3.5 – Given a scenario, install and configure motherboards, CPUs, and add-on cards

Question 1

What does Hyper-Threading do?
❍ A. It gives you multiple cores within the CPU.
❍ B. It enables four simultaneous threads to be processed by one CPU core.
❍ C. It enables two simultaneous threads to be processed by one CPU core.
❍ D. It provides a high-speed connection from the CPU to RAM.

Answer 1

C. Hyper-Threading allows for an operating system to send two simultaneous
threads to be processed by a single CPU core. The OS views the CPU core as
two virtual processors. Multiple cores would imply multicore technology, which
means there are two physical processing cores within the CPU package. HyperTransport is a high-speed connection used by AMD from the CPU to RAM.

Question 2

What seals the tiny gaps between the CPU cap and the heat sink?
 ❍ A. Grape jelly
 ❍ B. Plumber’s putty
 ❍ C. 3-in-1 house oil
 ❍ D. Thermal compound
 ❍ E. TDP

Answer 2

D. Thermal compound/thermal paste is used to seal the small gaps between
the CPU and heat sink. It is sometimes referred to as thermal gel or jelly (among
a variety of other names), but not grape jelly. (Did I ever tell you about the time
I found grape jelly inside a customer’s computer? Fun times.) Note: Never use
petroleum-based products (such as 3-in-1 oil or WD-40) inside a computer; the
oils can damage the components over time. TDP stands for thermal design power

Question 3

Which of the following can be defined as the amount of heat generated by the
CPU, which the cooling system is required to dissipate?
❍ A. GPU
❍ B. TDP
❍ C. PSU
❍ D. 140 watts

Answer 3

B. TDP (thermal design power) is the amount of power required to cool a computer and is linked directly to the amount of heat a CPU creates. Some CPUs
come with a built-in graphics processing unit (GPU). This means that with a compatible motherboard, no separate video card is necessary. PSU stands for power
supply unit. 140 watts is a potential TDP rating but does not define what TDP is.

Question 4

When deciding on a CPU for use with a specific motherboard, what does it need
to be compatible with?
 ❍ A. Case
 ❍ B. Socket
 ❍ C. Wattage range
 ❍ D. PCIe slots

Answer 4

B. The CPU needs to be compatible with the socket of the motherboard. The case
doesn’t actually make much of a difference when it comes to the CPU. (Just make
sure it’s large enough!) There is no wattage range, but you should be concerned
with the voltage range of the CPU. PCI Express (PCIe) slots don’t actually play
into this at all because there is no direct connectivity between the two.

Question 5

Which kind of socket incorporates “lands” to ensure connectivity to a CPU?
 ❍ A. PGA
 ❍ B. Chipset
 ❍ C. LGA
 ❍ D. Copper
 ❍ E. AM4

Answer 5

C. LGA (Land Grid Array) is the type of socket that uses “lands” to connect the
socket to the CPU. PGA (Pin Grid Array) sockets have pinholes that make for connectivity to the CPU’s copper pins. AM4 is a PGA socket that accepts AMD CPUs
such as the Ryzen 7.

Question 6

Which of the following enables the user to increase the base clock within the
BIOS, thereby increasing the clock speed of the CPU?
❍ A. Overclocking
❍ B. L3 cache
❍ C. Integrated GPU
❍ D. Heat sink

Answer 6

A. Overclocking enables the user to increase the clock speed of the CPU within
the BIOS. Level 3 (L3) cache comes in the largest capacities of the three types of
cache and has the most latency; therefore, it is the slowest. If the CPU can’t find
what it needs in L1, it moves to L2 and finally to L3. An integrated GPU is a video
adapter that is built into the motherboard. The heat sink helps to dissipate heat
from the CPU and is usually aided by a fan or liquid cooling system.