Chapter 3: Hardware

What features are included in modern networked MFDs? (Choose all that apply.) A. Email B. Scanning C. Printing D. Faxing

A. Email B. Scanning C. Printing D. Faxing While faxing is not used as often as it once was, it is still a feature available on some MFDs. Email, scanning, and printing are also common features.

What hardware device is used to store encryption keys, making them safer because they are never directly loaded into a server's memory? A. HSM B. BIOS C. ITX D. TPM

A. HSM The Hardware Security Module (HSM) is a piece of hardware that can be removed and is used to hold encryption keys for a system. It differs from TPM (Trusted Platform Module) implementations in that TPM is a chip on the motherboard, not a separate piece of hardware, and TPM can also be software. TPM is used to encrypt hard drives. The BIOS (or UEFI) is the program the CPU uses to start up the system after being powered on. ITX is a motherboard form factor.

If you require more USB ports than your system can provide, what is your most cost-effective option? A. Install a USB expansion card. B. Swap peripherals for those requiring different connectors. C. Replace the motherboard for one with additional USB ports. D. Swap out peripherals as you use them.

A. Install a USB expansion card. A USB expansion card would utilize an expansion slot on the motherboard to provide two to four additional USB ports. Not included as an option, but a USB hub is a cost-effective fix as well, and some will provide additional power for USB-powered devices.

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. Multiple rail C. Dual voltage options D. Number and type of connectors

A. Wattage D. Number and type of connectors 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 must have enough of the right connectors to connect to all the components that require their own power. Multiple rail and dual voltage are optional features.

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. More efficient C. Quieter 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, it could cause damage to internal components.

You wish to protect your system from someone not authorized to start the OS. What is your best option? A. Password-protect the locked screen. B. Password-protect in the BIOS/UEFI settings. C. Encrypt the hard drive. D. Use a 12-character login password.

B. Password-protect in the BIOS/UEFI settings. The system BIOS/UEFI settings include password protection to not allow system bootup unless someone enters a password. This would prohibit the OS from loading upon boot.

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

B. Printer driver 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. PDL stands for page description language, which specifies the printed page layout. The print queue holds print jobs that are waiting to be printed, the print spooler manages the printing process, including locating the right printer driver.

Which of the following types of printers does not require the replacement of some sort of ink or toner? A. Laser B. Thermal C. Impact D. Inkjet

B. Thermal Laser printers need toner cartridges, impact printers need ink ribbons, and inkjet printers use ink cartridges. Thermal printers heat up paper to produce images.

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

B. UEFI Secure Boot is an option enabled in system firmware. BIOS is not technically advanced enough to manage Secure Boot, but its successor UEFI is. AMI (American Megatrends) is a BIOS manufacturer, and SATA is a type of hard drive technology.

You want to connect a 3.5″ external hard drive to your computer. What port is used to connect external drives to the SATA bus? A. NVMe B. eSATA C. M.2 D. mSATA

B. eSATA eSATA is external SATA, a type of connector for external SATA drives. Nonvolatile Memory Express (NVMe) is a protocol and communications interface designed to connect small SSD storage to the PCIe bus of a motherboard. The Advanced Host Controller Interface (AHCI) technology preceded NVMe, and was much slower. M.2 and mSATA are form factors for SSDs that connect directly to a motherboard. An mSATA drive looks similar to M.2, but the connectors are slightly different and mSATA only connects to the slower SATA bus using AHCI technology. M.2 drives can be either NVMe or AHCI, so checking documentation is important.

What type of hard drives are not available in a 3.5″ form factor? A. SSD B. mSATA C. SATA D. Magnetic

B. mSATA SSDs and magnetic drives can both be found in the 3.5″ form factor that is used in desktop computers, and often they connect via a SATA interface. mSATA and M.2 are solid-state drives consisting of a very small circuit board that connects directly to the motherboard via a slot with a screw or connector to hold it in place.

A PCIe x1 v 3.0 lane provides how much data throughput? A. 250 MBps B. 500 MBps C. 1 GBps D. 2 GBps

C. 1 GBps There are five major versions of PCIe currently specified: 1.x, 2.x, 3.0, 4.0, and 5.0. For the five versions, a single bidirectional lane operates at a data rate of 250 MBps, 500 MBps, approximately 1 GBps, roughly 2 GBps, and nearly 4 GBps, respectively. Each PCIe slot can have up to 16 lanes, the number of lanes being indicated by x1, x4, x8, x16. (The x is pronounced as by.) Therefore, a PCIe 3 x1 slot can support up to 1 GBps of bandwidth.

