3.5 Given a scenario install & configure motherboards, CPU's & add on cards Flashcards
1
Q
What does ATX stand for?
A
Advanced technology extended
2
Q
When was ATX founded, what power connectors are used and what distinguishes ATX form factor from ITX?
A
Founded Intel 1995
Power connectors
20pin connector
24pin connector
additional 4/8 pin connector
ATX is a full-sized motherboard (up to seven slots) for full-sized cases
3
Q
What characteristics determine motherboard form factors?
A
- Physical size - case sizing
- Basic layout - room for small changes
- Power - standard connectors
- Airflow - increasingly important
4
Q
What is Mirco ATX (uATX)?
A
Smaller than an ATX motherboard • Max 4 PCI slots • Max 4 Ram slots • Backward compatibility • Similar mounting points • Similar power • Actively manufactured as of 2019
Exam Tip:
ITX is the original, defunct version of the smaller and much more popular Mini-ITX (mITX) motherboard.
5
Q
What is ITX and what does it stand for?
A
Information Technology EXtended ITX is leader in small form factor (SSF) field • A series of low-power motherboards • Developed by VIA Technologies in 2001 • Mini-ITX is screw-compatible with ATX and microATX • Fits almost any enclosure • Small form factor uses • Single-purpose computing, i.e., streaming media
Exam Tip
ITX is the original, defunct version of the smaller and much more popular Mini-ITX (mITX) motherboard.
6
Q
Motherboards are more than the home of RAM and CPUs. Storage, video, I/O, and other types of devices are also connected to the motherboard, as you learn in the following sections. These devices are connected to each other through the slots, wires, and support chips built into the motherboard and are collectively known as what?
A
Expansion bus
7
Q
What is a computer bus?
A
A system bus is a single computer bus that connects the major components of a computer system, combining the functions of a data bus to carry information, an address bus to determine where it should be sent, and a control bus to determine its operation.
8
Q
What is the function of expansion bus?
A
An expansion bus is a computer bus which moves information between the internal hardware of a computer system (including the CPU and RAM) and peripheral devices.
9
Q
What are the 3 types of expansion bus?
A
Industry Standard Architecture (ISA)
Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP)
Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI)
10
Q
How is expansion bus width measured?
A
in bits
11
Q
Which clock does the expansion bus use?
A
It’s own clock meaursed in -
Mhz
Ghz
12
Q
True or false -
Clock speed always equals transfer rate
A
False:
Clock speed does not necessarily equal transfer rate
DDR3 SDRAM can transfer 64 times the memory clock
speed
13
Q
What does PCI stand for and when was it created?
A
Peripheral Component Interconnect 1994
14
Q
How is the width of PCI measured?
A
Bits
15
Q
What are the widths for conventional PCI?
A
32-bit and 64-bit
16
Q
What is throughput of conventional PCI
A
- 133 MB/s (32-bit at 33 MHz)
- 266 MB/s (32-bit at 66 MHz or 64-bit at 33 MHz)
- 533 MB/s (64-bit at 66 MHz)
17
Q
Does PCI us serial or parallel communication?
A
Parallel communication
18
Q
What is PCIe?
A
PCI Express (PCIe) is the latest, fastest, and most popular expansion bus in use today.
19
Q
How does PCIe differ from PCI?
A
- Much faster
- Uses point to point serial connection instead of shared parallel connection
- Connects to North bridge instead of shared south bridge
20
Q
What is serial point to point communication?
A
A PCIe lane uses a wire each to send and receive.
21
Q
How many lanes does PCIe support?
A
1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, or 32 lanes
22
Q
Each direction of a lane runs at the following speeds depending upon the PCIe version supported by the card or device and the motherboard:
A
PCIe 1.0: 2.5 gigatransfers per second (GTps)
PCIe 2.0: 5.0 GTps
PCIe 3.0: 8.0 GTps
PCIe 4.0: 16.0 GTps)
23
Q
What is a riser card?
A
Riser cards are often used to allow adding expansion cards to a system enclosed in a low-profile case where the height of the case does not allow for a perpendicular placement of the full-height expansion card. A riser card is a board that plugs into the system board and provides additional slots for adapter cards.
24
Q
What are CPU sockets?
