3.4 Motherboards, CPUs, Add-on cards Flashcards
Given a scenario install and configure motherboards, CPUs, and Add-on cards
A vulnerability manager is looking at the overall posture of an organization. Which of the following presents a unique challenge that can be harder to patch than traditional enterprise devices since they are often not connected?
-Home Client
-Cell Phone
-Business Client
-NOS
Cell Phone
~A cell phone (smartphone) or tablet is an OS designed to work with a handheld portable device. This type of OS must have a touch-operated interface. The main OSs in this category are Apple iOS, iPadOS, and Android.
~A business client is an OS designed to work in centrally-managed business domain networks.
~A network operating system (NOS) runs servers in business networks. Four mainstream types divide the market for operating systems, of which NOS is one.
~A home client is an OS designed to work as a standalone machine or a workgroup network in a home or small office.
A server technician sets up a small server at home to keep up with emerging technology and to learn in a test environment at home. However, the technician wants a low power consumption to use a small form factor. Also, since the technician is building it from scratch, what type of motherboard should the technician get?
-ATX
-mini-ITX
-mATX
-CompactFlash
Mini-ITX
~Small form factor (SFF) PCs are popular as home machines and mini servers. SFF PCs often use Via’s Mini-ITX (Information Technology Extended) form factor.
~The advanced technology extended (ATX) specification is the standard form factor for most desktop PC motherboards and cases. Full-size ATX boards are 12 inches wide by 9.6 inches deep (or 305 mm x 244 mm).
~The micro-ATX (mATX) standard specifies a 9.6-inch (244 mm x 244 mm) square board. mATX boards can have a maximum of four expansion slots.
~CompactFlash is a different type of memory card larger than an SD card and typically used with cameras, not applicable in this scenario.
A helpdesk technician checks a computer for a developer who complains that the computer is running relatively slow and needs a fast computer. Which of the following will help the technician see if the system is a multi-socket?
-Task Manager
-File Explorer
-Programs and Features
-UEFI
Task Manager
~The CPU page in Task Manager shows whether the system is multi-socket and the number of cores and logical processors (HyperThreading), plus whether virtualization is enabled.
~Newer motherboards may use a different kind of firmware called Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI). UEFI supports 64-bit CPU, a full GUI, mouse operations, and network functionality at boot.
~File management is a critical part of using a computer. Computer support professionals will often have to assist users with locating files.
~The Programs and Features Control Panel applet is the legacy software management interface. Users can use it to install and modify desktop applications and Windows Features.
A curious teenager opens up a desktop case and looks at all the components inside to see how they connect. The teenager is currently looking at a mainstream interface for a modern adapter card. What is the teenager most likely looking at?
-PCI
-eSATA
-PCIe
-SATA
PCIe
*The peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) bus is the mainstream interface for modern adapter cards. It uses point-to-point serial communications, meaning that each component can have a dedicated link to any other component.
~The peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus is a legacy bus type superseded by PCI Express. PCIe is the software compatible with PCI.
~The motherboard will contain several serial advanced technology attachment (SATA) ports to connect one or more fixed drives.
~There is also an external SATA (eSATA) standard for the attachment of external drives, with a 2 m (78 in.) cable.
A computer operator has an x8 PCIe but plugs it into an x16 connector. The operator notices that performance seems to be a bit sluggish. What is the most likely cause?
-The RAM does not match
-It defaulted to a slower speed because of the mismatch
-It is only working at x1
-It is working just fine
It is only working at x1
~An x8 card will fit in an x8 or x16 socket. Therefore, the card should work at x8, but in some circumstances, it may only work at x1.
~It is not that the speed is slower since the card is only working at x1. It may also be possible to fit a longer card into a shorter slot, referred to as down-plugging.
~It is not that the RAM does not match the Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) card. Each PCIe adapter card supports a specific number of lanes, typically x1, x4, x8, or x16.
~If the operator noticed that performance was sluggish, then it was not working fine.
A marketing manager wants to keep a backup of their files on an external drive that is accessible everywhere they go. Which of the following would best suit that purpose?
-M.2
-SATA
-NAS
-eSATA
eSATA
~There is an external SATA (eSATA) standard for the attachment of external drives, with a 2 m (78 in.) cable.
~SATA devices are installed to a drive bay in the chassis and then connected to a data port via a cable and to the power supply via a SATA power or Molex connector.
~An SSD can be provisioned in an adapter card form factor. These often use an M.2 interface.
~Some enclosures can be connected directly to a network rather than to a PC and are referred to as network-attached storage (NAS).
