Chapter 1 - HARDWARE

Which home and office printing technology typically employs a reservoir of ink, contained in a cartridge, as its medium to form images on paper? A. Laser B. Thermal C. Inkjet D. Impact

C. Inkjet printers typically use a reservoir of ink (also known as an ink cartridge), a pump, and a nozzle to print images.

Which PC peripheral connection type operates at 20Gbps bandwidth, with a port that provides 18V and 9.9W of power? A. FireWire 800 B. USB 3.0 C. eSATA D. Thunderbolt

D. Thunderbolt v1 and v2 both provide 20Gbps of data bandwidth. In addition, Thunderbolt ports power the attached peripherals with 18V and 9.9W of power.

Which of the following are services created by Apple to allow for the automatic discovery of printers on local networks? (Choose two.) A. Bonjour B. AirPrint C. TCP printing D. Virtual printing

A, B. Apple created Bonjour and AirPrint.

You have a computer running Windows 8. Every time you boot, the computer insists on trying to boot from the DVDROM drive. Where can you change the setting to have the system boot to the hard drive first? A. BIOS B. Windows Configuration C. System Manager D. Device Manager

A. The boot sequence of a computer is changed in the BIOS settings.

64-bit SODIMM modules come in which pin configurations? (Choose two.) A. 184-pin B. 200-pin C. 204-pin D. 240-pin

B, C. 64-bit SODIMMs come in 144-pin SDR, 200-pin DDR and DDR2, and 204-pin DDR3 varieties. DDR DIMMs have 184 pins, and DDR2 and DDR3 DIMMS have 240 pins.

Three of these four motherboard form factors can be mounted in the same style of case. Which ones are they? (Choose three.) A. ATX B. MicroATX C. Mini-ITX D. Nano-ITX

A, B, C. The ATX, MicroATX, and mini-ITX motherboard form factors can all be mounted inside a standard ATX case. The mini-ITX will have only three of the four mounting holes line up with the case, but the rear interfaces are placed in the same location as those on ATX motherboards.

The DCPS within a laser printer converts AC power into what three voltages? (Choose three.) A. +5VDC B. -5VDC C. +24VDC D. -24VDC

A, B, C. The DC power supply (DCPS) converts house current into three voltages: +5VDC and -5VDC for the logic circuitry and +24VDC for the paper-transport motors.

Which of the following are typical formats supported by virtual printing? (Choose three.) A. Print to PDF B. Print to XPS C. Print to DOC D. Print to image

A, B, D. The four virtual printing options are print to file, print to PDF, print to XPS, and print to image.

You need to replace the magnetic hard drive in your manager's laptop. She wants a high-speed, high-capacity drive. What are the most common issues associated with her request? (Choose two.) A. Increased battery usage B. Increased heat production C. Decreased component lifespan D. Decreased space for other peripherals

A, B. Faster hard drives transfer more data than slower hard drives, but there is no specific correlation between hard drive speed and its lifespan. The downsides to faster hard drives can be increased battery usage and heat production.

A designer from the corporate office is visiting your field office. He tries to print from his MacBook Pro to a networked printer, but it does not work. Local users in the office are able to print to the device using their Windows 8 computers. What would most likely solve the problem? A. Select the Enable Mac Printing option in the print server configuration settings. B. Select the Enable Bonjour option in the print server configuration settings. C. Install a Mac printer driver on the print server. D. Stop and restart the print spooler service.

A, B. PCI expansion buses operate at 33MHz or 66MHz (version 2.1) over a 32-bit (4-byte) channel, resulting in data rates of 133MBps and 266MBps, respectively, with 133MBps being the most common, server architectures excluded.

What are the two speeds at which PCI expansion buses can operate in desktop computers? (Choose two.) A. 33MHz B. 66MHz C. 133MHz D. 266MHz

A, B. PCI expansion buses operate at 33MHz or 66MHz (version 2.1) over a 32-bit (4-byte) channel, resulting in data rates of 133MBps and 266MBps, respectively, with 133MBps being the most common, server architectures excluded.

Which two CPU sockets are capable of supporting Intel Core i7 processors? (Choose two.) A. LGA1156 (Socket H) B. LGA2011 (Socket R) C. Socket AM3+ D. Socket FM2

A, B. Sockets that support Intel processors are currently named starting with the letters LGA, such as LGA1156 and LGA2011. Socket names that start with AM or FM will support AMD processors and not Intel processors.

You have a motherboard that supports up-plugging. Which of the following statements regarding PCIe are true? (Choose two.) A. You can put an x1 card into an x8 slot. B. You can put an x8 card into an x16 slot. C. You can put an x8 card into an x1 slot. D. You can put an x16 card into an x8 slot.

A, B. With up-plugging, you can put a smaller PCIe card into a larger slot, even though it does not fill it up completely. For example, you can insert an x8 card into an x16 slot. The x8 card won't completely fill the slot, but it will work at x8 speeds.

Which of the following types of printers require the replacement of some sort of ink or toner? (Choose all that apply.) A. Laser B. Thermal C. Impact D. Ink-jet

A, C, D. Laser printers need toner cartridges, impact printers need ink ribbons, and ink-jet printers use ink cartridges. Thermal printers heat up paper to produce images.

Which of the following statements are not true regarding CPUs and operating systems? (Choose two.) A. A 32-bit OS can run only on a 32-bit CPU. B. A 64-bit OS can run only on a 64-bit CPU. C. A 64-bit OS can run on a 32-bit CPU or a 64-bit CPU. D. A 32-bit OS can run on a 32-bit CPU or a 64-bit CPU.

A, C. A 32-bit OS can run on either a 32-bit or 64-bit processor, although you will not be able to fully utilize the 64-bit processor's capabilities with a 32-bit OS. A 64-bit OS will run only on a 64-bit processor.

You have a client who wants to build a high-end custom home theater PC. Which two components will you suggest he install in the computer? (Choose two.) A. Sound card with surround sound B. High-end cooling C. Video card with HDMI outputs D. Multicore processor

A, C. A home theater PC (HTPC) needs to maximize the audio and video experience. It won't do a lot of processing or data management, so an upgraded processor or RAM is unneeded. Install a great sound card, a video card with multiple HDMI outputs, and a TV tuner card. (HDMI is capable of supporting 7.1 surround sound, so you may choose to buy one expansion card capable of handling both functions.) Some HTPCs come in a compact form factor, which is just a small case.

Which of the following system settings are configurable in the BIOS? (Choose two.) A. Date and time B. Enabling and disabling services C. Enabling and disabling devices D. System cooling fan speeds

A, C. The BIOS configures many hardware components and settings, such as system date and time, boot sequence, enabling and disabling devices, clock speeds, virtualization support, and BIOS security.

Which of the following connectors transmit analog signals? (Choose two.) A. VGA B. RJ-45 C. RJ-11 D. HDMI

A, C. VGA is an analog video connector, and RJ-11 connectors are used with modems. Modems receive a digital signal from the computer but then modulate that signal to analog to transmit over common phone lines.

Which of the following are types of CPU sockets? (Choose two.) A. LGA B. CGA C. IGA D. PGA

A, D. A pin grid array (PGA) socket has holes to receive the pins that are on the CPU. The land grid array (LGA) is a newer technology that places the delicate pins on the motherboard instead of on the CPU.

Your company just hired a video producer to create exciting videos for the sales team. For her custom computer, which two upgrades are the most useful? (Choose two.) A. Video card B. CPU C. NIC D. Hard drive

A, D. For an audio/video editing workstation, you should maximize the audio and video capabilities, including having at least two large monitors. Videos also take a lot of disk space, so significant storage space is required.

You need to enable virtualization support for one of your Windows 8-based desktop computers using an Intel Core i5 CPU. Which two of the following must be true? (Choose two.) A. The CPU must have Intel VT. B. The CPU must have Intel VR. C. You need to enable virtualization in Windows 8. D. You need to enable virtualization in the BIOS.