A
Most desktop motherboards use sockets to accommodate different CPU models, although a few have soldered-in-place CPUs. AMD and Intel CPUs use different sockets and different internal architectures, so their CPUs are not interchangeable.
25
What is LGA and PGA?
Land grid array - Intel
| Pin grid array - AMD
26
What socket is used to insert CPU's?
ZIF zero insertion force socket
27
What is a SATA connector
```
SATA Hard Drive Connectors
Serial ATA (SATA) is the SATA-IO standard interface for storage devices connecting with consumer devices. SATA replaces the parallel ATA bus to meet the increased bandwidth and performance demands of hard disk drive (HDD) storage applications.
```
28
What is IDE?
Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) is a standard interface for connecting a motherboard to storage devices such as hard drives and CD-ROM/DVD drives. The original IDE had a 16-bit interface that connected two devices to a single-ribbon cable.
29
What is the front panel connector used for?
used for wires such as the case power switch
power and drive activity signal lights
reset button
and more.
30
Internal USB connectors are available in which two common form factors?
USB 2.0 header -
9-pin rectangular connector Supports 2 x USB 2.0 ports
USB 3.0 header -
19-pin rectangular connector
supports 2 x USB 3.0 ports
31
What are the 6 steps to installing a motherboard?
1. Be sure to take precautions against ESD. Always wear your anti-static wrist strap.
2. Make sure the case’s brass standoff spacers match the mounting holes on the motherboard. You might need to unscrew some of them and move them around or add additional spacers.
3. Install the CPU and heat sink/fan, and RAM before you install the motherboard, to avoid cracking the motherboard.
4. Line up the I/O shield that fits between the hole for the port cluster and the motherboard from the inside of the case before fastening the motherboard into place. The ports in the port cluster will help to hold the shield in case.
5. Before fastening the motherboard into place, connect front-panel wires, fans, and front-mounted port cables. These might be difficult to access after the motherboard is secured in place.
Caution:
Make sure the standoffs on the bottom of the case line up with the mounting holes. Remove any excess standoffs. Standoffs that touch the wire traces or solder points on the bottom of the motherboard will short out the motherboard when the power is turned on.
6. Fasten the motherboard into place using the appropriate screws. If possible, use a hex driver instead of a Phillips-head screwdriver to avoid tool slippage. A scratched motherboard might fail.
32
What does BIOS stand for?
Basic input output system
33
What is the BIOS on a computer?
BIOS is the program a personal computer's microprocessor uses to get the computer system started after you turn it on. It also manages data flow between the computer's operating system and attached devices such as the hard disk, video adapter, keyboard, mouse and printer.
34
How does BIOS load the operating system?
BIOS uses Flash memory, a type of ROM. The BIOS software has a number of different roles, but its most important role is to load the operating system. When you turn on your computer and the microprocessor tries to execute its first instruction, it has to get that instruction from somewhere.
35
What test does BIOS run on start up?
POST - power on self test
36
What are 3 characteristics of Legacy Bios?
The original / traditional BIOS been around for more than 25 years
Older operating systems talked to hardware
through the BIOS Instead of accessing hardware directly
Limited hardware support No drivers for modern network, video,
and storage devices
37
What does UEFI stand for?
Unified Extensible Firmware Interface
38
What are 4 characteristics of UEFI?
1. UEFI is often associated with graphical system setup utilities, whereas traditional BIOS is associated with text-mode utilities—even on the CompTIA A+ 220-1001 exam. However, this isn’t a given. You can find graphical BIOS utilities and text-mode UEFI utilities.
2. UEFI supports booting to partitions larger than 2.2 TB.
3. Unlike with BIOS, the UEFI setup utility can be opened from within the OS.
4. UEFI supports a security feature called Secure Boot that ensures a device boots using only trusted software.
39
What are the advantages of UEFI over BIOS?
Boot from large (> 2.2 TB) GUID partition
table (GPT) disks:
Also supports FAT and removable media
Includes a pre-boot environment
This isn’t an operating system
Has its own shell, drivers, and applications
Browse the Internet, backup a storage drive
40
What does CMOS stand for?
complementary metal oxide semiconductor
41
What is the function of CMOS?
When you make changes to your BIOS configuration, the settings are not stored on the BIOS chip itself. Instead, they are stored on a special memory chip, which is referred to as "the CMOS.
42
Where is CMOS located?