A PC technician is helping out a nonprofit organization who has older laptops. They want to implement data at rest encryption, but the laptops are older and do not support a trusted platform module (TPM). What should the technician use?
-UEFI
-Boot password
-HSM
-PGA
HSM
~A secure USB key or thumb drive used to store cryptographic material can be a hardware security module (HSM), which is useful if the computer does not support TPM.
~A boot password requires the user to authenticate before the operating system is loaded but does not provide encryption.
~Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) supports 64-bit CPU operation at boot, a full GUI and mouse operation at boot, networking functionality at boot, and better boot security.
~Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) uses pin grid array (PGA) form factor chips predominantly. The PGA form factor positions the pins on the underside of the processor package.
A gamer wants to build a new desktop completely from scratch, and the standard regular case has just come in. Which type of motherboard should the gamer order?
-ITX
-RAID
-mATX
-ATX
ATX
~The advanced technology extended (ATX) specification is the standard form factor for most desktop PC motherboards and cases. Full-size ATX boards are 12 inches wide by 9.6 inches deep (or 305 mm x 244 mm).
~Advanced enclosures can host multiple disk units configured as a Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) array.
~The micro-ATX (mATX) standard specifies a 9.6-inch (244 mm x 244 mm) square board. mATX boards can have a maximum of four expansion slots.
~Small form factor (SFF) PCs are popular as home machines and mini servers. SFF PCs often use Via’s Mini-ITX (Information Technology Extended) form factor.
A server administrator assesses various types of server hardware, specifically chipsets. The administrator plans to run a hypervisor on the hardware, which will run several hundred virtual machines. What would be the best chip type to use?
-Emulation
-x86
-ARM
-x64
x64
~The x64 chip is the best and most powerful type to use. The x86 instruction set is extended for 64-bit operation as the x64 instruction set, developed initially by AMD as AMD64 or x86-64.
~This x86 instruction set defines a CPU as IBM PC compatible. Intel and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) designed and manufactured x86 PC processors.
~An advanced reduced instruction set computing (RISC) machine implements a system-on-chip (SoC). SoC means that all controllers, video, sound, networking, and storage are part of the CPU.
~An option for advanced RISC machine (ARM) support is emulation. The ARM device runs a facsimile of an x86 or x64 environment. Windows 10 ARM-based devices use emulation to run x86 and x64 software apps.
A user accidentally entered the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) setup program. How can the user generally get out?
-Mouse
-Escape
-F10
-F2
Mouse
~UEFI setup programs use a graphical interface and have mouse support, though advanced menus may still require keyboard navigation.
~Users navigate a legacy BIOS setup program using the keyboard arrow keys. Pressing Esc generally returns to the previous screen.
~When closing setup, there will be an option to exit and discard changes or save changes. Sometimes this is done with a key (Esc versus F10, for instance), but there is often a prompt.
~F2 is a common way to boot into the BIOS. The key combination used will vary from system to system; typical examples are Esc, Del, F1, F2, F10, or F12.
A vulnerability manager is looking at the overall posture of an organization. Which of the following presents a unique challenge that can be harder to patch than traditional enterprise devices since they are often not connected?
-Cell Phone
-Business Client
-NOS
-Home Client
Cell Phone
~A cell phone (smartphone) or tablet is an OS designed to work with a handheld portable device. This type of OS must have a touch-operated interface. The main OSs in this category are Apple iOS, iPadOS, and Android.
~A business client is an OS designed to work in centrally-managed business domain networks.
~A network operating system (NOS) runs servers in business networks. Four mainstream types divide the market for operating systems, of which NOS is one.
~A home client is an OS designed to work as a standalone machine or a workgroup network in a home or small office.
A medium-size company has a fleet of standard computers that are several years old. A clever manager has realized that most components are fine, but upgrading the RAM will make a significant impact, and users will be happier. They also want to give the appearance that they bought completely new desktops, so they will buy new cases with the memory upgrade. Which of the following cases should they purchase?
-ITX
-mATX
-SFF
-ATX
ATX
~The advanced technology extended (ATX) specification is the standard form factor for most desktop PC motherboards and cases. Full-size ATX boards are 12 inches wide by 9.6 inches deep (or 305 mm x 244 mm).
~The micro-ATX (mATX) standard specifies a 9.6-inch (244 mm x 244 mm) square board. mATX boards can have a maximum of four expansion slots.
~Small form factor (SFF) PCs are popular as home machines and mini servers. SFF PCs often use Via’s Mini-ITX (Information Technology Extended) form factor.
~The original plan ITX specification never produced commercial motherboards.