A, D. Intel's Virtualization Technology (Intel VT) is needed to support virtualization. It's enabled in the BIOS, not the operating system.

You have a client who needs a hot-swappable, nonvolatile, long-term storage technology that lets him conveniently carry data with him from one location to another in his pocket. Which technologies can you recommend? (Choose two.) A. USB flash drive B. Hybrid SSD C. PATA D. SD

A, D. USB flash drives and SD cards are hot swappable. (In the case of USB, be sure that the flash drive does not contain key file system files needed for the computer to run!) Hybrid SSDs might or might not be hot swappable and are larger than USB and SD drives. PATA devices are generally not hot swappable.

A technician needs to replace a failed power supply in a desktop computer. When choosing a replacement power supply, which two specifications are most important to consider? (Choose two.) A. Wattage B. Dual rail C. Dual voltage options D. Number of connectors

A, D. When installing or replacing a power supply, always make sure that it has enough wattage to power the components in the computer. In addition, it should have enough connectors to connect to all the components that require their own power. Dual rail and dual voltage are optional features.

Which computer peripheral is most likely to use a mini-DIN 6 connector? A. Keyboard B. Monitor C. Hard drive D. Sound card

A. A mini-DIN 6 connector is a round connector often called a PS/2 connector. It's historically used for a keyboard or a mouse. If you have only more modern USB peripherals, you can buy a PS/2 to USB adapter to plug them into one of these ports.

Which motherboard form factor measures 6.7″ × 6.7″? A. Mini-ITX B. Nano-ITX C. Pico-ITX D. Mobile-ITX

A. A mini-ITX motherboard is a 6.7″ square. Nano-ITX motherboards are 4.7″ square, pico-ITX motherboards are 3.9″ × 2.8″, and mobile-ITX motherboards are 2.4″ square.

Which CPU architecture term describes a CPU with multiple physical processor dies in the same package? A. Multicore B. 64-bit C. Integrated GPU D. Hyperthreading

A. A processor that exhibits a multicore architecture has multiple completely separate processor dies in the same package. The operating system and applications see multiple processors in the same way that they see multiple processors in separate sockets.

A technician needs to install a new hard drive for her client. Access speed is far more important to this client than disk space. What type of hard drive is best suited for this client? A. SSD B. HDD C. SD D. BD-R

A. A solid-state drive (SSD) is the best choice for a hard drive, when access speed is the most important characteristic. A conventional magnetic hard disk drive (HDD) is slower. Secure Digital (SD) is a memory card format, not a hard drive type. BDR is a Blu-ray Disc format.

You are installing new computers in a machine shop. The computers on the shop floor don't need to run local applications or have their own hard drives, but they do need to connect to the shop's server. What type of custom configuration should you recommend? A. Thin client B. Thick client C. Virtualization workstation D. CAD/CAM workstation

A. A thin client is any machine that divests itself of all or most local storage and varying levels of RAM and processing power without necessarily giving up all ability to process instructions and data.

Which motherboard form factor is common in desktop computers and measures 12″ × 9.6″? A. ATX B. MicroATX C. Mini-ITX D. ITX

A. ATX motherboards are common in desktop computers and measure 12″ × 9.6″. They are the largest motherboards commonly used in personal computers today.

Which type of bus architecture provides faster speeds? A. Serial (1 bit at a time). B. Parallel (8 bits at a time). C. They are the same speed. D. More information is needed to answer this question.

A. Although serial might sound slower than parallel, modern technology has made the serial bus much faster than parallel bus systems.

You are working on repairing a defective laser printer. Which of the following is a true statement regarding the imaging drum in a laser printer? A. It can hold a charge only when it's not exposed to light. B. It can hold a charge only when it's exposed to light. C. It can hold a charge regardless of light exposure. D. It is not required to hold a charge.

A. An imaging drum is a photosensitive drum that can hold a charge if it's not exposed to light. It is dark inside an EP printer, except when the laser scanning assembly shines on particular areas of the photosensitive drum.

A technician needs to install an optical storage device as cheaply as possible. His client needs to store approximately 500MB of data at a time. Which technology is the best solution for this situation? A. CD-RW B. DVD-RW C. DVD-RW DL D. BD-RE

A. CD-RW (re-writable compact disc) will be the least expensive of the optical solutions. In addition, CD-ROMs can store about 700MB to 900MB of data, depending on the standard used. This should be sufficient for the client.

Which type of DIMM has 184 pins? A. DDR B. DDR2 C. DDR3 D. SODIMM

A. DDR has 184 pins, DDR2 and DDR 3 have 240 pins, and SODIMMs can have 72, 100, 144, 200, or 204 pins.

You have a motherboard designed to hold DDR3-1600 memory. What will happen if you attempt to install DDR2-667 memory into the motherboard? A. It won't fit. B. It will operate at 667MHz. C. It will operate at 1133MHz. D. It will operate at 1600MHz.

A. DDR2 and DDR3 memory slots are both keyed, but the keys are in different places. Therefore, the memory will not fit into the slots on the motherboard.

On what type of printer are you most likely to use tractor feed paper? A. Dot-matrix B. Thermal C. Laser D. Inkjet

A. Dot-matrix printers are impact printers and typically require paper that always feeds at a consistent rate. To achieve this, the paper will have holes on the outside edges, which is fed into the printer using a tractor feed mechanism.

During which step in the laser printer printing process does a wire or roller apply a strong, uniform negative charge to the surface of the imaging drum? A. Charging B. Conditioning C. Exposing D. Transferring

A. During the charging step, the charging corona uses a high voltage to apply a strong, uniform negative charge (around -600VDC) to the surface of the imaging drum.

During which step of the laser printer imaging process does a fluorescent lamp discharge the photosensitive drum? A. Cleaning B. Charging C. Exposing D. Developing

A. During the cleaning step, a rubber blade inside the toner cartridge scrapes any toner left on the drum into a used toner receptacle, and a fluorescent lamp discharges any remaining charge on the imaging drum. (Remember that the drum, being photosensitive, loses its charge when exposed to light.)

Your business employs four graphic designers who need new computers. These designers create graphical content such as advertisements, posters, and full-color brochures. Which of the following components is the least important to enhance in their custom-configured machines? A. Hard drive B. Processor C. Video card D. RAM

A. Graphic design (or CAD/CAM) workstations require solid CPU power, RAM, and a high-end video card. Hard drive storage is the least important upgrade for these types of users.

What type of common printer can potentially release harmful ozone into the atmosphere and therefore may contain an ozone filter? A. Laser B. Inkjet C. Thermal D. Impact

A. Laser printer uses various high-voltage biases inside the case, and high voltages can create ozone.

A technician is recommending that his company use removable memory cards. Which of the following should he tell his manager? A. MiniSD and microSD cards work in a standard SD card slot. B. MiniSD cards work in a standard SD slot, but microSD cards do not. C. MicroSD cards work in a standard SD slot, but miniSD cards do not. D. Neither miniSD nor microSD cards will work in a standard SD slot.

A. MiniSD and microSD cards are smaller than standard SD memory cards. Adapters are available to allow them to work in standard SD slots.

A client wants you to upgrade his desktop computer to have two video cards. You want to be sure that his computer can support the extra adapter. What type of open internal expansion slot should you look for? A. PCIe B. ISA C. VGA D. DVI

A. Most internal video adapters today are PCIe cards. You might still find older PCI or AGP cards on the market as well. ISA is a legacy expansion slot type not used today. VGA and DVI are types of monitor connectors but not expansion slot types.

Which RAM feature will detect errors within memory but is not able to fix them? A. Parity B. Non-parity C. ECC D. Non-ECC

A. Parity checking is a rudimentary RAM error-checking scheme that offers no error correction.

What is the name of the measure that specifies how many times an image can be redrawn on a computer screen, in one second? A. Refresh rate B. Frame rate C. Native resolution D. Aspect ratio

A. Refresh rate defines the vertical scan frequency of a monitor and determines how many times, in one second, an image can be redrawn on the screen. Many LCD monitors have a fixed refresh rate.