What form factor for solid-state hard drives has dimensions that mirror the older, platter-type magnetic drives? A. M.2 B. mSATA C. 2.5″ D. NVMe

C. 2.5″ Solid-state drives (SSDs) come in multiple form factors, such as a "stick" resembling a memory module (M.2) or a 2.5″ box housed in metal. SSDs also come in 3.5″ form factor. M.2 and mSATA are form factors for SSDs. NVMe is a protocol for storing data that is commonly used with M.2 drives, although M.2 drives can also use the older Advanced Host Controller Interface (AHCI).

Which of the following connection types can be inserted or first flipped over and inserted? A. DB9 B. RS232 C. Micro-USB D. USB-C

D. USB-C USB-C is the only one of these that can be inserted correctly both as you try the first time or flip over and try again. Micro-USB resembles USB-C but it is not "flippable"—one edge is slightly tapered. DB9 and RS232 are legacy serial connectors.

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. ATX B. MicroATX C. Mini-ITX 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.

What type of motherboard may have multiple processors and plenty of RAM, and can sometimes be found mounted in a networking rack? A. Server B. Workstation C. Desktop D. Mobile

A. Server Servers often perform more work than any other computer on a network, especially in a virtualization environment. A server could be as simple as an ordinary desktop computer, but more often the server will have extra processing power and loads of RAM, and be rack-mounted for easy access by technicians in a corporate environment.

Which version of SATA ties SATA drives into the PCIe bus on the motherboard, boosting the data throughput far beyond 600 MBps? A. SATA 1 B. SATA 2 C. SATA 3.2 D. SATA 4

C. SATA 3.2 SATA 3 had a speed of 6 Gbps and a data throughput of 600 MBps, but SATA 3.2 (also called SATAe) ties compatible drives into the PCIe bus on the motherboard, decreasing overhead and taking advantage of the PCIe bus speeds which makes the data throughput multiple times better.

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

Which step immediately precedes the cleaning step in the laser printer imaging process? A. Processing B. Transferring C. Exposing D. Fusing

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

What form factor for solid-state hard drives measures 22 mm wide with lengths varying between 30 mm, 42 mm, 60 mm, and longer? A. NVMe B. SATA C. PCIe D. M.2

D. M.2 M.2 is a solid-state hard drive form factor, measuring 22 mm wide. Its lengths vary between 30 mm, 42 mm, 60 mm, 80 mm, and 120 mm. NVMe is a storage protocol, not a form factor. Many M.2 drives use the NVMe protocol. SATA and PCIe are bus interface standards found on a motherboard.

You have a computer running Windows 10. Every time you boot, the computer insists on trying to boot from the USB drive. Where can you change the setting to have the system boot to the hard drive first? A. BIOS/UEFI B. Windows Configuration C. System Manager D. Device Manager

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

You are installing two new RAM modules into 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. Both RAM modules need to have the same parameters. 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. RAM for channeled motherboards is often sold in packs such as a pack of two RAM modules for dual-channel motherboards, three modules for triple-channel motherboards, and four modules for quad-channel motherboards.

You are replacing cabling in a network. The existing cable was only capable of 100 Mbps maximum speed. What type of cable are you replacing? A. Cat 5 B. Cat 5e C. Cat 6a D. Single mode

A. Cat 5 Cat 5 UTP can transmit data at speeds up to 100 Mbps, for a distance of 100 meters. Cat 5e is capable of 1 Gbps. Cat 6 and newer can support 10 Gbps. Single mode is a type of fiber-optic cable and is very fast.

Motherboard documentation for a desktop computer mentions 240- pin DIMM slots. What type of DIMM is used on this motherboard? A. DDR3 B. DDR4 C. DDR5 D. SODIMM

A. DDR3 DDR3 DIMMs have 240 pins. DDR4 and DDR5 DIMMs have 288 pins, but they are not interchangeable and have notches (module keys) in different locations to prevent installing the incorrect modules into a motherboard. SODIMMs are laptop RAM, not desktop RAM.

Which of the following system settings are configurable in the UEFI? (Choose three.) A. Date and time B. Enabling and disabling services C. CPU fan speeds D. Power-on password

A. Date and time C. CPU fan speeds D. Power-on password The UEFI configures many hardware components and settings, such as system date and time, boot sequence, enabling and disabling devices, clock speeds, virtualization support, fans, and UEFI/Boot security.

Which laptop expansion port was designed as an industry standard to replace VGA and DVI ports and is backward compatible with both standards? A. DisplayPort B. VideoPort C. Thunderbolt D. HDMI

A. DisplayPort The Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) introduced DisplayPort in 2008. It was designed to be an industry standard and to replace VGA and DVI. It's also backward compatible with VGA and DVI by using adapters. A DisplayPort connection is intended for video devices only, but like HDMI and USB, it can transmit audio and video simultaneously.

