removing debris D) Calibrating the printer

D) Calibrating the printer Calibrating the printer is not part of routine maintenance for thermal printers. Inkjet and laser printers require calibration to ensure that the print alignment and colors are configured correctly.

You plan to install an unshielded twisted pair (UTP) network that supports data transfer speeds up to 100 Mbps. Which cable should you use? A) Cat4 B) Cat3 C) Cat2 D) Cat5

D) Cat5 Cat5 UTP cable supports a data transfer rate of up to 100 Mbps. Cat7, known as F type cabling, supports the same speed and length but up to 600 MHz. Cat6a supports up to 10 Gbps and 250 MHz at nominal 100-meter segments (90-meter cable run). Cat6 UTP supports 10 Gbps at 55-meter segments.Cat5e supports up to 1,000 Mbps at 100-meter segments.Cat4 UTP cable supports a data transfer rate of only 20 Mbps. Cat3 UTP cable supports a data transfer rate of only 10 Mbps. Cat2 UTP cable supports a data transfer rate of only 4 Mbps.

Your company wants to upgrade its twisted pair (TP) cable network to handle up to 10 GB data rates from switches to network nodes over lengths of up to 90 meters. Which TP category type must the company deploy to meet its requirements? A) Cat4 B) Cat5e C) Cat3 D) Cat6a E) Cat6

D) Cat6a The company must deploy Cat6a to meet its requirements. Cat6a, which stands for Category 6 Augmented twisted-pair cable, makes use of better conductors and shielding to support the nominal 100-meter (90-meter cable run) distances for data rates up to 10 Gbps.

One of your clients needs to print to multipart forms. Which printer type should you advise your client to consider? A) Inkjet B) Thermal C) Laser D) Dot matrix

D) Dot matrix Dot matrix or impact printers can print multi-part forms, often referred to as carbon copies or impact paper, because the act of printing is accomplished by physically striking paper with a print head. Another impact printer, the daisy-wheel printer, can also be used for multipart forms. An impact printer includes the following components that are part of the printing process: print head, ribbon, and tractor feed.

You need to assemble a new computer. You have an AMD Opteron process. Which of the following CPU sockets will NOT support this? A) 940 B) F C) AM2 D) FM1

D) FM1 The FM1 CPU socket will NOT support an AMD Opteron CPU. This socket will support the AMD Llano CPU.

During a class, the instructor discusses technology that allows a single processor to handle two independent sets of instructions at the same time. Which technology provides this functionality? A) CPU throttle technology B) Dual independent bus (DIB) C) Dual-core technology D) Hyper-Threading (HT) technology

D) Hyper-Threading (HT) technology Hyper-threading (HT) technology allows a single processor to handle two independent sets of instructions at the same time. HT technology converts a single physical processor into two virtual processors. CPU throttle technology does not allow a single processor to handle two independent sets of instructions at the same time. CPU throttling is a feature that protects a CPU from heat damage.

Which device uses the connector shown in this exhibit? A) Hard drive B) Mouse C) Printer D) Monitor

D) Monitor The connector shown in the exhibit is used by a monitor or video device. The pictured connector is called a Digital Visual Interface (DVI)-D dual-link connector and is used by many LCD flat-panel monitors.

You are teaching a class on computer hardware to new IT technicians. You are discussing the component on an Advanced Technology eXtended (ATX) motherboard that supports communication between the central processing unit (CPU) and random access memory (RAM). Which component provides this functionality? A) Firmware B) Advanced Technology Attachment (ATA) interface C) Southbridge chip D) Northbridge chip

D) Northbridge chip The Northbridge chip (also referred to as the north bridge) supports communication between the RAM and the CPU. It also supports the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus, the Level2 cache, and the Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) port. It provides communication to higher speed devices than the south bridge chip.

You are teaching a class for new IT technicians. As part of the unit on central processing units (CPUs), you discuss the architecture used to build CPU sockets. Which architecture should you cover? A) ATA B) CHS C) EIDE D) PGA

D) PGA Today, CPU sockets are built on the Pin Grid Array (PGA) and Land Grid Array (LGA) architecture. Such CPU sockets can easily be identified by their square shape and white color.

You are explaining to several new IT technicians the printing process for different types of printers. What does a dot matrix printer use to ensure that ink is transferred onto a piece of paper? A) Electrostatic charges B) Ink nozzles C) Heat fuser D) Print head pins

D) Print head pins A dot matrix printer uses print head pins to ensure that ink is transferred onto a piece of paper.

A user is considering purchasing a printer capable of 1,200 dpi. What does this indicate? A) Print speed B) Communication speed C) Power capability D) Print resolution

D) Print resolution Print resolution or print quality is always expressed in dots per inch (dpi). Print speed is expressed in pages per minute (ppm). Power capability is usually expressed in watts or voltage, whereas communication speed is usually expressed in megabits per second (Mbps).

You have just replaced the ink cartridge in an inkjet printer. What should you do immediately after this? A) Reboot the computer. B) Charge the OPC drum. C) Reinitialize the printer. D) Run the print alignment program.

