Term
| A tower case conserves space since it can double as a monitor stand. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| A DVI port transmits a video signal and is also called a DB-15 port. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| An Ethernet port has a connector called an RJ-45 to connect to a network cable. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Functions that used to be provided by expansion cards are more often found as onboard ports today. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Hard drives have three connections for cables: one for reading data, one for writing data, and one for power. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| When disassembling a computer, it’s okay to stack circuit boards on top of each other as long as you follow ESD protection rules. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Immediately after you unplug the computer from the power outlet, you’re safe to begin working inside the case. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| The motherboard sits on elevated screw holes or spacers to keep it from touching the case. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| A system always needs the 4-pin auxiliary power connector, and sometimes needs the P1 connector as well. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| A board with PCIe slots might have a 4-pin Molex power connector to provide additional power to some types of PCIe boards. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| When you build a computer from parts, you usually start by deciding on which processor and motherboard you will use. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| A FlexATX motherboard is larger than an ATX motherboard. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Typically, PGA sockets give better contact than LGA sockets. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Sandy Bridge processors house the memory controller and graphics controller. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Motherboards contain only a single bus for I/O, video, and data. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| The two major manufacturers of processors are Intel and NVIDIA. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Multiple processors can be installed in a single processor housing. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| When installing a processor, you must line up the red circle on the processor with the right-angle mark on the motherboard. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| After installing the processor, if the system begins the boot process and suddenly turns off before completing the boot, the processor is most likely overheating. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Today’s DIMMs use a 64-bit data path. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| The 2.5” size hard drive is typically used in devices such as MP3 players. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| The read/write head on a magnetic hard drive is at both the top and bottom of each disk. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| The 80-conductor IDE cable has 80 pins and 40 wires. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Each IDE header on a motherboard can support up to two IDE devices. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| If you connect the floppy cable in the wrong direction, the floppy drive light stays on continuously. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Which type of port transmits both digital audio and digital video with a single connector?
a.
S-Video
c.
HDMI
b.
DVI
d.
VGA |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Which of the following is an audio port that connects to an external home theater audio system, providing digital audio output?
a.
S/PDIF
c.
Thunderbolt
b.
FireWire
d.
eSATA |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Which of the following is NOT true of a motherboard?
a.
also called a system board
c.
has a heat sink on the PCIe slots
b.
has a CPU socket
d.
has slots for DIMMs |
|
Definition
c.
has a heat sink on the PCIe slots |
|
|
Term
Which of the following is most likely to be installed in a PC, is considered primary storage, and has Windows 7 installed on it?
a.
floppy drive
c.
hard disk drive
b.
tape drive
d.
optical drive |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Which component probably has a dual-voltage selector switch, and has cables that connect to the motherboard and drives?
a.
HDD
c.
DIMM
b.
PSU
d.
PCIe |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Which is the most common form factor used today for computer cases, power supplies, and motherboards?
a.
AT
c.
ATC
b.
ATX
d.
ATI |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Which power supply connector is the main motherboard power connector on most motherboards today?
a.
20-pin
c.
24-pin
b.
8-pin
d.
15-pin |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
If you have a PCI Express Version 2 video card, how many pins will the power connector have if the card requires extra power?
a.
4
c.
5
b.
2
d.
8 |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Which standard provides the best performance for hard drives?
a.
SATA
c.
IDE
b.
PATA
d.
EIDE |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Which unit of electricity measures electrical force and 115 is a common value?
a.
Amp
c.
Volt
b.
Ohm
d.
Watt |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Which unit of electricity measures is used to measure the power consumption of a device?
a.
Amp
c.
Volt
b.
Ohm
d.
Watt |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
What type of component holds its charge even after the power is turned off and the device is unplugged?
a.
memory module
c.
resistor
b.
capacitor
d.
ohm meter |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Which of the following is true about an FRU?
a.
they are not necessary for the computer’s operation
c.
it’s easily repaired by a support technician
b.
all types can be easily disposed of in any trash can
d.
a support technician should know how to replace one |
|
Definition
d.
a support technician should know how to replace one |
|
|
Term
What tool can help discover and report computer errors and conflicts that occur when you first turn on a computer and before the operating system is launched?
a.
POST card
c.
BIOS memory
b.
ROM module
d.