You have a desktop computer that is about five years old, with a single-channel memory architecture. You want to upgrade the memory. After checking the documentation, you purchase a higher-capacity RAM module that runs at the required bus speed. After you install it, the new RAM is not recognized, but the old RAM is. The computer store tests the RAM and it's fine. What should you try next? A. Flash the BIOS. B. Purchase a second memory module of the same type, and install them as a pair. C. Return the memory module and purchase a lower-capacity one. D. Replace the motherboard.

A. That capacity of module might not have been in existence when the motherboard's chipset was released. Sometimes flashing the BIOS is all that is required.

Which component of the motherboard chipset is responsible for managing high-speed peripheral communications? A. Northbridge B. Southbridge C. Eastbridge D. Westbridge

A. The Northbridge is responsible for managing high-speed peripheral communications. The Southbridge manages slower onboard peripherals. There is no Eastbridge or Westbridge in a motherboard chipset.

Historically, which display type has been preferred to watch fast-motion programs such as sporting events? A. Plasma B. Fluorescent C. LED D. LCD

A. The refresh rate for plasma displays has always been in the 600Hz range, which is 10 times the standard refresh rate of 60Hz, thus ensuring fluid video motion. The result is a display that produces the state of the art in video motion fluidity.

Which of the following video resolutions is compatible with the 4:3 aspect ratio? A. UXGA 1600×1200 B. ATSC 1920×1080 C. WUXGA 1920×1200 D. WQXGA 2560×1600

A. The term aspect ratio refers to the relationship between the horizontal and vertical pixel counts that a monitor can display. For example, for a display that supports 4:3 ratios, such as 1600×1200, if you divide the first number by 4 and multiply the result by 3, the product is equal to the second number. Additionally, if you divide the first number by the second number, the result is approximately 1.3, the same as 4 ÷ 3.

In a laser printer, what is the function of the transfer corona assembly? A. It transfers a high-voltage charge to the paper. B. It transfers a high-voltage charge to the imaging drum. C. It transfers the toner from the imaging drum to the paper. D. It transfers the image from the laser to the imaging drum.

A. The transfer corona assembly is given a high-voltage charge, which is transferred to the paper, which in turn pulls the toner from the photosensitive imaging drum.

A technician is looking to buy a new LCD monitor. Which type of LCD monitor has faster response times and is less expensive than others? A. TN B. IPS C. LED D. Plasma

A. The two most popular methods of manufacturing LCD panels are twisted nematic (TN) and in-plane switching (IPS). Of the two, IPS is regarded as having the best color representation in all angles, while TN is faster and less expensive. LED and plasma are not types of LCD panels.

Which level of cache is typically the smallest and closest to the processor die in a computer? A. L1 B. L2 C. L3 D. L4

A. The typical increasing order of capacity and distance from the processor die is L1 cache, L2 cache, L3 cache, RAM, and HDD/SSD. Currently, there is no L4 cache.

You are purchasing new laptops for your company. When thinking about the monitor quality, which type of backlight will produce better-quality pictures? A. LED B. OLED C. Plasma D. Fluorescent

A. There are two backlight technologies for LCD monitors: LED and fluorescent. Of the two, LED produces higher-quality images. OLED and plasma are display technologies, not backlight technologies.

Which of the following is a standard for a secure cryptoprocessor that can secure hardware (and the system boot process) using cryptographic keys? A. TPM B. LoJack C. Secure Boot D. BitLocker

A. Trusted Platform Module (TPM) is an international standard for a dedicated security coprocessor, or cryptoprocessor. Coupled with a BIOS, it can be configured to boot the system only after authenticating the boot device.

Your manager is excited because he just purchased a fast USB 3.0 external hard drive for his work team. He wants to set it in the middle of the cubicles and let everyone have access to it. Some of the cubicles are about 15 feet away from each other. What is the recommended maximum cable length for this type of device? A. 3 meters B. 5 meters C. 10 meters D. 15 meters

A. USB 3.0 has a cable length limitation of 3 meters. USB 2.0 cables can be up to 5 meters in length.

You have a laser printer that is displaying the message "Perform user maintenance." What should you do to resolve this situation? A. Apply a maintenance kit and clear the message. B. Use compressed air to blow out the inside of the printer and clear the message. C. Turn the printer off and back on again to clear the message. D. Replace the toner cartridge and clear the message.

A. When a laser printer requests maintenance, it's because it has reached a certain page count. Apply a proper maintenance kit (one recommended by the manufacturer) and then clear the service message.

You are installing two new RAM modules into a single channel of a dual-channel motherboard. Which of the following is true? A. Both RAM modules need to have the same parameters. B. The RAM modules can be different sizes but must be the same speed. C. The RAM modules can be different speeds but must be the same size. D. The RAM modules can have different speeds and sizes, as long as they are the same type.

A. When installing dual-channel RAM, be sure that the RAM modules both have the same parameters. In some cases, you might even need to make sure they come from the same manufacturer.

You have a user who needs recommendations for installing a home server PC. She wants her family to be able to share files and videos on their home network. She also wants her data to be protected in the event of a hard drive failure. Which two components do you recommend she include? A. Dedicated print server B. RAID array C. Gigabit NIC D. Dual processors

B, C. A home server PC should be able to handle media streaming, as well as file and printer sharing. A dedicated print server is not likely needed, though, as the operating system can function as a print server. A gigabit NIC will be helpful to manage the network traffic, and a RAID array can help protect against hard drive failure.

Which of the following statements are true regarding buffered memory modules? (Choose two.) A. They increase the electrical load placed on the controller. B. They decrease the electrical load placed on the controller. C. When used, the memory controller communicates in series with the register. D. When used, the memory controller communicates in parallel with the memory chips.

B, C. Buffered memory modules include specialized chips that act as buffers for signals from the memory controller. By buffering these signals, the electrical load placed on the controller is reduced because the memory controller communicates in series with the register, instead of in parallel with the memory chips. The register performs the parallel communication with the chips.

Which of the following printer types are considered impact printers? (Choose two.) A. Laser B. Daisy-wheel C. Dot-matrix D. Thermal

B, C. Daisy-wheel and dot-matrix printers use print heads that strike an ink ribbon, which presses up against the paper to make an image. Therefore, they are impact printers. Laser printers use a drum to create the image, and thermal printers use heat.

You are searching for a new monitor on the Internet and find a used digital LCD monitor for sale. What are the two most likely types of connector you will find on this monitor? (Choose two.) A. Composite B. DVI-D C. HDMI D. VGA

B, C. Digital monitors will have a digital interface, such as DVI-D, HDMI, or miniHDMI. Composite connectors are rarely used on monitors, and VGA is analog, not digital.

Which of the following are advantages of using a CPU liquid cooling system over an air-based system? (Choose two.) A. Easier to install and maintain B. More efficient C. Quieter D. Safer for internal components

B, C. Liquid cooling systems are generally quieter than air-based systems that use fans, and they are more efficient at cooling the processor. However, they are more complex to install, and if the liquid were to leak out, that could cause damage to internal components.

What are the two power requirements that a PCI expansion bus may have in a desktop computer? (Choose two.) A. 1.7V B. 3.3V C. 5V D. 6.6V

B, C. PCI slots and adapters are manufactured in 3.3V and 5V versions. Adapters are keyed to fit in a slot based on their voltage requirements. Universal adapters are keyed to fit in slots based on either of the two voltages.

Which of the following types of computer peripherals are considered input and output devices? (Choose two.) A. Digitizer B. Touch screen C. KVM D. Printer

B, C. Touch screens, KVM switches, smart TVs, and set-top boxes are capable of both input and output. Digitizers are input devices, and printers are output devices. Multifunctional printers that have a scanner included can be classified as input and output devices, but a plain printer is output only.