A server technician sets up a small server at home to keep up with emerging technology and to learn in a test environment at home. However, the technician wants a low power consumption to use a small form factor. Also, since the technician is building it from scratch, what type of motherboard should the technician get?
-mini-ITX
-mATX
-ATX
-CompactFlash
mini-ITX
~Small form factor (SFF) PCs are popular as home machines and mini servers. SFF PCs often use Via’s Mini-ITX (Information Technology Extended) form factor.
~The advanced technology extended (ATX) specification is the standard form factor for most desktop PC motherboards and cases. Full-size ATX boards are 12 inches wide by 9.6 inches deep (or 305 mm x 244 mm).
~The micro-ATX (mATX) standard specifies a 9.6-inch (244 mm x 244 mm) square board. mATX boards can have a maximum of four expansion slots.
~CompactFlash is a different type of memory card larger than an SD card and typically used with cameras, not applicable in this scenario.
A cinematography student wants to record video input and save it as a movie or streaming media file. What should the student use?
-Capture Card
-Video Card
-Sound Card
-NIC
Capture Card
~A graphics card generates an output video signal to drive a monitor. The student uses a capture card to record video input and save it as a movie or streaming media file.
~The video card (or graphics adapter) generates the signal to drive a monitor or projector. The user would require a more powerful video adapter if the user needs a computer for 3-D gaming, computer-aided design (CAD), or digital artwork.
~Audio playback occurs via speakers or headphones connected to a sound card via an audio jack.
~Most computers have an Ethernet network adapter installed as part of the motherboard chipset. However, there may be occasions when users need to install another network interface card (NIC).
A server administrator researches various chipsets for the organization’s physical servers, which use x64 chipsets. Who are the main companies that make these chipsets? (Select all that apply.)
-AMD
-Intel
-Qualcomm
-Samsung
AMD and Intel
~The x86 instruction set is extended for 64-bit operation as the x64 instruction set, developed initially by Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) as AMD64 or x86-64.
~Intel is another big chip manufacturer and refers to it as EM64T or Intel 64. x86 PC processors. Intel and AMD designed and manufactured these 64-bit platforms.
~Qualcomm is one of the main vendors for ARM. Most Android smartphones and tablets in the current generation of Apple hardware use these ARM designs.
~Samsung is also the main vendor for ARM. A typical ARM design implements a system-on-chip (SoC).
A computer specialist works on a personal computer and needs to locate the soft power. Where would that be?
-Power button
-Drive Power
-Audio Ports
-USB ports
Power Button
~The power button (soft power) sends a signal interpreted by the OS as a command to shut down rather than switch the PC off. However, holding down the power button for a few seconds will cut the power.
~Drive (HDD) activity lights show when an internal hard disk is accessed.
~Audio ports allow speakers, headphones, and a microphone to connect to the computer.
~USB ports are internal USB 2 connections made via 9-pin headers, which accept up to two 4-pin port connections (the ninth pin is to orient the cable correctly). USB 3 headers use a 2x10 format, and a technician can cable the two ports.
An IT manager reads news about remote access trojans and modifying the core operating system. What can the manager do to protect the integrity of a core operating system?
-TPM
-USB permissions
-Boot Password
-Hardware Security Module(HSM)
TPM
~During the boot process, the trusted platform module (TPM) compares hashes of key system state data (system firmware, boot loader, and OS kernel) to ensure no tampering has occurred.
~On many systems, allowing the connection of USB devices is a security risk. Therefore, the setup program might allow individual ports to be enabled or disabled.
~A boot password requires the user to authenticate before the operating system is loaded. Different system software will provide different support for authentication methods.
~Secure means that the user must authenticate with a password, personal identification number (PIN), or fingerprint before accessing the keys stored on the module.
A curious IT professional takes old cell phones and looks at the various components inside to see how similar and different they are to a computer. The professional looks at a chipset to determine what type of chip it uses. The IT professional is most likely looking at what?
-ARM
-Emulation
-x86
-x64
ARM
~An advanced reduced instruction set computing (RISC) machine design implements a system-on-chip (SoC). SoC means that all the controllers, video, sound, networking, and storage are part of the CPU.
~The x86 instruction set is extended for 64-bit operation as the x64 instruction set, developed initially by AMD as AMD64 or x86-64. Intel refers to it as EM64T or Intel 64.
~This x86 instruction set defines a CPU as IBM PC compatible. Intel and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) designed and manufactured x86 PC processors.
~An option for advanced RISC machine (ARM) support is emulation. The ARM device runs a facsimile of an x86 or x64 environment. For example, windows 10 ARM-based devices use emulation to run x86 and x64 software apps.