CMOS firmware |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Which of the following is the second step in opening the case of a working computer?
a.
press and hold down the power button for a moment
c.
power down the system and unplug it
b.
back up important data
d.
open the case cover |
|
Definition
c.
power down the system and unplug it |
|
|
Term
To what should you normally clip the ground bracelet before you work inside the computer case?
a.
the grounding plug on the power cord
c.
the side of the computer case
b.
an AC outlet
d.
the top of the power supply |
|
Definition
c.
the side of the computer case |
|
|
Term
What do you call a connector on a motherboard that consists of pins that stick up from the board?
a.
jumper
c.
pin array
b.
socket
d.
header |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Which of the following is NOT a typical connector found on the front panel header?
a.
Power SW
c.
SATA controller
b.
HDD LED
d.
Power LED+ |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Which material is a cooler that sits atop the CPU most likely made of?
a.
brass
c.
steel
b.
copper
d.
lead |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
What is placed between the bottom of the cooler heat sink and the top of the processor that makes an airtight connection between the fan and processor?
a.
fan shield
c.
high-density oil
b.
metal fins
d.
thermal compound |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Along with the processor, what other device is the highest heat producer in the system?
a.
BIOS chip
c.
disk controller
b.
video card
d.
riser card |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Under what circumstance is a liquid cooling system most likely used?
a.
overclocking
c.
multiple hard disks installed
b.
dual-core processing
d.
onboard graphics controller |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
If your computer is in a dirty, dusty environment, what tool should you use periodically to prevent overheating?
a.
all-purpose cleaner
c.
compressed air
b.
chip extractor
d.
wet cloth |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
What determines the physical size of a power supply and the placement of screw holes?
a.
wattage rating
c.
form factor
b.
manufacturer
d.
number of connectors |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Which technology may require that you purchase a power supply that specifically supports that technology?
a.
SLI
c.
DIMM
b.
PCI
d.
USB |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Which of the following is a consideration when purchasing a power supply with the correct wattage?
a.
DIMMs draw the most power
c.
fans draw as much power as a video card
b.
motherboards with CPU tend to draw about the same as a SATA drive
d.
the power supply should be rated 30% higher than your needs |
|
Definition
d.
the power supply should be rated 30% higher than your needs |
|
|
Term
What is the result of using a 3-pin fan connector on a 4-pin header on the motherboard?
a.
the fan will not operate at all
c.
the fan speed cannot be controlled
b.
the fan runs at half speed
d.
you will not be able to connect the fan connector |
|
Definition
c.
the fan speed cannot be controlled |
|
|
Term
What does a small triangle embedded on a connector signify?
a.
use caution when using the connector
c.
the pin near the triangle should be matched with a circular pin
b.
the wire nearest the triangle is pin 1
d.
the connector is optional and need not be attached |
|
Definition
b.
the wire nearest the triangle is pin 1 |
|
|
Term
Which of the following is the smallest motherboard form factor?
a.
MicroATX
c.
MicroBTX
b.
FlexATX
d.
NLX |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Which Intel CPU socket is discontinued?
a.
Socket 478
c.
LGA2011
b.
LGA1155
d.
Socket H |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
What type of socket ensures that even force is applied to the processor when it is being installed in the socket?
a.
ZIF
c.
LGA
b.
FM2
d.
AM3 |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Which of the following is NOT true about Ivy Bridge chipsets compared to earlier products?
a.
use more power
c.
better performance
b.
higher density transistors
d.
released in 2012 |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
What unit is used to measure the frequency of memory, FSB, and the processor?
a.
bps
c.
Hz
b.
mph
d.
MIPS |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
What was the AGP bus designed specifically for?
a.
CPU sockets
c.
memory slots
b.
disk controllers
d.
video cards |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
What type of bus does PCI Express use?
a.
serial
c.
parallel
b.
virtual
d.
logical |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Which of the following represents a method for accessing the BIOS setup program?
a.
boot Windows and go to Control Panel
c.
press a key during the BIOS POST
b.
set a motherboard jumper and start the computer
d.
boot to the BIOS setup floppy disk |
|
Definition
c.
press a key during the BIOS POST |
|
|
Term
Which of the following is a setting you can configure from the BIOS setup program?
a.
disable a Windows driver
c.
configure the screen saver timeout
b.
set the desktop background
d.
change the boot sequence |
|
Definition
d.
change the boot sequence |
|
|
Term
What is a possible remedy if your system hangs at odd time or during the boot?
a.
install new CMOS RAM
c.
flash the BIOS
b.
remove the TPM chip
d.
format the hard disk |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
At what point during the motherboard installation should you install the motherboard drivers?
a.
after Windows successfully boots
c.
after the POST successfully completes
b.
before applying power for the first time
d.
only if you get a blue screen of death when Windows boots |
|
Definition
a.
after Windows successfully boots |
|
|
Term
Which of the following is NOT a feature of a processor?
a.
clock speed
c.
amount of CMOS
b.
processor architecture
d.
multi-core processing |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
What is the general name of the processor feature that AMD calls HyperTransport?
a.
multi-core processing
c.
virtualization support
b.
multithreading
d.
integrated graphics |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Which type of processor memory is located on the processor chip (processor die)?
a.