One of your users needs to print several copies of a 20-page document. They want to ensure that the document's pages are printed on both sides of the paper to conserve paper. Which option do they need to set properly in their printer configuration settings? A. Duplexing B. Collating C. Print Quality D. Orientation

A. Duplexing Duplexing is printing on the front and back. Other common options or settings include orientation (portrait or landscape), collating (printing pages in sets such as 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3) and print quality (such as draft or high resolution).

Which two CPU sockets are capable of supporting Intel Core i9 processors? (Choose two.) A. LGA1700 B. LGA2066 C. Socket AM3+ D. Socket FM2

A. LGA1700 B. LGA2066 Sockets that support Intel processors are currently named starting with the letters LGA, such as LGA1700 and LGA2066. Socket names that start with AM or FM will support AMD processors and not Intel processors.

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

A. LVPS C. DCPS The DC power supply (DCPS), also sometimes called the low voltage power supply (LVPS), provides power for the logic boards and motors, whereas the high voltage power supply (HVPS) provides higher voltages for the toner transfer process. The printer's logic circuitry and motors require low voltages, between +5 VDC and +24 VDC. The DC power supply (DCPS) converts house current into three voltages: +5 VDC and −5 VDC for the logic circuitry and +24 VDC for the paper-transport motors. This component also runs the fan that cools the internal components of the printer.

You work in a secure environment and it's your responsibility to ensure that no data leaves the network. You've just received a batch of new computers in. What can you do in the UEFI to help ensure users can't copy data to a USB drive? A. Look for a setting to disable USB ports and disable them. B. Put USB ports first in the boot options. C. Remove USB from the boot options. D. Look for a setting to enable USB ports and enable them.

A. Look for a setting to disable USB ports and disable them. If you disable the USB ports, a user won't be able to attach a USB drive to copy files. Removing USB from the boot options will keep them from booting to it, but it won't prohibit someone from using a USB drive. You can also purchase USB drive locks, which are little plugs for the USB ports. Just don't lose your key!

You have been asked to design a new network that requires 10 Gbps transmission speeds. Which cable types will meet the minimum specifications? (Choose two.) A. MMF B. Cat 5 C. Cat 5e D. Cat 6a

A. MMF D. Cat 6a Multimode fiber (MMF) and unshielded twisted pair (UTP) Cat 6 and newer support 10 Gbps transmission speeds. Cat 5 supports up to 100 Mbps, and Cat 5e supports up to 1,000 Mbps.

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. Multiprocessor

A. Multicore 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. 64-bit refers to the width of the data bus. An integrated GPU means that the graphics processor is also on the CPU package, and multiprocessor refers to more than one physical socket on a motherboard.

What are three communication interfaces that are used by SSDs to send data across a motherboard? (Choose three.) A. NVMe B. SATA C. PCIe D. IDE

A. NVMe B. SATA C. PCIe Nonvolatile Memory Express (NVMe), SATA, and PCIe are all communication methods used by solid-state drives to connect to the motherboard for transferring data between the drive and CPU. IDE is a legacy connection technology that was used with the original ATA drives, parallel ATA (PATA).

A client wants you to upgrade their desktop computer to have two video cards. You want to be sure that this 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. PCIe Most internal video adapters today are PCIe cards. You might still find PCI video cards available. ISA is a legacy expansion slot type not used today. VGA and DVI are types of display connectors, not expansion slot types.

You've been tasked with making a system faster, so you implement a RAID solution that does only that. What level of RAID will you implement? A. RAID-0 B. RAID-1 C. RAID-5 D. RAID-10

A. RAID-0 RAID-0 uses a minimum of two drives, writing different bits of data to each drive at the same time to improve speed, but it doesn't offer any fault tolerance. RAID-1 is disk mirroring, which provides some fault tolerance but no speed improvement. RAID-5 and RAID-10 improve both speed and fault tolerance.

A technician needs to install a new hard drive for their 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. SSD 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. BD-R is a Blu-ray disk format.

What printer feature will store documents on the printer and not print them until the user enters a password or scans an ID card on the print device? A. Secured prints B. Snap prints C. User authentication D. Auditing

A. Secured prints Secured prints is the feature described. Secure print jobs are retrieved at the device based on user authentication by using either a password or a security badge, depending on the printer. Auditing won't prevent attacks, but it will show you when the printer is being accessed and by whom, much like Event Viewer. Other security features might include removable hard drives with the printer, overwriting documents following DoD (Department of Defense) requirements, and data encryption.

What type of CPU is considered long obsolete? A. Single-core B. Multicore C. ARM D. Intel

A. Single-core All modern CPUs are multicore processors, meaning they have more than one processor on a die and can execute at least four threads at a time. ARM is a processor architecture used in many devices, and Intel is a processor manufacturer.