You have been asked to assemble 20 new desktop PCs for a client. When you look at the first motherboard, you see four memory slots. The one closest to the CPU is colored blue. Then in order they are white, blue, and white. Which of the following statements are true? (Choose two.) A. This is a quad-channel motherboard. B. This is a dual-channel motherboard. C. For optimal performance, you should install RAM modules into the two slots closest to the CPU. D. For optimal performance, you should install RAM modules into the two blue slots.

B, D. Dual-channel motherboards have two banks of two RAM slots. They are color coded such that the two slots of the same color belong to the same channel. Sometimes the likecolored slots are adjacent to each other, but other times they alternate. For optimal performance, fill one channel completely.

Which one of the following connector types are you most likely to find on the end of a CAT6a cable? A. RJ-11 B. RJ-45 C. BNC D. SATA

B. A CAT6a cable is a network cable, and you are most likely to find an RJ-45 connector at the end of it. RJ-11 connectors are for phone lines. BNC connectors are network connectors but are typically used with coaxial cable. SATA connectors are hard drive connectors.

What are the dimensions of a micro-ATX motherboard? A. 12″ × 9.6″ B. 9.6″ × 9.6″ C. 6.7″ × 6.7″ D. 3.9″ × 2.8″

B. A micro-ATX motherboard is a 9.6″ square. ATX motherboards are 12″ × 9.6″, mini-ITX motherboards are 6.7″ × 6.7″, and pico-ITX motherboards are 3.9″ × 2.8″.

You are discussing data storage needs with a client who is a videographer and media producer. She stores dozens of large files and needs immediate access to them for editing. What is the most appropriate storage technology for her to use? A. SSD B. HDD C. SD D. BD-R

B. A standard hard disk drive (HDD) will provide her with the highest capacity of the four options and also give her immediate access. A solid-state drive (SSD) is fast but does not have as much capacity. Secure Digital (SD) is a memory card format and does not offer the capacity or immediacy she needs. BD-R is a Blu-ray Disc format. It has good storage capabilities, but not the immediacy for editing.

You have a user who needs a custom PC configuration to run common desktop applications and simply meet the recommended requirements for a selected operating system. What should you recommend? A. Thin client B. Thick client C. Home server PC D. Virtualization workstation

B. A standard thick client is not really a custom configuration; it's the standard configuration on which custom configurations are based. In other words, a thick client is a standard client computer system.

Which of the following optical disc standards provides the highest capacity? A. DVD-R SS, SL B. DVD-R DS, SL C. DVD-R SS, DL D. DVD+R SS, DL

B. All are digital video disc (DVD) technologies. A singlesided, single-layer (SS, SL) DVD provides about 4.7GB of storage. A dual-sided (DS) disc will double that capacity to 9.4GB. Adding a second layer, or dual-layer (DL), adds more capacity, but the technology does not double the capacity of a single layer. A single-sided, dual-layer (SS, DL) disc has capacity of about 8.5GB.

A technician needs to perform maintenance on an inkjet's dirty paper pickup rollers. What should she use to clean them? A. Rubbing alcohol B. Mild soap and water C. A dry lint-free cloth D. Compressed air

B. Clean pickup rollers (and other rubber rollers) with mild soap and water and not alcohol. Alcohol can dry out the rollers, making them brittle and ineffective. A dry cloth will not remove the dirt or debris, and compressed air would just blow the debris into other internal printer components.

You have an older laptop with a CD burner in it. What is the approximate capacity of the CDs you will be able to create with this device? A. 350MB B. 700MB C. 1.4GB D. 4.7GB

B. Compact discs have a capacity of approximately 700MB. Other CD standards support capacities of 650MB, 800MB, and 900MB.

What is the distance limitation of the FireWire 800 standard when implemented over fiber-optic cable? A. 4.5 meters B. 100 meters C. 400 meters D. 800 meters

B. FireWire 800 can span 100 meters when implemented over fiber-optic cable. Over copper cable, it's limited to 4.5 meters, like FireWire 400.

You have three hard disks, each 1TB in size. After installing them as a RAID 5 array in a computer, how much usable storage space will you have? A. 1.5TB B. 2TB C. 2.5TB D. 3TB

B. In a RAID 5 array, each stripe places data on n-1 disks, and parity computed from the data is placed on the remaining disk. The parity is interleaved across all the drives in the array so that neighboring stripes have parity on different disks. Said differently, you lose the equivalent of one hard disk worth of storage to hold the parity information.

Which of the following statements accurately explains what happens during the exposing step in the laser printer printing process? A. A laser reduces areas of the drum from a strong negative charge to a slight positive charge. B. A laser reduces areas of the drum from a strong negative charge to a slight negative charge. C. A laser increases areas of the drum from a slight negative charge to a strong negative charge. D. A laser increases areas of the drum from a slight positive charge to a strong positive charge.

B. In the exposing step, the image is written to the photosensitive imaging drum. Wherever the laser beam touches, the photosensitive drum's charge is severely reduced from -600VDC to a slight negative charge (around -100VDC). As the drum rotates, a pattern of exposed areas is formed, representing the image to be printed.

A user on your network has an older laser printer with no Ethernet connection. It's connected to his computer with a parallel cable. He has shared it on the network for others to use. Now, he wants no part of the printer, but others still need to use it on the network. What would be the best upgrade to install in this printer to allow others to send print jobs to it directly over the network? A. A network card B. An integrated print server C. TCP/IP printing D. AirPrint

B. It sounds like this printer needs to manage its own print jobs; therefore, it probably needs to be its own print server. Installing an integrated print server with a network connection will probably do the trick.

What is the name of the software package, typically enabled in the BIOS, that allows you to track the location of a stolen laptop or remotely lock it so it's inaccessible? A. TPM B. LoJack C. Secure Boot D. Drive Encryption

B. LoJack, made by Absolute Software, allows you to remotely lock a computer if it has been stolen or compromised. It will also allow security teams to locate stolen laptops.

You have an OLED monitor that you just plugged into a desktop computer. One of your co-workers changes the resolution from 1920×1080 to 1920×1200, but then the image looks highly distorted. What is the most likely cause of this? A. The video driver does not support 1920×1200 resolution. B. The monitor has a native resolution of 1920×1080. C. The video adapter has a native resolution of 1920×1080. D. The monitor is plugged into the wrong monitor interface to support the new resolution.

B. Most digital monitors have a native resolution, which is a single, fixed resolution that they support. Attempting to change the resolution may result in distorted images, or the image may not display at all.

You need to purchase RAM for a computer. Which factor determines the speed of memory you should purchase? A. CPU speed B. FSB speed C. BSB speed D. ECC speed

B. Motherboards support memory based on the speed of the frontside bus (or the CPU's QPI) and the memory's form factor. For example, if the motherboard's FSB is rated at a maximum speed of 1333MHz, you should install memory that is rated at 1333MHz.

Which type of video display technology does not require a separate display unit and light source? A. Plasma B. OLED C. LED D. LCD

B. OLEDs create the image in an OLED display and supply the light source, so there is no need for a backlight with its additional power and space requirements, unlike in the case of LCD or plasma panels.

PCI-X expansion slots are compatible with what other adapters? A. 33MHz PCI B. 66MHz PCI C. 133MHz PCI D. 533MHz PCI

B. PCI-X slots are physically compatible with PCI adapters. Because all PCI-X slots support the 66MHz minimum clock rate, PCI-X slots are compatible with 66MHz PCI adapters.

A technician has been asked to install and configure a RAID 5 array in a working computer that contains one hard drive. How many additional hard drives, at a minimum, does he need to bring with him to the job? A. 1 B. 2 C. 3 D. 4

B. RAID 5 arrays require a minimum of three hard drives. Since the computer already has one, he therefore needs two more.

Which system component enables the use of Secure Boot technology? A. BIOS B. UEFI C. AMI D. SATA

B. Secure Boot is an option enabled in system firmware. BIOS is not technically advanced enough to manage Secure Boot, but its successor UEFI is.