On some motherboards, the CMOS is a separate chip. However, on most modern motherboards, it is integrated with the RTC (real-time clock) on the southbridge.
43
What type of memory is CMOS?
Your BIOS memory is non-volatile flash memory:
It retains its information even when your computer has no power because your computer needs to remember its BIOS settings even when it's turned off.
That's why the CMOS has its own dedicated power source, which is the CMOS battery.
44
What is Firmware?
Firmware is data that is stored on a computer or other hardware device's ROM (read-only memory) that provides instruction on how that device should operate
45
How do you enter CMOS utility?
With a traditional BIOS, you can’t enter the CMOS setup utility from within the OS; you must do it early in the boot process.
Methods differ by maker, but instructions for entering CMOS usually appear on your monitor during bootup.
Watch the messages carefully or check your motherboard documentation on which key to press.
46
How do you navigate the CMOS setup utility?
Mouse-friendly graphical setup utilities are increasingly common, but if you find yourself in a text-mode utility, you’ll navigate with the keyboard
F1 for help
47
What component configuration information can be found in the BIOS/CMOS setup utility?
Configure component information
• RAM
- View and configure memory settings
• Hard drive / SSD
- Drive settings
- Boot order
• Optical drive
- Enable / Disable
• CPU
- CPU types
48
What is one of the most frequently changed settings in the boot options menu?
Boot sequence
49
What is the boot sequence?
This setting decides which devices your system attempts to boot from and in what order.
50
What is the first thing to check when a computer attempts to boot to an incorrect device or gives an "invalid boot device" error?
The boot sequence is the first place to check if you have a computer that attempts to boot to an incorrect device or gives an “invalid boot device” error. If you have a USB thumb drive inserted and this CMOS setting has removable devices ahead of hard drives in the boot order, the computer will dutifully try to boot from the thumb drive.
51
What to do if your systems starts too fast to enter BIOS/CMOS setup utility?
Disable fast start up in control panel under power options
52
What is flashing the BIOS?
Techs refer to firmware updates, or updating system BIOS, as flashing the BIOS.
Exam Tip:
The CompTIA A+ 220-1001 exam refers to flashing the BIOS as a firmware update.
53
Some of the interface settings available in typical BIOS/UEFI firmware settings include...
Enable/disable ports (SATA, USB, Serial-RS-232, network, audio)
Configure SATA settings: AHCI supports hot-swapping and full features; RAID supports RAID configurations and hot-swapping; IDE accesses drives in IDE mode (slower, no support for hot-swapping)
54
What are the two options for wiping CMOS settings including passwords?
CMOS settings—including passwords—can be wiped via the CMOS clear jumper or button, or by removing and replacing the CMOS battery.
55
What are the two types of security password options available in BIOS and what are their features?
```
BIOS Password / User Password
- System won’t start
- Need the password to
start the operating
system
```
```
Supervisor / Admin Password
- Restrict BIOS changes
- Must use supervisor
password to change
any BIOS configurations
```
56
What are 3 types of encryption commonly used to protect users data on computers?
TPM Trusted Platform Module
LoJack for laptops
Secure Boot
57
What are the characteristics of TPM?
Trusted Platform Module The Trusted Platform Module (TPM) acts as a secure cryptoprocessor: a hardware platform for accelerating cryptographic functions and securely storing the associated information in tamper-resistant hardware. A common use of TPMs is accelerating and securing hard drive encryption, such as the BitLocker Drive Encryption feature of Microsoft Windows.
58
What are the characteristics of loJack?
LoJack If you have a LoJack-equipped computer that is stolen, LoJack enables you to track its location, install a key logger, or even remotely shut down the system.
59
What are the characteristics of Secure Boot?
Secure Boot This UEFI protocol protects the system from some low-level malware and other exploits by refusing to load driver or OS software that hasn’t been properly signed by a trusted party. Secure Boot requires an Intel CPU, a UEFI BIOS, and an operating system designed for it.
60
What does Secure boot require to work?
ecure Boot requires an Intel CPU, a UEFI BIOS, and an operating system designed for it.
61
What is the function of the CMOS battery?
Every motherboard has a CMOS battery that enables it to retain CMOS settings when disconnected from external power
62
What are 2 common indications the CMOS batter is running low?