Level 0 cache
c.
Level 2 cache
b.
Level 1 cache
d.
Level 3 cache |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Which of the following is NOT a component of a processor?
a.
device driver
c.
registers
b.
control unit
d.
memory caches |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Which Intel processor technology interconnects the processor, chipset, and wireless network adapter as a unit, improving laptop performance?
a.
Pentium
c.
Celeron
b.
Core i5
d.
Centrino |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Which of the following is true about installing a processor on a motherboard?
a.
after placing the processor in the socket, you need to lock down the lever
c.
processors are protected from ESD, so you don’t need a grounding bracelet
b.
it’s okay to reuse thermal compound when you remove and reinstall a processor
d.
use plenty of thermal compound, you can never use too much of this substance |
|
Definition
a.
after placing the processor in the socket, you need to lock down the lever |
|
|
Term
What is the most likely result of a correctly installed processor, but an incorrectly installed cooler?
a.
powers on, but nothing else happens
c.
system does not power on at all
b.
boot process begins, but system suddenly turns off after a short period |
|
Definition
b.
boot process begins, but system suddenly turns off after a short period |
|
|
Term
Which type of memory is the main memory installed as DIMMs on a motherboard?
a.
SRAM
c.
DRAM
b.
CMOS RAM
d.
Flash RAM |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Which type of memory can support quad, triple, and dual channels?
a.
DDR3
c.
DDR
b.
DDR2
d.
RIMM |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
What unit of measurement is used for DIMM read and write times?
a.
milliseconds
c.
nanoseconds
b.
microseconds
d.
picoseconds |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Which of the following is true about DIMM technologies?
a.
DDR2 uses 184 pins
c.
SDRAM runs synchronized with the system clock
b.
DDR3 is backward compatible with DDR2
d.
the S in SDRAM stands for static |
|
Definition
c.
SDRAM runs synchronized with the system clock |
|
|
Term
Which of the following is true about DIMM slots?
a.
color coding is used to identify the channel
c.
DDR only supports a single channel
b.
DDR2 and DDR3 support triple channels
d.
a DDR3 DIMM allows access to four memory chips simultaneously on each DIMM |
|
Definition
a.
color coding is used to identify the channel |
|
|
Term
Which of the following statements is NOT true when setting up dual channeling?
a.
a pair in a channel must be equally matched in size, speed and features
c.
each channel runs independently of the other channel
b.
if two DIMM slots do not have matching pairs, single-channeling will be used
d.
if you have two pairs installed in two channels, all four DIMMs must match |
|
Definition
d.
if you have two pairs installed in two channels, all four DIMMs must match |
|
|
Term
What is the transfer rate of a 64-bit module running at 1600 MHz?
a.
1600 MB/second
c.
6400 MB/second
b.
3200 MB/second
d.
12800 MB/second |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
DIMMs used in servers can provide additional reliability if they use which of the following technologies?
a.
EDO
c.
ECC
b.
dual ranked
d.
PC3 |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
A DIMM that holds data and amplifies a signal before the data is written to the module uses which technology?
a.
EDO
c.
parity
b.
registers
d.
CAS |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Which memory technology that is no longer used has a 32-bit data bus, 232 pins and requires a placeholder in empty slots?
a.
CAS RAM
c.
RIMM
b.
SO-DIMM
d.
SIMM |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Which of the following memory configurations definitely will not work when populating a motherboard with DIMMs?
a.
using two different manufacturer’s memory
c.
leaving a slot unpopulated
b.
mixing memory speeds
d.
mixing unbuffered with registered |
|
Definition
d.
mixing unbuffered with registered |
|
|
Term
Which of the following is NOT a necessary precaution when installing memory modules?
a.
use a ground bracelet
c.
unplug the computer
b.
test the motherboard for residual electrical charges
d.
don’t stack modules on top of each other |
|
Definition
b.
test the motherboard for residual electrical charges |
|
|
Term
Which of the following is NOT true about hard disk drives?
a.
the 3.5” size is typically used in desktops
c.
sold state drives are less expensive than magnetic hard drives
b.
a solid state drive has no moving parts
d.
tracks on a hard drive are divided into sectors |
|
Definition
c.
sold state drives are less expensive than magnetic hard drives |
|
|
Term
Which process writes sector markings to a hard drive?
a.
partitioning
c.
high-level formatting
b.
low-level formatting
d.
sector provisioning |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Which hard drive technology is used to predict when a drive is likely to fail?
a.