Serial and Parallel ATA port communication to other components on a motherboard is managed by what? A. Northbridge B. Southbridge C. Frontside bus D. Backside bus

B. The Northbridge is responsible for managing high-speed peripheral communications. The Southbridge manages slower onboard peripherals such as PS/2, parallel, serial, and Serial ATA and Parallel ATA.

What type of front- or top-panel connector uses a standard 3.5mm jack to make connections? A. USB B. Audio C. FireWire D. Thunderbolt

B. The audio connector on the front or top panel will use a round, 3.5mm connector. You can plug speakers or headphones into it.

Inside a laser printer, approximately what temperature does the fuser get heated to? A. 250° F B. 350° F C. 450° F D. 550° F

B. The fuser heats up to approximately 350° Fahrenheit. Do not touch it as it will cause burns!

Which component within a laser printer converts AC current into usable energy for the charging corona and transfer corona? A. LVPS B. HVPS C. ACPS D. Transfer corona assembly

B. The high-voltage power supply (HVPS) provides the high voltages used by both the charging corona and the transfer corona during the laser printing process.

When printing, which component is responsible for converting the data being printed into the format that the printer can understand? A. PDL B. Print driver C. Print feeder D. Print spooler

B. The printer driver uses a page-description language (PDL) to convert the data being printed into the format that the printer can understand. The driver also ensures that the printer is ready to print.

Which type of LCD panel is considered to have the best color representation at wider angles of viewing? A. TN B. IPS C. LED D. Plasma

B. The two most popular methods of manufacturing LCD panels are twisted nematic (TN) and in-plane switching (IPS). Of the two, IPS is regarded as having the best color representation in all angles, while TN is faster and less expensive. LED and plasma are not types of LCD panels.

One of your users needs to print several copies of a 20-page document. She wants to ensure that all the pages print in order so she doesn't have to reorganize the documents later. Which option does she need to set properly in her printer configuration settings? A. Duplex B. Collate C. Page order D. Orientation

B. The user wants to make sure that the collate option is set properly. It will let her select whether she wants it to print pages in order (1, 2, 3. . . 1, 2, 3. . . and so on) or multiple copies of the same page at once (1, 1, 1. . . 2, 2, 2. . . and so forth). Other options you can often set up in the printer configuration settings are duplexing (printing on the front and back), orientation (portrait or landscape), and print quality (such as draft or high resolution).

Your motherboard does not support up-plugging for PCIe adapter cards. Which of the following statements is true? A. You can't put an x8 card into an x16 slot. B. You can put an x8 card into an x16 slot, but it will run at x1 speed. C. You can put an x8 card into an x16 slot, and it will run at x8 speed. D. You can put an x8 card into an x16 slot, and it will run at x16 speed.

B. The x8 card won't completely fill the x16 slot, but it will work at x8 speeds of up- plugging is supported by the motherboard. Otherwise, the specification requires up-plugged devices to operate at only the x1 rate.

A bidirectional PCIe 1.1 x1 link provides how much data throughput? A. 250MBps B. 500MBps C. 1GBps D. 2GBps

B. There are four major versions of PCIe currently specified: 1.x, 2.x, 3.0, and 4.0. For the four versions, a single omnidirectional lane operates at a data rate of 250MBps, 500MBps, approximately 1GBps, and roughly 2GBps, respectively. A bidirectional slot doubles the data rate.

What type of printer technology will often use a roll of paper as opposed to individual sheets? A. Ink-jet B. Thermal C. Laser D. Fax machine

B. Thermal printers will often use a roll of paper as opposed to individual sheets. Fax machines may use thermal technology, but a fax machine in itself is not a printer technology.

You have a new computer that needs to communicate with other computers on a wireless network. What type of expansion card do you need to install? A. WAP B. NIC C. KVM D. WPA

B. To communicate with other computers on a network, you need a network interface card (NIC). A wireless access point (WAP) is a wireless hub that many wireless devices communicate with, and WPA is a wireless security standard. A KVM switch allows you to have multiple systems attached to the same keyboard, video, and mouse. Other types of expansion cards (that could use the same slot as a NIC) include video cards, sound cards, storage cards, TV tuner cards, and riser cards.

What is the maximum data rate for a USB 2.0 connection? A. 12Mbps B. 480Mbps C. 1Gbps D. 5Gbps

B. USB 1.0 supports 12Mbps, USB 2.0 supports 480Mbps, and USB 3.0 supports 5Gbps.

A business partner who is visiting your corporate office wants to print to a printer using a Bluetooth connection. What type of connection is this? A. Permanent B. Ad hoc C. On demand D. Infrastructure

B. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth can be used to connect a printer temporarily to a single computer (or mobile device), and the connection does not have permanent status. This type of configuration is known as an ad hoc network connection.

On your network, users want to print easily from their iPads and iPhones. Which service supports this? A. Bonjour B. AirPrint C. TCP printing D. Virtual printing

B. iPads and iPhones can automatically detect AirPrintenabled printers on their local network and print to them without requiring the installation of a driver.

You need to perform preventive maintenance on an impact printer. What are two areas you should examine that you would not need to on most inkjet printers? (Choose two.) A. Ink cartridges B. Output tray C. Print head D. Tractor feed mechanism

C, D. Impact printers create images by impacting the paper, which can wear down the print head. Always check that. Also, impact printers most often use tractor feed mechanisms to load the paper, and they can wear down as well.

Which of the following types of connectors are generally found on the front or top panel of the computer? (Choose two.) A. Hard drive B. Optical disk C. Power button D. USB

C, D. Typical front- or top-panel connectors include USB, audio, power button, power light, drive activity lights, and the reset button. Hard drives and optical disk players generally connect to the motherboard.

A technician needs to install an optical disc system with capacity to burn discs storing about 12GB of data at one time. What is the minimum technology required to get him over this threshold? A. DVD-R SS, DL B. DVD-R DS, SL C. DVD-R DS, DL D. BD-R SS, DL

C. A DVD-R double-sided dual-layer (DS, DL) will provide 17.1GB of storage. BD-R single-sided dual-layer (SS, DL) will also work in this case, providing 50GB of storage. (BD-R is a one-time recordable Blu-ray disc, and BD-RE is a re-recordable disc. Both have the same capacity.) A DVD-R SS, DL provides about 8.5GB of storage, and DVD-R DS, SL provides about 9.4GB of storage.

Your office has an inkjet printer, and the manager asks if it can be upgraded to print on both sides of the paper. What type of device can add this functionality? A. Flipping assembly B. Dual paper feed assembly C. Duplexing assembly D. Rear paper feed assembly

C. A duplexing assembly is used for two-sided printing. After the first page is printed, it's fed into the duplexing assembly, turned over, and fed back into the paper feed assembly.

A client needs to connect to the Internet using telephone lines. What type of expansion card should you configure in his computer? A. USB B. Cellular C. Modem D. NIC

C. A modem allows computers to connect to a remote network (such as an ISP) via telephone lines. Modems were the most common Internet connection method in the 1990s but are uncommon today. NICs are expansion cards for network connections. USB and cellular are not expansion cards. Other types of expansion cards include video cards, sound cards, storage cards, TV tuner cards, and riser cards.

You need to increase network security. A consultant suggests that you install a peripheral device to scan user fingerprints as a requirement to log in. What type of device will you install? A. Scanner B. Digitizer C. Biometric device D. Touch pad

C. Any device that measures one or more physical or behavioral features of an organism is considered a biometric device. Biometric devices include fingerprint scanners, retinal and iris scanners, voice recognition devices, facial recognition devices, and others.

A technician needs to purchase new RAM for a motherboard. The motherboard specifications call for 400MHz DDR2 RAM. Which RAM modules should the technician use? A. PC3200 B. PC6400 C. PC2-3200 D. PC2-6400

C. DDR2, using a 100MHz actual clock, transfers data in four operations per cycle (effective 400MHz FSB) and 8 bytes per operation, for a total of 3200MBps. DDR2 calls these modules PC2-3200.