If you notice your system clock running slow, or if you’re consistently prompted to enter the date and time when you boot the PC, it’s time to replace the CMOS battery
63
The real time clock (RTC) is maintained by what?
CMOS battery
64
What are two options to identify current BIOS version?
When System starts
Check msinfo32 (system information)
65
What 2 steps should you take before upgrading the BIOS?
Read the documentation
Make sure you have a reliable power source
66
How can you update / upgrade the BIOS?
run upgrade program
- very old systems may require a floppy disk or optical media
- Close all apps before running
- requires a re-boot
- save documents
67
What does core mean in CPU?
These are the processors within the processor.
68
What is a single core processor?
A single-core processor is a microprocessor with a single core on a chip, running a single thread at any one time.
69
Whats the difference between a core and a thread?
Cores is an actual hardware component whereas thread is a virtual component that manages the tasks.
70
Each core has what type of memory and how is it distributed?
Each core has L1 & L2 memory and usually all share L3 memory
71
What is virtualization?
a process that enables you to run one or more virtual computers on a single hardware computer
72
What has happened to improve and speed up virtualization in modern computers?
virtualization has been added to the processor
Intel virtualization technology - VT
AMD virtualization AMD - V
73
What is Hyper Threading Technology (HTT)?
HT allows the processor to work more efficiently by processing two sets of instructions at the same time, making it look like two logical processors.
74
What is the performance improvement of HTT?
15% to 30% improvement
75
Which OS started supporting HTT?
Windows XP
76
What is the CPU clock speed or processor speed?
the clock speed is the amount of calculations the CPU can perform in one second of time measured in Hz
77
How is CPU clock speed measured?
Megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz)
78
What determines the clock speed of the CPU?
The system crystal—a quartz crystal circuit that oscillates at a fixed frequency when fed current—sets the motherboard’s clock speed.
79
What 5 factors determine the actual speed of the Computer?
1. Clock speed
2. CPU architecture
3. bus speed & width
4. L1 cache size & L2 cache size
5. operating system capabilities
80
What is the broadly accepted measure of computer performance?
There is none currently because there are so many factors affecting performance.
81
Old motherboards used jumpers to set the system bus speed and clock multiplier, but today’s CPUs report to the motherboard via ____________? so the system bus speed and multiplier can be set automatically. Many motherboards offer manual configuration for tweaking systems.
CPUID (CPU identifier)
82
What is overclocking?
To increase the clock speed past the rated value
83
A successful overclock usually takes two adjustments: increasing the _____________ and increasing ___________ a little to provide stability.
And you should Always ________________, document your change, and then reboot.
system’s bus speed
CPU voltage
only one thing at a time
84
What are 3 risks of overclocking?
1. Overheating
2. Unstable CPU settings can make the BIOS/UEFI unreachable
3. Void the warranty
85
How can you overclock a cpu?
Not all MB's allow overclocking but if it does there is probably a setting in the BIOS called "Change the base clock" (BCLK)..
86
Most motherboards have a button or jumper setting called _________ that resets the __________ to default settings.
Before you try overclocking, find ___________ and know how to use it.
Always follow manufacturer recommendations and warranties before overclocking.
CMOS clear
UEFI/BIOS
CMOS clear
87
Computers traditionally have a discrete special-purpose microprocessor designed for video processing, known as a ______________
graphics processing unit (GPU).
88
Where is the integrated GPU found on most computers?
The CPU
89
Intel and AMD design their integrated GPUs a little differently. The Intel HD Graphics integrated into many __________ processors, for example, has the CPU cores and the GPU core sharing the “last level cache,” which is either ___ or ___ , depending on the processor. With the AMD accelerated processing unit (APU), such as the ________, the GPU has access to ________ of cache on the CPU.
Core i3/i5/i7/i9
L2 or L3
AMD Ryzen
all levels
90
How would you determine if a motherboard will support a CPU?
you should check the motherboard’s documentation (or its manufacturer’s website) for a chart listing the CPUs it supports
91
Intel CPUs use ___ sockets, while AMD CPUs use ____.
Intel - LGA
AMD - PGA
92
What is the difference between active and passive cooling?
Active cooling makes use of a fan whereas passive cooling is fan-less
93
What are standard fan sizes
80mm, 120mm 200mm
94
What are onboard fans?
Fans mounted directly on an adapter card, usually high end graphics cards.