Which of the following are AMD socket types? (Choose two.) A. Socket AM4 B. LGA 1200 C. Socket TR4 D. LGA 2066 Socket R4

A. Socket AM4 C. Socket TR4 Socket AM4 and Socket TR4 are only compatible with AMD processors. The two LGA sockets listed are for use with Intel processors only.

You need to configure Hyper-V on one of your Windows-based desktop computers with an Intel processor. Which of the following must be true? (Choose three.) A. The CPU must have SLAT. B. The CPU must have Intel VR. C. The processor must be 64-bit D. You need to enable virtualization in the BIOS/UEFI.

A. The CPU must have SLAT. C. The processor must be 64-bit D. You need to enable virtualization in the BIOS/UEFI. The CPU must support VM Display Mode Extension; on an Intel processor, it's called Virtualization Technology (Intel VT). The processor must be 64-bit and have second-level address translation (SLAT). Virtualization also requires the Windows Pro edition or better. Virtualization must be enabled in the BIOS/UEFI and may be found under different names depending on the motherboard manufacturer.

You have a peripheral that needs a data speed of 20 Gbps and 9 W of power to be supplied by the connection to the PC. Which PC peripheral connection type is it most likely to use? A. Thunderbolt B. USB 3.0 C. eSATA D. DisplayPort

A. Thunderbolt Thunderbolt v1 and v2 both provide 20 Gbps of data bandwidth. Thunderbolt 3 doubles the data rate to 40 Gbps. Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 can also provide the power the device needs. USB 3.0 can only provide about 5 W of power and is much slower at 5 Gbps. eSATA is also slower and doesn't provide power, although eSATAp does. DisplayPort is also slower and provides no power, unless it's DisplayPort over USB.

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

A. USB flash drive D. SD 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 legacy technology and not hot swappable.

With what connection standard is the Apple Thunderbolt 3 cable fully compatible? A. USB-C B. Mini-HDMI C. Micro-USB D. DB9

A. USB-C Thunderbolt 3 cables work as USB-C cables and are fully compatible. Thunderbolt 3 are capable of transferring at 40 Gbps, but USB 3.1 (on USB-C) can only reach 10 Gbps. USB4 is able to reach 40 Gbps.

What are advantages of UTP over STP? (Choose two.) A. UTP is more flexible. B. UTP can run faster. C. UTP can be buried. D. UTP is less expensive.

A. UTP is more flexible. D. UTP is less expensive. Shielded twisted pair (STP) has at least one extra layer of shielding to protect the cable from crosstalk and interference. Some types of STP have shielding around each wire. With all the extra material, STP tends to be less flexible and more expensive than unshielded twisted pair (UTP). Being shielded or unshielded doesn't affect the maximum transmission speed of a cable, and UTP is not suitable for direct burial.

You've maxed out the physical RAM on a motherboard but need more to run a particular app. The operating system will let you adjust a setting so that you can use some of the hard drive as if it were physical RAM, and the OS will swap data between RAM and the hard drive in a unit called a page. What type of memory are you using? A. Virtual B. DIMM C. SODIMM D. Cache

A. Virtual A part of the hard disk drive (or SDD) being used as if it was RAM is known as virtual memory. Virtual memory works by moving a chunk of information, called a page, to a file named pagefile.sys. pagefile.sys is literally the file on the hard drive where information in virtual memory is stored. Because of this, virtual memory is sometimes called the page file or paging file. It isn't as fast to access as actual RAM, but it will allow some programs to run that wouldn't otherwise. DIMMs and SODIMMs and Cache are types of physical memory. DIMMs are used in desktop computers, SODIMMs are used in laptops, and cache resides on the processor die.

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. You can put an x1 card into an x8 slot. B. You can put an x8 card into an x16 slot. 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. It's important to note that a motherboard doesn't necessarily support this feature, so if you plan to use a smaller card in a larger PCIe slot, make sure the motherboard supports up-plugging or the card will run at 1x speed.

You are replacing the power supply in a computer system that uses a 24-pin P1 connector. You have a few power supplies in the closet to choose from. Which one with the following connections will work? (Choose two.) A. 20-pin P1 connector and P4 connector B. 20-pin+4-pin P1 connector C. An ATX12V PSU D. An ATX12VO power supply

B. 20-pin+4-pin P1 connector C. An ATX12V PSU Some power supplies will have a 20-pin+4-pin connector designed to connect to a 24-pin P1 motherboard connector. An ATX12V PSU is the perfect solution. A 20-pin P1 connector plus a P4 connector is the right number of pins, but the P4 connector is not compatible with the main motherboard power. ATX12VO is a 12 volt only connector that has only 10 pins and that would not be compatible with this motherboard, unless it had other connections.

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

B. 3.3 V C. 5 V PCI slots and adapters are manufactured in 3.3 V and 5 V 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. PCI has largely been replaced by PCIe, but there are still implementations of it, and it is still on the CompTIA A+ exam objectives.