An avid gamer receives a new rig that should handle games at their most intensive graphics settings. The gamer starts immediately and finds that the desktop runs quite warm, but the fans have not started kicking in yet. What is the first thing the gamer should check?
-Check Power
-UEFI
-Power-Thermal Paste
-Heat Sink
UEFI
*System settings can control most cooling fans, typically under a cooling, power, or advanced menu. The Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) can control this.
~If the settings look normal, the next step would be to check to ensure the fan has power.
~When a technician installs a central processing unit (CPU), a heat sink and fan cover it, and the CPU socket has a distinctive square shape.
~The heat sink is “glued” to the surface of the chip using a thermal paste to ensure the best transfer of heat by eliminating small air gaps.
A curious IT professional is exploring how AMD and Intel graphics cards operate. They are conducting a basic test for the frame rate it can produce for a particular game or application. Which part of the graphics card is the IT professional testing?
-GPU
-Video Port
-HSM
-Memory
GPU
~The graphics processing unit (GPU) is a microprocessor designed and optimized for processing instructions that render 2-D and 3-D images and effects on-screen.
~3-D cards need a substantial amount of memory for processing and texture effects. A dedicated card may be fitted with up to 12 GB of GDDR RAM at the high end.
~The video ports are the type and number of connectors, such as HDMI, DisplayPort, and Thunderbolt.
~Secure means that the user must authenticate with a password, personal identification number (PIN), or fingerprint before accessing the keys stored on the Hardware security module (HSM).
A PC technician is diagnosing a faulty laptop and finds that the memory has likely gone bad, so the technician opens the case to try and replace it. However, the technician gets sidetracked when noticing that the SSD is provisioned in an adapter card form factor. What format is this most likely in?
-M.2
-SATA
-eSATA
-SAN
M.2
~A technician can provision a solid-state drive (SSD) in an adapter card form factor. These often use an M.2 interface. As well, an M.2 port orients horizontally.
~The motherboard will contain several serial advanced technology attachment (SATA) ports to connect one or more fixed drives.
~There is also an external SATA (eSATA) standard for the attachment of external drives, with a 2 m (78 in.) cable.
~Within an enterprise local area network (LAN) or datacenter, a storage area network (SAN) provisions access to a configurable pool of storage devices that application servers can use.
A server administrator often downloads large files onto the desktop provisioned as virtual machines. The administrator often waits for hours, even though there is a physical connection to the internet. The company’s internet should be able to handle significantly faster downloads. What component should the administrator upgrade to increase their download?
-NIC
-Hard Drive
-Memory
-Capture Card
NIC
~A dedicated network interface card (NIC) may also provide multiple ports. The administrator can bond these into a single higher bandwidth link.
~Increasing the hard drive will not help in this case. If it had been a space issue, the administrator would not have downloaded the file at all.
~Memory is not the issue while downloading. However, if the administrator ran into an issue while deploying the virtual image onto the desktop, it would have likely been a memory issue.
~The administrator is not working with video. A graphics card generates an output video signal to drive a monitor. A capture card records video input and saves it as a type of movie.
A PC technician often likes to build computers from scratch and resell them. The technician is researching chip architectures and is interested in a system-on-chip. What does the technician have an interest in?
-ARM
-x64
-x86
-Emulation
ARM
~An advanced reduced instruction set computing (RISC) machine design implements a system-on-chip (SoC). SoC means that all the controllers, video, sound, networking, and storage are part of the CPU.
~The x86 instruction set is extended for 64-bit operation as the x64 instruction set, developed initially by AMD as AMD64 or x86-64. Intel refers to it as EM64T or Intel 64.
~This x86 instruction set defines a CPU as IBM PC compatible. Intel and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) designed and manufactured x86 PC processors.
~An option for advanced RISC machine (ARM) support is emulation. The ARM device runs a facsimile of an x86 or x64 environment. For example, windows 10 ARM-based devices use emulation to run x86 and x64 software apps.
A PC technician is helping out a nonprofit organization who has older laptops. They want to implement data at rest encryption, but the laptops are older and do not support a trusted platform module (TPM). What should the technician use?
-HSM
-Boot password
-UEFI
-PGA
HSM - hardware security module
~A secure USB key or thumb drive used to store cryptographic material can be a hardware security module (HSM), which is useful if the computer does not support TPM.
~A boot password requires the user to authenticate before the operating system is loaded but does not provide encryption.
~Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) supports 64-bit CPU operation at boot, a full GUI and mouse operation at boot, networking functionality at boot, and better boot security.
~Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) uses pin grid array (PGA) form factor chips predominantly. The PGA form factor positions the pins on the underside of the processor package.