What happens during the transferring step of the laser printer printing process? A. The image is transferred to the imaging drum. B. The toner is transferred to the imaging drum. C. The toner is transferred to the paper. D. A strong, uniform negative charge is transferred to the imaging drum.

C. During the transferring step, the positively charged paper pulls the negatively charged toner from the photosensitive drum at the line of contact between the roller and the paper.

Which RAM feature can detect and possibly fix errors within memory? A. Parity B. Non-parity C. ECC D. Non-ECC

C. If memory supports ECC, check bits are generated and stored with the data. If one of the eight memory bits is in error, ECC can correct the error.

One of your Windows 8 users has a file they want to print as a .pdf file, but the application they are using does not support printing to .pdf. What would be their best option? A. There is no way to print to .pdf if the application does not support it. B. Use the Windows 8 native feature to print to .pdf. C. Install a third-party app that installs support for printing to .pdf. D. Use the Windows 8 native feature to print to .xps and then convert the .xps file into .pdf.

C. Install an application that provides support for printing to .pdf. Then, when the user opens the print window, they can choose the .pdf option.

Your engineering team is creating a product prototype that requires a video display. They need the display to be flexible to wrap somewhat around the prototype. What type of technology should they use? A. LED B. LCD C. OLED D. Plasma

C. Organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays can be made to be flexible, whereas other displays cannot.

What is the maximum throughput of PCI-X adapters? A. 533MBbps B. 1066MBps C. 4266MBps D. 8533MBps

C. PCI-X version 2.0 introduced the current maximum bus speed, 533MHz. With an 8-byte (64-bit) bus, this translates to maximum throughput of 4266MBps, roughly 4.3GBps.

Which expansion bus technology uses lanes, which are switched point-to-point signal paths between two components? A. PCI B. PCI-X C. PCIe D. miniPCI

C. PCIe uses lanes. Each lane between any two intercommunicating devices comprises a separate pair of wires for both directions of traffic, which dramatically increases speed.

Which type of laptop monitor technology uses a current of electricity to stimulate a sealed panel of inert gas? A. OLED B. LED C. Plasma D. LCD

C. Plasma displays place electrodes in front of and behind sealed chambers full of inert gas (such as neon) and vaporized mercury. Current is run through the gas to ionize it and cause it to light up.

The users on your network in the Human Resources department often have sensitive materials shown on their computer screens. What is their best option to dramatically limit the viewing angle of their monitors? A. Lower the brightness setting. B. Lower the contrast setting. C. Install an antiglare filter. D. Install a privacy filter.

C. Print servers need to have the appropriate drivers for all operating systems that will be clients. It's possible that this print server does not have the Mac driver installed.

A technician has just installed a duplexer on a laser printer. The duplexer was sold by the manufacturer and is compatible with the printer. However, the printer properties will not let anyone choose to print on both sides of the paper. What might resolve the issue? A. Removing and reinstalling the duplexer B. Turning the printer off and back on C. Upgrading the printer's firmware D. Stopping and restarting the spooler service

C. Printer firmware upgrades can offer newer features that are not available on previous versions.

A technician needs to increase the fault tolerance of his computer's storage system, and he has two hard drives available. Which of the following options is his best choice? A. Install both drives and configure them as separate volumes. B. Install both drives and implement RAID 0. C. Install both drives and implement RAID 1. D. Install both drives and implement RAID 5.

C. RAID 1 is called disk mirroring; it writes data simultaneously to both drives. If one drive fails, the other still has a working copy of the data. RAID 0 is disk striping and does not provide fault tolerance. RAID 5 is striping with parity and provides fault tolerance, but it requires three hard disks.

You have been asked to install and configure a RAID 10 storage array for a computer. What is the minimum number of hard disks required for this configuration? A. 2 B. 3 C. 4 D. 5

C. RAID 10 (also known as RAID 1+0) provides fault tolerance to RAID 0 through the RAID 1 mirroring of each disk in the RAID 0 striped set. It requires four hard disks.

You need to share printers on your network with multiple client operating systems, such as Windows, macOS, and Linux. Which of the following services will best meet your needs? A. Bonjour B. AirPrint C. TCP printing D. Virtual printing

C. TCP printing allows client with different OSs to send jobs directly to printers without worrying about intra-OS conflicts. Bonjour and AirPrint are both Apple services, and virtual printing allows you to print output to documents such as PDF files. Whenever sharing printers for remote printing, be sure to set proper user authentication on the print device.

The set of signal pathways on a motherboard between the CPU and RAM is called what? A. Northbridge B. Southbridge C. Frontside bus D. Backside bus

C. The communications between the CPU and memory occur over what is known as the frontside bus (FSB), which is just a set of signal pathways connecting the CPU and main memory.

An analog LCD monitor is most likely to have what type of connector? A. DisplayPort B. RCA C. VGA D. BNC

C. The most common analog video connector is a VGA connector.

What two components within an inkjet printer are responsible for moving the print head into proper position? A. Carriage and belt B. Roller and belt C. Carriage motor and roller D. Carriage motor and belt E. Belt motor and roller

C. The motor that makes the print head carriage move is also often called the carriage motor or carriage stepper motor. It has a belt attached to it, the carriage belt, which moves the print head carriage back and forth.

In the laser printer printing process, which step immediately follows the exposing step? A. Charging B. Fusing C. Developing D. Transferring

C. The order of steps is processing, charging, exposing, developing, transferring, fusing, and cleaning.

You are installing and configuring a magnetic hard drive and have several models to choose from. Which hard drive is most likely to have the highest data throughput rates? A. 500GB, 7200 rpm B. 750GB, 5400 rpm C. 750GB, 10,000 rpm D. 1TB, 7200 rpm

C. The primary factor in determining data throughput for a magnetic hard drive is the spin rate. Higher spin rates will result in faster data reads and writes and increase data throughput.

Which component in a laser printer is responsible for converting AC current into usable energy for the logic circuitry and motors? A. LVPS B. HVPS C. DCPS D. ACPS

C. The printer's logic circuitry and motors require low voltages, between +5VDC and +24VDC. The DC power supply (DCPS) converts house current into three voltages: +5VDC and -5VDC for the logic circuitry and +24VDC for the papertransport motors. This component also runs the fan that cools the internal components of the printer.

Which PC component reboots the computer from a cold startup point without removing power from the components? A. Power button B. Suspend button C. Reset button D. Reboot button

C. The reset button, usually located on the front or top panel, allows a user to reboot the computer from a cold startup point without removing power from the components. This can be particularly helpful for dealing with software lockups.

A user wants to create the ultimate gaming PC. Which of the following peripherals would be most appropriate for this type of system? A. Barcode reader B. Motion sensor C. Joystick D. Smart TV

C. There are dozens of peripherals on the computer market. Joysticks are used primarily to play video games. Barcode readers will scan item barcodes, such as items you purchase at a store. Motion sensors are usually associated with security systems. Smart TVs play television. Camcorders are another type of peripheral, used to record video.

Which type of printing technology uses a heating element to make images on waxy paper? A. Laser B. Inkjet C. Thermal D. Dye sublimation E. Solid ink

C. Thermal printers use a heating element. It heats up spots on special waxy, heat- sensitive paper to form the image.

An administrator ordered replacement printer paper that is a thicker caliper than recommended by the printer manufacturer. What is the biggest risk in using this paper? A. Smeared images B. Paper will not feed C. Paper jams D. Images will not print

C. Thicker paper can cause paper jams, especially in printers with curved paper paths. Paper that is too thin may not get picked up by the printer rollers at all.

You just purchased several used computers from another company. They came with no documentation. When looking at the RAM, you see a sticker that says PC3-10600. What is the FSB speed of this computer? A. 667MHz B. 1066MHz C. 1333MHz D. 1600MHz

C. To calculate the FSB speed from the RAM module name, divide by 8. In this case, that makes the FSB 1333MHz (accounting for a bit of rounding).