Which of the following statements are 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.

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

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. AirPrint iPads and iPhones can automatically detect AirPrint-enabled printers on their local network and print to them without requiring the installation of a driver. Bonjour is a service that works with both Macs and Windows devices but requires some configuration. TCP printing uses an IP Address to connect to a printer. Virtual printing sends the output to something else such as a .pdf file.

What keys are used for M.2 slots? (Choose two.) A. A B. B C. E D. M

B. B D. M M.2 drives are keyed with B or M or B+M keys. A and E keys are for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or cellular devices such as networking cards found in laptops. In computers, a key is a device such as a notch, an indent on a circuit board, that ensures you can't plug the wrong type of device into something. Power connectors are keyed by shape, RAM modules are keyed with notches in different places, CPUs will have keys, SATA connectors have an L shape for a key, and M.2 drives are keyed as well. In an M.2, a B key is for PCIe x 2/SATA/USB and so on, and an M key is PCIe x4/SATA.

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

B. DVD-R DS, SL All are digital video disk (DVD) technologies. A single-sided, single-layer (SS, SL) DVD provides about 4.7 GB of storage. A dual-sided (DS) disk will double that capacity to 9.4 GB. 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) disk has a capacity of about 8.5 GB. There is no DVD-R SS, TL, but a DVD+R DS, DL holds nearly 17 GB of data. The -R refers to the encoding scheme. There is also a + R format. There are also number designations to identify how many sides and layers a DVD has. DVD-9 is single side, dual layer, DVD-10 is dual side, single layer, DVD-18 is dual side, dual layer.

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

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

A large display with a wide viewing angle is needed for a small conference room. Which type of LCD would be best? A. VA B. IPS C. LED D. Plasma

B. IPS Of the liquid crystal display (LCD) choices given, IPS have the better viewing angle. LCDs can be twisted nematic (TN), in-plane switching (IPS), or vertical alignment (VA). VA has a greater contrast ratio, but it has a narrower viewing angle than IPS. TN is legacy technology. LED refers to a type of backlighting, and plasma displays are not a type of LCD.

What type of printer driver is best to use if you'll be printing mostly documents and want to have the PC released to do other jobs more quickly? A. Allow Windows to install its default driver. B. Install the PCL driver. C. Install the PostScript driver. D. Driver choice won't have an effect.

B. Install the PCL driver. Printer Control Language (PCL) drivers depend on the printer hardware to create some of the effects such as filling in areas and making underlines. The PC releases the print job to the printer to finish, making the PC and application available to the user more quickly.

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

B. RAID array C. Gigabit NIC 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 -1 or RAID 5 array can help recover from hard drive failure.

You need to purchase RAM for a computer. Which factors determine the speed of memory you should purchase? (Choose two.) A. CPU speed B. RAM speed supported by the motherboard C. RAM speed supported by the processor D. RAM speed supported by the TPM chip

B. RAM speed supported by the motherboard C. RAM speed supported by the processor The speed of RAM that a computer can use is limited by the speed of the motherboard's memory bus and the speed of RAM supported by the processor, especially now that the memory controller is part of the processor. Even if faster RAM is purchased, it will run at the slower speed of the memory bus or what the processor supports.

You're setting up a server that can't possibly have downtime. Which of the items below do you need to make sure you have connected to it? A. HBA B. Redundant power supply C. Display D. Dual rail power supply

B. Redundant power supply If you have a system that can't have any downtime, then you need to have redundant everything. An HBA is a host bus adapter, which you only need if connecting external devices. A display doesn't have anything to do with redundancy. A dual rail power supply can still fail. For this situation you would want redundant power supplies that are hot-swappable.

Of the following fiber connectors, which are used for duplex (two strands instead of one)? (Choose two.) A. ST B. SC C. FC D. LC

B. SC D. LC Both SC and LC connectors are square and can be purchased in single or duplex connectors. SC is square and is a push/pull design. ST have a bayonet connection. FC connectors have a threaded coupling. LC connectors are smaller at 1.25 mm and have a latching mechanism to keep them in place, making them good for rack mount use. SC, FC, and ST connectors are 2.5 mm. There are other connectors on the market, but not on the A+ exam.

What type of data cable transmits data only one bit at a time, but very fast? A. Plenum B. Serial C. Parallel D. Ethereal

B. Serial Data transmissions can be parallel, meaning multiple bits at the same time in parallel with each other, or they can be serial, meaning only one bit at a time. It would seem that parallel transmissions should be faster, but they aren't. In fact, modern peripheral and hard drive cables all send data in series.

