A+ 3.1.3 Practice Questions Cases and Form Factors.

You need to purchase a case that meets the following criteria: - Compatible with most form factors. - At least two external and internal bays. - Good balance of size and space. Which case type should you purchase?

ATX mid-tower Explanation You should purchase an ATX mid-tower case. ATX mid-tower cases are compatible with the most motherboard form factors and typically have at least two external bays. Most ATX full-tower cases are not compatible with Mini-ITX motherboards and are larger than necessary for most applications. Micro-ATX towers are only compatible with microATX and Mini-ITX form factors. Mini-ITX towers are only compatible with the Mini-ITX form factor.

You want to build a computer that can stand upright on a desk and takes up the least amount of space possible. Which case type should you select?

Micro-ATX slim tower. Explanation Micro-ATX slim towers are designed to be able to stand upright on desks, reducing the amount of space they require. An ATX mid-tower case would take up a considerable amount of space on a desk and are not designed to be small. While Mini-ITX towers can sit on desks, they take up more space than a Micro-ATX slim tower that is designed to stand upright. HTPC cases are design to be used with TVs and home theatre systems.

B- Micro-ATX Slim Tower

Micro-ATX slim towers are typically half the width of a Micro-ATX tower and are designed to lay flat or upright.

C- Micro-ATX Tower

Micro-ATX towers are smaller cases designed to be placed on desktops. Micro-ATX towers typically only have one drive bay and are compatible with the micro-ATX and Mini-ITX form factors.

Which motherboard form factor allows for low-consumption power supplies?

Mini-ITX Explanation Mini-ITX motherboards are designed for lower-power, small form factor computer. Some Mini-ITX motherboards are designed to be used with 100 watt power supplies.

A- Mini-ITX Tower.

Mini-ITX towers are designed to house Mini-ITX motherboards. They are typically smaller than Micro-ATX towers. The ITX form factor was designed for low-power, small form factor (SFF) computers. The most common ITX form factor is the Mini-ITX form factor. One typical use is with a home theater PC (HTPC).

You decided to upgrade your PC with a faster processor. To do this, you ordered a new motherboard over the Internet that supports the processor you want to use. When it arrives, you discover that the motherboard uses the Mini-ATX form factor. Your current case is an ATX mid-tower with a standard ATX motherboard inside. What should you do?

Use the Mini-ATX motherboard in the ATX case. Explanation ATX mid-tower cases support all ATX form factors, including Mini-ATX. The main difference between ATX and mini-ATX is the number of bus and possibly memory slots on the motherboard. the mounting holes for both are located in the same place, making them interchangeable in most cases.

E- ATX Full-Tower

ATX full-tower cases are the largest computer cases. Full-tower cases have a lot of space for external and internal components. ATX full-tower cases are compatible with the Standard ATX, microATX, and EATX form factors. The ATX (advanced technology extended) form factor is the most commonly used form factor. Because of its popularity, several variants of the ATX form factor exist. Each variant has different specifications for dimensions and number of expansion slots. However, all ATX variants share the following characteristics: - Back plate measurements (6.25" x 1.75"). - Power supply specifications, as follows; 24-pin ATX power connector, on/off switch runs from the case to the motherboard, and soft-power control (OS can turn the computer off). - Expansion slot locations and spacing (0.8" between slots). -Mounting hole locations. -CPU location (top of board near power supply).

D- ATX Mid-Tower

ATX mid-tower cases are slightly smaller than ATX full-tower cases. Mid-tower cases have fewer external and internal bays. ATX mid-tower cases are compatible with the Standard ATX, microATX, Mini-ITX, and some EATX form factors.

Which of the following form factors does not have expansion slots on the motherboard, but instead uses a riser card for expansion cards?

NLX Explanation The NLX form factor uses a riser card in the middle of the system board (expansion slots are located on the riser card rather than the system board). The BTX form factor was designed for better thermal management. microATX is a smaller version of the ATX form factor with fewer expansion slots. The ATX form factor is the most common form factor.