D) Run the print alignment program. Some high-end inkjet printers have sensors to align the print head, but most have an alignment or calibration utility that is used to align the head. This utility should be run whenever a cartridge is replaced or when the black portions of the print do not align with the color portions.

You have been asked to upgrade the hard drives in several legacy computers. Management wants you to upgrade them to the hard drive specification that has the fastest theoretical bus speed. Of the options given, which hard drive specification should you implement? A) IEEE 1394 FireWire B) SATA 1 C) SATA 2 D) SATA 3

D) SATA 3 Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) 3 is capable of approximately 6.0 gigabits per second. SATA 2 is capable of approximately 300 megabytes per second (MBps).

An instructor is describing a component that is always located on the CPU and accelerates the processing of instructions. Which component is being discussed? A) The L2 cache B) The heat sink C) The address bus D) The L1 cache

D) The L1 cache The central processing unit (CPU) uses cache memory to accelerate the processing of instructions and data. CPUs have contained cache memory as part of the chip architecture since the introduction of the 486; this cache memory is known as Level 1 (L1) cache, or internal cache. The amount of L1 cache is fixed because it is located on the processor itself. The L1 cache operates at the same speed as the processor. Some processors have two L1 caches; one cache stores instructions, and the other cache stores data.

If you were explaining to your company's IT personnel the difference between their old hard drive technology and newer solid state drives, which statement would be FALSE? A) They are silent when in operation. B) They are not as fragile as magnetic hard drives. C) They do not require an external power source. D) They use a read/write assembly.

D) They use a read/write assembly. Solid state drives or SSD do NOT use a read/write assembly. A solid state drive does not have any moving parts. They are not as fragile as magnetic hard drives because they do not have any moving parts and are resistant to shock. When in operation, solid state drives are silent. Solid state drives are faster, more reliable, and require less power than magnetic drives.

What is an example of a solid-state drive? A) ATA hard drive B) DVD drive C) CD-ROM drive D) USB flash drive

D) USB flash drive A USB flash drive is an example of a solid-state drive. Solid-state drives do not have the moving parts that are used in magnetic or optical drives, and are therefore safer to use in harsh working conditions.

You need to remove several devices from a computer. For which type of device should you use the Safely Remove Hardware icon to stop the device's operation before removing it from the computer? A) DVD drive B) Hard drive C) CD-ROM drive D) USB flash drive

D) USB flash drive You should use the Safely Remove Hardware icon to stop a USB flash drive before removing the drive from the computer. USB flash drives are hot-swappable. However, if you remove the drive from the computer without using the Safely Remove Hardware utility, you may interrupt the write operation. They may also be referred to as compact flash drives.

Your company has recently purchased computer hardware inventory so that its IT technicians can make custom computers for certain users. The processors that were purchased include the Hyper-Threading (HT) technology. Which benefit does this technology provide? A) Reduces workload capacity B) Allows the resources to sit idle C) Uses two or more physical processors to function D) Uses virtual processors to perform multitasking

D) Uses virtual processors to perform multitasking The Hyper-Threading (HT) technology in a processor provides the benefit of using a virtual processor to perform multitasking. A processor with HT enabled uses a single processor to create another virtual processor to simultaneously perform multiple tasks. A computer with HT enabled will virtually have two processors running. One processor is physically present in the computer, and another processor is a virtual processor. The HT capability of a processor allows the processor to perform multiple tasks without causing any delay by keeping multiple processes waiting in queue.

You are setting up a new subnetwork on an existing network. Management has asked that you use existing cabling that the company has already purchased. However, you need to ensure that the cabling can be used on a 10BaseT network. What is the minimum category of UTP cable you can use? A) Category 2 B) Category 5e C) Category 6 D) Category 5 E) Category3

E) Category3 10BaseT requires a minimum of Category 3 (Cat3) cable. Category 3 cable is acceptable for 10-Mbps transmissions. It may still be found in legacy installations, but has largely been phased out in favor of the Category 5e and Category 6 standards. These newer cables are rated for much faster speeds (1000 Mbps) and provide backwards compatibility with the older, and much slower, 10-Mbps standards. Most cable suppliers no longer manufacture Category 3 cable.

You are clearing the IT technician workspace for your company of any old or obsolete hardware. You have found several different types of RAM, including modules that use 168 pins. Which type of computer memory module uses 168 pins? A) SIMM B) DIPP C) RDRAM D) SIPP E) DIMM

E) DIMM Dual inline memory modules (DIMMs) have 168 pins. Some DIMM designs have 72 or 144 pins. These are known as Small Outline DIMMs. Normally used in portable computers, they are often referred to as SODIMMs. DIMM modules are 8 bytes wide and transfer 8 bytes (64 bits) of data at a time. With DIMMs made of older SDRAM (synchronous DRAM) memory chips, the data is transferred once per clock cycle. However, with DDR SDRAM and DDR2 SDRAM, the data is transferred two times per clock cycle: once on the leading edge of the clock signal and again on the falling edge. This allows large amounts of data to be transferred per clock cycle. For example, in a Pentium 4 system with a front-side bus operating at 400 MHz, up to 6,400 MB of data is transferred to and from the DDR2-DIMMs per second. DDR SDRAM comes in 184-pin DIMMs.