Your manager tells you to buy a high-capacity magnetic hard drive with the highest data transfer rate possible. Which hard drive parameter do manufacturers modify to increase hard drive data transfer rates? A. Read/write head size B. Connector size C. Spin rate D. Platter size

C. To make information available to the rest of the computer more quickly, hard drive manufacturers increase the speed at which the hard drive platters spin.

A graphical designer in your office needs two monitors to do her work. Which of the following should you install to set up her desktop computer for this configuration? A. A video splitter B. A second video driver C. A second video adapter D. A video replicator

C. To use a second monitor on a desktop computer, you need to install a second video adapter or have one video adapter with two monitor interfaces. Laptops often have an external monitor interface and are capable of providing video to the built-in screen and an external monitor at the same time.

The WUXGA video standard, running at a resolution of 1920×1200, operates at what aspect ratio? A. 4:3 B. 5:4 C. 16:9 D. 16:10

D. A 1920×1200 resolution is a 16:10 aspect ratio. If you take the second number (1200) and multiply it by 1.6, you get 1920.

Which type of storage device is composed of a conventional hard drive and a substantial amount of solid-state storage? A. SSD B. HDD C. Mesh D. Hybrid

D. A hybrid hard drive is a combination of a conventional magnetic hard disk drive and solid-state storage. The goal is to increase access speed for commonly accessed data while still providing larger capacity similar to a conventional HDD.

A technician has installed a printer driver on a Windows 8 client computer. What is the best next step the technician can take to ensure that the printer is installed properly? A. Ping the printer's IP address. B. Check the printer status and ensure it says "Ready." C. Stop and restart the spooler service. D. Print a test page.

D. After installing a new printer, it's good practice to print a test page to ensure functionality.

After installing a new print cartridge in an inkjet printer, what process must be run before printing to the device? A. Degaussing B. Driver installation C. Rasterizing D. Calibration

D. Before you print to an inkjet printer, you must ensure that the device is calibrated. Calibration is the process by which a device is brought within functional specifications. For example, inkjet printers need their print heads aligned so that they print evenly and don't print funny-looking letters and unevenly spaced lines.

Which of the following printer components is not found in a laser printer? A. Fuser assembly B. Imaging drum C. Transfer roller D. Carriage motor

D. Carriage motors are components in inkjet printers. Laser printer components include a fuser assembly, imaging drum, transfer belt, transfer roller, pickup roller, separator pads, and a duplexing assembly.

You need to enable clients to print to your networked printers, regardless of their location worldwide. Which service will best suit your needs? A. Bonjour B. AirPrint C. Virtual printing D. Cloud printing

D. Cloud printing allows for printing to a remote device, one that is not necessarily located on your local network. Essentially, you are using the Internet to send the print job from your device to the printer from which you want the output to come, and the printer can be located practically anywhere in the world.

The most common RAM slots used in desktop and laptop computers, respectively, are what? A. SODIMM and DIMM B. miniDIMM and DIMM C. DIMM and miniDIMM D. DIMM and SODIMM E. SODIMM and miniDIMM F. miniDIMM and SODIMM

D. Desktop computers use dual inline memory modules (DIMMs), and laptops most commonly use small outline DIMMs (SODIMMs). Another potential laptop memory form factor is the MicroDIMM.

What is an advantage of using double-sided memory over single-sided memory? A. It allows the memory to operate twice as fast. B. It allows the CPU to access twice as much RAM at one time. C. It's required for use in dual-channel motherboards. D. It allows for twice as much memory to be used in the same amount of space.

D. Double-sided memory has chips on both sides of the RAM module instead of just on one side. It allows for doubling the amount of RAM on the module, so you get twice as much memory on one stick.

During which step in the laser printer imaging process is toner attracted to the imaging drum? A. Exposing B. Transferring C. Fusing D. Developing

D. During the developing step, toner is attracted to areas of the drum where an image has been written by the laser. Those areas have a slight negative charge (-100VDC) as opposed to unexposed areas of the drum and the developing roller (which the toner is stuck to), which each have a charge of -600VDC.

Which type of flash memory is capable of being embedded on the circuit board of mobile devices? A. xD B. miniSD C. microSD D. eMMC

D. Embedded MultiMediaCard (eMMC) can be permanently embedded on the circuit board of a cheaper or smaller mobile device. All of the other flash memory standards, such as CompactFlash, xD, miniMMC, and microMMC are designed to be removable.

You upgraded the RAM on your system and are now having boot issues. The manufacturer's website recommends updating the BIOS. What is the easiest way to do this? A. Replace the BIOS chip. B. Replace the CMOS battery. C. Install a new motherboard. D. Flash the BIOS.

D. Flashing the BIOS is the recommended way to upgrade a BIOS. It involves downloading the new BIOS and flashing software from the manufacturer and installing it on the computer. The worst-case scenario is replacing the motherboard (or in this case, the RAM, since that is what you upgraded).

Which CPU technology allows for the assignment of two logical cores for every physical core present? A. Multicore B. 32-bit vs. 64-bit C. Integrated GPU D. Hyperthreading

D. Hyperthreading-capable processors appear to the operating system to be two processors. As a result, the operating system can schedule two processes at the same time on the same physical core.

Which component in a laser printer is responsible for heating up and melting the toner into the paper to create a permanent image? A. Transfer corona assembly B. Pickup rollers C. Exit assembly D. Fuser assembly

D. Laser printers incorporate a fuser assembly, which uses two rollers that apply pressure and heat to fuse the plastic toner particles to the paper.

You have been asked to implement an external backup solution for a small company. When considering tape backup solutions, which standard provides the best storage capacity? A. QIC B. DLT C. DAT D. LTO

D. Linear Tape-Open is the newest and highest-capacity tape storage technology. LTO 7, released in 2015, has an uncompressed capacity of 6TB per tape. LTO 6 had an uncompressed capacity of 2.5TB. QIC tapes can often store around 1GB. DLT can store up to 800GB, and DAT can store up to 300GB.

You are buying a new video projector for the executive conference room. The administrative assistant tells you that the room often has bright sunlight, so the projector needs to be bright. What is the key specification you should pay attention to when selecting this projector? A. Frame rate B. Native resolution C. Aspect ratio D. Lumens

D. Lumens is the measure of brightness for a projector. For a well-lit business setting, you probably want a projector rated at 5,000-6,000 lumens.

Your company recently shipped five desktop computers from Germany to the United States. After switching the power cord to an American-style plug, you try to power one on and it doesn't work. You try the others and none of them power on either. What is the most likely cause? A. All of the computers were damaged during shipping. B. German power supplies work only with German power cords. C. The power supplies won't work because they expect 50Hz frequency from the wall outlet and the United States standard is 60Hz. D. The power supply voltage switch needs to be moved.

D. Many power supplies have a two-position slider switch called a dual voltage switch. It can be set for 110-120V or 220-240V, depending on what local power specifications are.

What are the dimensions of a mobile-ITX motherboard? A. 9.6″ × 9.6″ B. 6.7″ × 6.7″ C. 3.9″ × 2.8″ D. 2.4″ × 2.4″

D. MicroATX motherboards are a 9.6″ square, and mini-ITX motherboards are a 6.7″ square. Pico-ITX motherboards are 3.9″ × 2.8″, and mobile-ITX motherboards are 2.4″ square.

The Acme company has a laser printer in its Chicago office that has been used for three months. A technician needs to ship the printer to the Detroit office for use there. What, if any, preparations should be made for the toner cartridge? A. No preparations are needed for the toner cartridge before shipping. B. Insert a toner blocker into the toner cartridge before shipping. C. Seal the toner cartridge with tape before shipping. D. Remove the toner cartridge from the printer before shipping.

D. Never ship a printer anywhere with a toner cartridge installed! The jostling that happens during shipping could cause toner to spill out of the cartridge and all over the inside of the printer. Remove the toner cartridge first. You can put it in a sealed, airtight bag to ship if needed.

Which hardware component is responsible for prefetching data or code that the CPU will need to use and storing most recently used data or code? A. RAM B. SSD C. Buffer D. Cache

D. Only the most recently used data and code or that which is expected to be used next is stored in cache. Cache is much smaller and faster than RAM.