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. This is a dual-channel motherboard. D. For optimal performance, you should install RAM modules into the two blue slots. Dual-channel motherboards have two banks of two RAM slots. They are usually color-coded such that the two slots of the same color belong to different channels. For best performance, a RAM module needs to be installed into each channel, so two can be accessed at a time. It's always best to refer to the motherboard manual for proper RAM placement. Some motherboards will revert to single-channel mode if, for example, three RAM modules were placed in a dual-channel motherboard with four slots. Channels are typically marked with letters.

What is the (approximate) maximum theoretical bandwidth of a PCIe x16 slot, version 5.0? A. 500 MBps B. 1,000 MBps C. 64 GBps D. 128 GBps

C. 64 GBps There are five major versions of PCIe currently specified: 1.x, 2.x, 3.0, 4.0 and 5.0. For the five versions, a single bidirectional lane operates at a data rate of 250 MBps, 500 MBps, approximately 1 GBps, roughly 2 GBps, and nearly 4 GBps respectively. Each PCIe slot can have up to 16 lanes, the number of lanes being indicated by x1, x4, x8, x16. (The x is pronounced as by.) Therefore, a PCIe 5.0 x16 slot can support up to 64 GBps of bandwidth. (16 × 4 = 64).

You need a PC solution that is capable of accepting video footage from a gaming console or video camera and saving it in a file. You also want to ensure that it won't skip, lag, or freeze. Which of the following would be the best solution? A. Webcam B. FireWire card C. Capture card D. Screen-capture software

C. Capture card A webcam would be very inefficient and difficult solution at best, and FireWire would not be fast enough for today's systems. While screen-capture software might work, the best solution would be to install a capture card either as a discrete (external) unit or in a PCIe slot on a motherboard. The capture card can take some of the workload off the processor, making the video less likely to skip, lag, or freeze.

Your office has a laser printer, and your 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. Duplexing assembly 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.

You're building a SAN for your company. Which of the following will you most likely need to install in your server to attach the server to the SAN? A. NIC B. Modem C. Fibre Channel HBA D. WAP

C. Fibre Channel HBA A SAN (storage area network) is a separate network that has only storage devices on it, but you still need a way to connect to that storage. Connecting can be done through a host bus adapter (HBA) connected through the PCIe bus on a network server's motherboard. Since Fibre Channel (FC) networks are so fast, they are often used for SANs.

Your company owns a 3D printer and has asked you to order the consumable materials for it. It is an extrusion type printer that is used to make small plastic parts. What is the material called that you'll order for it? A. Toner B. Ink C. Filament D. Resin

C. Filament Extrusion type 3D printers heat material called filament from a roll and force it through a narrow nozzle while the nozzle is moved to the appropriate spot to build an object layer by layer. Filament is available in different thickness and characteristics, so it's important to verify exactly what type of filament the printer uses before ordering it.

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. Two B. Three C. Four D. Five

C. Four 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 a minimum of four hard disks.

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

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

You're installing a new printer and notice that the manufacturer has provided two drivers with the printer. One is a PostScript driver and the other is a Printer Control Language (PCL) driver. The user will mainly be printing graphics. Which driver should you install? A. Allow Windows to install its default driver. B. Install the PCL driver. C. Install the PostScript driver. D. Either driver will work equally well.

C. Install the PostScript driver. Windows comes with many drivers for different devices, but if the manufacturer has provided a specific printer driver, it's often best to install that printer driver first, then connect the device. In this case, the user will be printing mostly graphics, so the PostScript driver will provide better printing for them. PostScript drivers are not dependent on the hardware, so the printed graphic will look the same regardless of what device it is printed on.

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. Mini-PCI

C. PCIe PCIe uses lanes. Each lane between any two intercommunicating devices consists of a separate pair of wires, one for each direction of traffic, which dramatically increases speed.

What is the purpose of a Molex connector? A. Parallel data communications B. Serial data communications C. Power connections D. Fan connectors on the motherboard

C. Power connections Molex connectors have a metal sleeve inside a plastic housing. Technically they can come in any number of connections but those used most often in computer systems are 4 pin, 6 pin, 8 pin, and 20/24 pin. They are used to provide power to various devices and the motherboard.

You are trying to replace a hard drive in an older system. The connector has 68 pins, along two rows. You believe from the printing on the motherboard that it is a 16-bit connection. What type of drive do you have to replace? A. SATA B. ATA C. SCSI D. NVMe

C. SCSI The 16-bit SCSI drives were connected by a Molex type connector, two rows of pins, totaling 68 pins.

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 (rpm) D. Platter size

C. Spin rate (rpm) 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, which is measured in revolutions per minute (rpm). The downside of higher speed is usually more heat generated by the drive, so faster hard drives may require additional cooling in the case.

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 TCP printing allows clients 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 motherboard in your desktop computer supports dual-channel memory. Which of the following statements regarding RAM in this motherboard are true? (Choose two.) 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 not in dual-channel mode. D. The RAM will work in dual-channel mode if two identical modules are installed.