S.S.D.
c.
N.A.N.D.
b.
S.M.A.R.T.
d.
E.E.P.R.O.M. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Which type of cable is required by ATA/66 and above?
a.
40 pins, 66 wires
c.
66 pins, 40 wires
b.
80 pins, 40 wires
d.
40 pins, 80 wires |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Why would you use a round PATA ribbon cable instead of traditional flat cable?
a.
round cables cost a lot less
c.
round cables provide a better connection than flat cables
b.
round cables obstruct air flow less inside the case
d.
round cables are more resistant to interference |
|
Definition
b.
round cables obstruct air flow less inside the case |
|
|
Term
Why is DMA a better transfer mode than PIO for PATA drives?
a.
DMA has direct access to the CPU
c.
DMA data transfers don’t involve the CPU
b.
The DMA bus is faster than the PIO bus
d.
DMA drives cost less than PIO drives |
|
Definition
c.
DMA data transfers don’t involve the CPU |
|
|
Term
Which SATA standard provides a transfer rate of 3 Gb/sec?
a.
SATA1
c.
SATA3
b.
SATA2
d.
SATA4 |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Which of the following is true about selecting a hard drive?
a.
a faster spindle speed keeps the drive cooler but doesn’t improve performance
c.
FireWire 800 drives are a good choice for fast internal drives
b.
PATA drives are backward compatible with SATA drives
d.
magnetic drives have larger capacity for the money than solid state drives |
|
Definition
d.
magnetic drives have larger capacity for the money than solid state drives |
|
|
Term
If you are adding a hard drive to a system that already has a drive with Windows installed on it, which of the following is true?
a.
you should boot from the Windows setup DVD to prepare the new drive
c.
use the BIOS setup screen to partition and format the new drive
b.
boot Windows and use Disk Management to prepare the new drive
d.
the new hard drive must use the same standard as the Windows drive |
|
Definition
b.
boot Windows and use Disk Management to prepare the new drive |
|
|
Term
Which is true about installing a PATA drive?
a.
each IDE channel supports a single drive
c.
each IDE cable has four connectors for drives
b.
a motherboard can support up to four EIDE devices
d.
you need to set the jumpers to Master when you have only one drive |
|
Definition
b.
a motherboard can support up to four EIDE devices |
|
|
Term
Why might you want to use a RAID 0 disk configuration?
a.
to improve overall disk performance
c.
to prevent data loss in case of a drive failure
b.
RAID 0 drives are less expensive than other RAID drives
d.
because RAID 0 provides an automatic disk backup |
|
Definition
a.
to improve overall disk performance |
|
|
Term
Which of the following best describes RAID 5?
a.
data from one drive is mirrored to another
c.
it requires 3 or more drives and uses parity checking
b.
it improves performance but not fault tolerance
d.
it takes at least four disks and data is striped and mirrored |
|
Definition
c.
it requires 3 or more drives and uses parity checking |
|
|
Term
Which of the following is true about hardware RAID?
a.
Microsoft recommends only using software RAID for the Windows volume
c.
you can only create a RAID 0 or a RAID 5 with hardware RAID
b.
it’s best to install Windows first and then create the RAID array
d.
RAID controllers have their own BIOS |
|
Definition
d.
RAID controllers have their own BIOS |
|
|
Term
Which interface is not typically used for an internal tape drive?
a.
SATA
c.
PATA
b.
FireWire
d.
SCSI |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
How is data stored on magnetic tape?
a.
in parallel
c.
sequentially
b.
in random access form
d.
as optical bits |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
How much data does a 3.5” floppy disk drive hold?
a.
144 KB
c.
14.4 GB
b.
1.44 MB
d.
1440 MB |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
What does a twist in a 34-pin data cable mean?
a.
it indicates drive A:
c.
it should be connected to the primary IDE drive
b.
the cable has been damaged
d.
it is used for USB floppy |
|
Definition
|
|