You have a desktop computer with three PCI expansion slots. What will happen when you mix cards of different speeds on the same motherboard? A. The cards will operate at their original speeds. B. None of the cards will function. C. The cards will all operate at the faster speed. D. The cards will all operate at the slower speed.

D. PCI is a shared-bus topology, so mixing 33MHz and 66MHz adapters in a 66MHz system will slow all adapters to 33MHz.

Which of the following is the defining characteristic of a passive cooling system for a CPU? A. It uses water. B. It uses heat pipes. C. It uses liquid nitrogen or helium. D. It does not require a fan or power.

D. Passive cooling systems come in a variety of models, and some are very effective. The defining characteristic is that they do not use a fan or require a power source.

When discussing video monitors, what is the term used to describe the number of pixels used to draw the screen? A. Refresh rate B. Frame rate C. Aspect ratio D. Resolution

D. Resolution is the number of pixels used to draw a computer screen. Refresh rate determines how many times per second the screen can be redrawn. Frame rate tells you how many frames per second the original content was filmed in. Aspect ratio defines the dimensions (width × height) of an image.

Which of the following statements most accurately describes the functionality of the disable execute bit? A. It prevents the CPU from working if the computer is stolen. B. It prevents the CPU from working if the CPU has been set to run at too high a speed (overclocking). C. It prevents the computer from being booted remotely in a PXE boot environment. D. It protects the computer from certain types of viruses or malicious code.

D. The disable execute bit allows for the CPU to set aside an area of memory and refuse to execute any code placed into that memory location. Oftentimes this serves as a buffer area. The result is that malicious buffer overrun attacks are less likely to succeed.

You have been asked to purchase new RAM for three workstations. The workstations call for DDR3-1600 chips. What throughput will these modules support? A. 1600MBps B. 3200Mbps C. 6400Mbps D. 12800Mbps

D. The number designation of 1600 in DDR3-1600 indicates an FSB speed of 1600MHz. To find the throughput, multiply the FSB speed by 8.

Which step immediately follows the fusing step in the laser printer imaging process? A. Processing B. Transferring C. Exposing D. Cleaning

D. The order of steps is processing, charging, exposing, developing, transferring, fusing, and cleaning.

Which of the following statements best describes the function of a typical power supply fan? A. It cools the power supply by blowing in air from outside the case. B. It cools the power supply by blowing hot air out the back of the power supply. C. It cools the computer by blowing in air from outside the case, through the power supply, and into the computer. D. It cools the computer by pulling hot air from inside the case, through the power supply, and blowing it out the back of the power supply.

D. The power supply fan is used to cool the power supply. In addition, this fan draws air from inside the case into vents in the power supply. This pulls hot air through the power supply so that it can be blown out of the case.

What is the name of the boot routine that verifies the size and integrity of the system memory? A. RAMCheck B. BIOS C. UEFI D. POST

D. The power-on-self-test (POST) is a series of system checks performed by the system BIOS. Checking the system memory is part of the POST routine.

There are four servers in your server closet. You need to access each of them, but not at the same time. Which device will allow you to share one set of input and output devices for all four servers? A. Touch screen B. Docking station C. Set-top controller D. KVM switch

D. The purpose of a KVM switch is to allow you to have multiple systems attached to the same keyboard, monitor, and mouse. You can use these three devices with only one system at a time, and the device will have a dial or buttons to allow you to switch between systems.

A single lane of PCIe 4.0 operates at what data rate? A. 250MBps B. 500MBps C. 1GBps D. 2GBps

D. There are four major versions of PCIe currently specified: 1.x, 2.x, 3.0, and 4.0. For the four versions, a single omnidirectional lane operates at a data rate of 250MBps, 500MBps, approximately 1GBps, and roughly 2GBps, respectively.

A technician needs to purchase a new laptop for a manager. The manager has had several laptops fail and wants her new one to have as few components as possible to reduce the risk of failure. Which type of light source technology does not require an inverter and therefore is a better choice? A. OLED B. Plasma C. Fluorescent D. LED

D. There is no need for laptops with LED displays to convert the DC power coming into the laptop to the AC needed to power traditional fluorescent backlights because LEDs operate on DC power just like the rest of the laptop. Therefore, systems with LED backlights have no inverter board.

You are connecting a laptop to a printer on the network using Wi-Fi. The user will need to use the printer frequently when they are in the office. What type of wireless connection will you establish with the printer? A. Permanent B. Ad hoc C. On demand D. Infrastructure

D. Wi-Fi (802.11a, b, g, n, or ac) and Bluetooth can be used to connect a printer temporarily to a single computer (or mobile device), and the connection does not have permanent status. This type of configuration is known as an ad hoc network connection. When Wi-Fi is used to connect printers to a network on a more permanent basis, it is known as infrastructure mode.

The motherboard in your desktop computer supports dual-channel memory. Which of the following statements regarding RAM is true? A. The RAM will work only if it's installed in pairs. B. The RAM will work only if it's installed in pairs or if one double-sided RAM module is used. C. The RAM will work if only one module is installed, but only at half of its rated speed. D. The RAM will work if only one module is installed.

D. With most dual-channel motherboards, RAM will work just fine if one module is installed. However, you will get better performance if you fill the entire bank.

A. Three RCA-like connectors at the end of a cable indicate a component video cable.

Identify the cable type shown here. A. Component B. Composite C. Coaxial D. RCA

A. Heat sinks are often made of metal, with many fins on them to increase surface area and dissipate heat faster. Many modern CPU heat sinks will have both a fan (which requires power) and the finned metal heat sink.

Identify the computer component shown here. A. CPU heat sink and fan B. Passive CPU heat sink C. Power supply fan D. Secondary cooling fan

B. The connector shown is an RCA connector, which is often used for audio or video signals.

Identify the connector type on the cable shown here. A. BNC B. RCA C. MiniDIN D. HD15

D. The connector pictured is a four-pin FireWire (IEEE1394) port on a laptop.

Identify the connector type shown here in the center. A. eSATA B. Thunderbolt C. PCIe D. FireWire

C. The image is of a SATA connector, commonly used for internal hard drives.

Identify the peripheral connector shown here. A. HDMI B. PATA C. SATA D. eSATA

B. The connector shown is USB Type B. It will plug into the USB peripheral device and is commonly used by printers.

Identify the peripheral connector shown here. A. USB Type A B. USB Type B C. USB Standard mini-B D. Thunderbolt

A. The connector shown is a DVI connector, used for digital video.

Identify the video connector shown here. A. DVI B. VGA C. HDMI D. Composite

D. The white connector is a 20-pin ATX power connector. You will also see 24-pin versions, which have two rows of 12 pins each.

Identify the white connector on the section of motherboard shown here. A. RAM B. PATA C. miniPCI D. ATX

C. This is an eight-pin PCIe connector. They also come in 6-pin configurations.

What type of connector is shown here? A. Molex B. SATA C. PCIe D. ATX

C. This SLI-ready motherboard has three PCIe x16 slots (every other slot, starting with the top one), one PCIe x1 slot (second slot from the top), and two PCI slots (first and third slots from the bottom). Notice the latch and tab that secures the x16 adapters in place by their hooks.

What type of expansion slots are the first, third, and fifth slots (from the top down) on the motherboard shown here? A. PCIe x1 B. PCIe x8 C. PCIe x16 D. PCI

D. The top module is DDR3, and the bottom one is DDR2. Both have 240 pins and a single keying notch. The DDR3 notch is off-center.

What types of RAM modules are shown here, from top to bottom? A. DDR and DDR2 B. DDR2 and DDR C. DDR2 and DDR3 D. DDR3 and DDR2

A. The picture shows a 20-pin ATX connector, which provides the motherboard with power.

Which computer component gets power from the connector shown here? A. Motherboard B. Hard drive C. Expansion card D. Secondary case fan