C. The RAM will work if only one module is installed but not in dual-channel mode. D. The RAM will work in dual-channel mode if two identical modules are installed. 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. If there is only one RAM module installed in one channel, then you can't possibly take advantage of the dual-channel architecture.

Which type of printing technology might require replacing a heating element if it is no longer making images on waxy paper? A. Laser B. Inkjet C. Thermal D. 3D printer

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

A technician needs to install an optical disk system with capacity to burn disks storing about 60 GB of data at one time. What is the minimum technology required to get over this threshold? A. DVD-10 B. DVD-18 C. Triple BDXL D. Quad BDXL

C. Triple BDXL A Blu-ray Disc Extra Large (BDXL) can store up to 128 GB of data, (Quad BDXL) although most for sale boast only 100 GB of storage (Triple BDXL). Blu-ray is the latest rendition of optical disks, but DVDs are still available, and come in single layer (SL), dual layer (DL), single side (SS) and dual side (DS) formats. DVD-18 (DS, DL) hold approximately 16 GB of data. DVD-10 (DS, SL) can hold approximately 9GB, and DVD-9 (SS, DL) hold approximately 8 GB of storage. DVD-9 and DVD-10 can both be DVD+R or DVD-R format but DVD-18 can only be the DVD+R format.

A customer wants you to upgrade their motherboard so that they can have the fastest video connection possible. They want to know how fast PCIe 4 is. What will you tell them the data rate of a single lane of PCIe 4 is? A. 250 MBps B. 500 MBps C. 1 GBps D. 2 GBps

D. 2 GBps There are five major versions of PCIe currently specified: 1.x, 2.x, 3.0, 4.0 and 5.0. Each version doubles the data transfer rate of the version before. For the four versions, a single bidirectional lane operates at a data rate of 250 MBps, 500 MBps, approximately 1 GBps, roughly 2 GBps, and nearly 4 GBps respectively. In any version of PCIe, there can be up to 16 lanes, so for example, in theory, a PCIe 4.0 x16 connector could transfer nearly 32 GB/s (1.969 GB/s per lane, x 16 lanes). You might find it helpful in your studies to locate or create a chart of the different versions and bandwidth for x1, x4, x8 and x16.

You have been asked to purchase new RAM for three workstations. The workstations call for DDR4 3600 chips. What throughput will these modules support? A. 450 Mbps B. 1,800 Mbps C. 3,600 Mbps D. 28,800 Mbps

D. 28,800 Mbps The number designation of 3600 in DDR4 3600 indicates bus speed of 3,600 MHz. To find the throughput, multiply the bus speed by 8. DDR4 3600 therefore is the same as PC4 28,800 with a peak transfer rate of 28,800 Mbps. (3,600,000 cycles per second x 8 = 28,800,000 bits per second. Divide by 1000 to get Mbps = 28,800).

A medical office needs to make all old records available electronically. What device can they install on their printer to make scanning hundreds of documents go more quickly? A. High-capacity paper tray B. Flatbed scanner C. Duplexing assembly D. Automatic document feeder

D. Automatic document feeder An automatic document feeder (ADF) is a device that sits on top of a flatbed scanner. It is used to pull a stack of papers through and scan them one at a time without user intervention. Some MFDs will scan the front and back of the paper at the same time.

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. Calibration 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 printheads aligned so that they print evenly and don't print funny-looking letters and unevenly spaced lines.

An inkjet printer doesn't seem to be moving the printhead to the right area. What two components within an inkjet printer are responsible for moving the printhead into proper position and therefore could be the problem? A. Carriage and belt B. Roller and belt C. Carriage motor and roller D. Carriage motor and belt

D. Carriage motor and belt The motor that makes the printhead 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 printhead carriage back and forth.

You've been asked to replace some UTP network cable with other UTP cable that is capable of 10 Gbps. The longest drop is 75 meters from the network rack. What is the lowest category of cable that can meet your needs? A. Cat 5 B. Cat 5e C. Cat 6 D. Cat 6a

D. Cat 6a Cat 6 and newer can support 10 Gbps, but Cat 6 can only go 55 meters at 10 Gbps. To go 100 meters you'll need Cat 6a. Cat 5e's top speed is 1 Gbps, and Cat 5 is only 100 Mbps.

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. Developing 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 (-100 VDC) as opposed to unexposed areas of the drum and the developing roller (to which the toner is stuck), which each have a charge of −600 VDC.