95
There are many different types of fans but what are 2 important characteristics that can vary greatly?
Speed and Sound
96
Heat sink and fan assemblies for CPUs usually come as a unit; if not, attach the fan to the heat sink before installing both onto the CPU. Again, different CPUs, socket designs, and heat sinks require different installation procedures, so be sure to read the documentation. The 6 general steps for installation are as follows:
1. If your CPU has thermal paste preapplied, remove and discard the protective tape. If not, apply a very thin film of thermal paste to the raised center of the CPU package (size of a pea)
2. Align the heat sink and fan assembly’s mounting bracket hardware with the mounting notches on the CPU socket.
3. With Intel stock fans, push the mounting pins in until they click in place. It’s easy with the motherboard outside the case. Support the motherboard with one hand and push with the other so the motherboard does not flex.
4. For AMD fans, attach the mounting bracket to one side of the CPU socket unless you’re installing a Wraith cooler. For these coolers, remove the mounting clips at each side of the socket.
5. Rotate the built-in locking lever on the opposite side to secure the assembly, as shown next. On a Wraith cooler, fasten the screws on the corners of the fan assembly into the mounting holes used by the mounting clips
6. Finally, plug the fan’s power cable into the appropriate socket or header on the motherboard. Check your motherboard documentation for information.
97
What materials can heat sinks be made of?
Copper or aluminum alloy
98
What material is used to dissipate heat between the CPU and the heat sink?
Thermal paste
99
What types of functions are suitable for fan less / passive cooling?
Video servers, TV set top box, satellite receiver,
| media server
100
Thermal paste, also known as thermal interface material (TIM), must be used between a ______ and heat sink, a passive heat sink, a ________ cooling element, and the top of a CPU
Fan
liquid
101
The 4 essential installation steps for modern liquid cooling systems are....
1. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to attach the hoses from the coolant reservoir tank to the CPU cooling element and the heat exchanger unit. Confirm that all hoses are secure and crimped properly.
2. Fill the coolant reservoir with the recommended amount of distilled water.
3. Apply a small amount of thermal compound to the CPU.
4. If your liquid cooling system uses a separate CPU temperature sensor on the cooling element, attach it to the appropriate slot or groove and secure it with the supplied metal tape. Mount the cooling element to the CPU with the attached bracket and secure it in place with the tension screw (see Figure 3.5-17). Be careful not to overtighten the screw. You’re ready to go!
102
What is an expansion card?
Alternatively referred to as an add-on card, expansion board, internal card, interface adapter, or card, an expansion card is a PCB that fits into an expansion slot on a desktop computer. An expansion card is used to give a computer additional capabilities, such as enhanced video performance via a graphics card.
103
A video card (or display adapter) handles the video chores within computing devices, processing information from the CPU and sending it to the display. It is configured the same way whether it is onboard (GPU built into the CPU) or an add-on card. What 3 things must you do when installing a card in Windows?
1. You must install drivers
2. Use Device Manager to confirm that it works.
3. Then you configure the video card in the Display Control Panel applet or with included software
104
What is onboard?
Alternatively referred to as integrated, onboard is a term used to describe a hardware component embedded into a circuit board. With a computer, onboard often refers to a device like a sound card, network card, GPU (graphics processing unit), or WLAN integrated onto the motherboard. Unlike expansion cards, users cannot remove these components from their computer. However, they can be disabled through software or CMOS setup or are automatically disabled when an expansion card is added to the computer.
105
Where are the connections for onboard devices?
When it come to computers, onboard device connections are all on the motherboard's back panel.
106
Exam Tip:
The CompTIA A+ 220-1001 exam may ask about common cards (sound, video, and networking), legacy cards (modems), and special-purpose cards (cellular, riser, TV tuner, and video capture). The exam might even ask how to install a USB, Thunderbolt, or storage card. You install all of them using the same four steps, which are?
1. Knowledge
2. Physical installation
3. Device drivers and other software
4. Verification.
107
What are the two types of video expansion Cards referred to in the exam objectives?
1. On-board:
- Uses the built-in graphics processing unit (GPU)
- Almost all laptops use onboard graphics
Add-on Card
2. Add-on Card
- goes into a PCIe
- 6-pin PCIe or 8-pin or in some cases, two PCIe cable