The toner is falling off every paper that comes out of a user's laser printer. Which component, responsible for heating up and melting the toner into the paper, do you need to replace? A. Transfer corona assembly B. Pickup rollers C. Exit assembly D. Fuser assembly

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

Your friend is looking over your shoulder as you work on a computer. They ask what all the pins sticking up are. Some are labeled USB1, some USB2, and others are labeled front panel. What is the generic term for these pins on the motherboard? A. Ports B. Pins C. Standoffs D. Headers

D. Headers These pins are called headers. The ones mentioned connect the motherboard to the case front, where you will find USB ports, power buttons, HDD status lights, and reset switches.

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

D. Hybrid 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.

You have a motherboard that has 16 RAM slots. It is a quad-channel, with four RAM slots for each channel. The slots are all black, but they are labeled A1, A2, A3, A4, B1, B2, B3, B4, and so on. To take advantage of the quad-channel feature, how will you install the RAM modules? A. Any four slots will work for quad channel. B. Install them all in the "A" slots. C. Install them in A1, B2, C3, and D4. D. Install them in A1, B1, C1, and D1.

D. Install them in A1, B1, C1, and D1. Typically in a motherboard with multichannel support, the channels will be labeled with a letter (A, B, C, D). To take advantage of the multichannel capabilities, you would install one RAM module in each channel. Lowest numbered slots are usually filled first, so you would use slot 1 (or zero, if numbering started there) of each channel. You should, of course, always consult the motherboard documentation.

You notice that a fan on a power supply has stopped turning and you will need to replace it. 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, which in turn draws cooler air in through vents in the case.

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, which in turn draws cooler air in through vents in the case. The power supply fan is used to cool the power supply and the inside of the computer case. 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, which also causes cooler air to be drawn in through vents in the case.

Which of the following is the defining characteristic of a passive heatsink 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. It does not require a fan or power. 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. Their advantage is that they are the ultimate in cooling system quiet because there is no fan or pump running.

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. Touchscreen B. Docking station C. Set-top controller D. KVM switch

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

What was the connectivity port/cable end Apple used to replace the 30-pin dock connector beginning in 2012? A. RS-232 B. Mini-HDMI C. Micro-USB D. Lightning

D. Lightning Lightning was introduced in autumn 2012 and still works on the Apple 13, released in 2021. RS-232 is a type of serial connection that dates back to 1960. Mini-HDMI is a smaller version of HDMI for smaller devices and will require a mini-HDMI-to-HDMI adapter to plug in a display. MicroUSB is a type of USB connector that was popular for a time.

You're considering a power supply that has interchangeable cables that plug into and out of the power supply so that you can have exactly the connectors you need and not have extra cables taking up space in the case. What type of power supply is this? A. ATX B. ATX12V C. Molex D. Modular

D. Modular A modular power supply allows you to use only the connectors you need by plugging and unplugging compatible cables into the PSU.

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. Multithreading

D. Multithreading Multithreading is a feature of processors that divides physical processor cores into logical cores, and software processes into multiple threads that can be run concurrently on those logical cores. As a result, the operating system can schedule two processes at the same time on each physical core. Intel's implementation of multithreading is called hyperthreading.

You installed a new motherboard because the previous one failed. Your new motherboard doesn't have a VGA display port; it has onboard HDMI. Your display only uses VGA. What is the least expensive option to resolve this dilemma? A. Purchase a new display. B. Return the motherboard and choose a different one. C. Purchase a video card with a VGA port on it. D. Purchase an HDMI-to-VGA adapter.

D. Purchase an HDMI-to-VGA adapter. Although the more fun answer is to purchase a new display, the question asks what would be the least expensive, and that is to purchase an HDMI-to-VGA adapter. There are adapters for almost everything on a computer system, so in a case like this, that would be the quickest and least expensive solution.

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. Remove the toner cartridge from the printer before shipping. 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, and a toner spill is difficult to clean up. Remove the toner cartridge first. You can put it in a sealed, airtight bag to ship if needed.

When discussing video displays, 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 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.

Using the T568B wiring standard on both ends of a cable would produce what type of network cable? A. T568B on both ends is not a working network cable. B. T568B is a telephone wiring standard. C. T568B on both ends is a crossover network cable. D. T568B on both ends is a straight-through network cable.

D. T568B on both ends is a straight-through network cable. A cable with the same T568 standard on both ends is a straight-through network cable. These are used for patch cables and network drops. If you have a T568A on one end and a T568B on the other, that's a crossover cable.

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 50 Hz frequency from the wall outlet and the United States standard is 60 Hz. D. The power supply voltage switch needs to be moved.

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

Which of the following does not apply with triple channel memory? A. Triple the 64-bit communication path to the CPU B. Triple the speed with which memory is accessed C. Requires installation of three matched memory modules D. Triple the memory access latency

D. Triple the memory access latency Triple channel memory is achieved when three matching memory modules are installed, permitting data to be spread and memory accessed simultaneously. The effect is lower memory latency, triple the access speed (compared to single channel), and triple the 64-bit communication path.