8. Motherboards, CPUs & Add-on Cards Flashcards
Motherboards and CPUs
Which computer component contains all the circuitry necessary for other components or devices to communicate with one another?
a. Motherboard
b. CPU
c. RAM
d. Expansion bus
a. The spine of the computer is the system board, otherwise known as the motherboard. All other computer components plug into the motherboard. On the motherboard, you will find the CPU, underlying circuitry, expansion slots, video components, RAM slots, and various other chips.
Motherboards and CPUs
A client wants you to build a new PC for her, with a smaller case and lower power requirements. When selecting a motherboard, which form factor should you choose for a smaller size and lower power consumption?
a. ATX
b. AT
c. DTX
d. ITX
d. The ITX motherboard family consists of smaller boards that fit in standard or miniature cases and use less power than their larger counterparts. ATX are “standard” sized motherboards in today’s world. AT is a legacy form factor that was bigger than ATX. There are no DTX motherboards.
Motherboards and CPUs
A motherboard failed on a desktop PC with an Intel Core i5-10600K processor. When you are looking for a replacement motherboard, which CPU socket does it need to have?
a. LGA 1366
b. LGA 1150
c. LGA 1200
d. LGA 1700
C. The Core i5-10600K is a Comet Lake–series processor, which uses the LGA 1200 socket. LGA 1150 sockets are for older i7s, and the LGA 1366 socket is for even older ones than that. The LGA 1700 socket is for 12th-generation Intel Core processors.
Motherboards and CPUs
You have just replaced a processor in a computer and now need to add a cooling mechanism. What should you use to attach the cooling system to the processor?
a. Heat sink
b. Thermal paste
c. Fan
d. Superglue
B. Thermal paste is used to attach heat sinks and fans to processors. A heat sink usually gets attached to the processor using thermal paste, and then the fan is attached to the heat sink. Superglue would make it adhere, but it does not transfer heat properly—it would likely melt and cause a mess and processor failure.
Motherboards and CPUs
A technician asks you how to get a computer’s processor to run faster than it currently does. What are they trying to achieve?
a. Hyper-Threading
b. Overclocking
c. Virtualization
d. Multicore support
B. Overclocking is when someone sets the speed of the processor to run faster than it was rated for. While overclocking can make a computer faster, it can also cause the processor to overheat, and it voids the warranty. Hyper-threading allows for a processor core to handle multiple processes simultaneously. Virtualization is when you create multiple virtual machines on a computer. Multicore means that the processor has more than one core—it’s not a configurable option.
Motherboards and CPUs
You are assembling a new computer and are looking at new cooling systems. Which of the following cooling systems requires the use of a pump?
a. Liquid
b. Thermal paste
c. Heat sink
d. Heat sink plus fan
A. Liquid cooling systems require a reservoir of liquid and a pump to circulate the liquid. It’s possible that the system could malfunction, causing a mess inside the computer. Thermal paste is used to adhere a heat sink to a processor. Heat sinks and fans do not use pumps.
Motherboards and CPUs
Which of the following types of processors will likely generally be preferred for mobile devices?
a. x64
b. x86
c. ARM
d. LGA
C. ARM processors generate less heat than do x64/x86 CISC processors and are therefore better options for mobile devices. LGA is a type of CPU socket.
Add-on Cards
You are installing a new graphics adapter in a Windows 10 system. Which of the following expansion slots is designed for high-speed, 3D graphics adapters?
a. USB
b. NVMe
c. PCI
d. PCIe
D. Although technically PCI could be used for graphics adapters, PCIe supports high-speed, 3D graphic video cards. PCIe offers better performance than older graphics adapters. USB can stream video, but it is not used for attachment of internal graphics adapters. NVMe is an SSD communications interface.
Add-on Cards
You install a new NIC for a user, and he asks what it does. Which of the following best characterizes the functions of this device?
a. Multimedia
b. Communications
c. Input/Output
d. Storage
B. A network interface card (NIC) is used as a communications device. It enables the computer to talk to other computers on a network. It does not provide multimedia, input/output (such as a USB port does), or storage capabilities.
Add-on Cards
A client just bought a new digital camera for his photography business. Which of the following is specifically designed as an internal storage device for cameras?
a. Memory cards
b. Optical discs
c. Flash drives
d. mSATA
A. Memory cards such as SD cards were designed for devices such as digital cameras. Optical discs are larger and used mostly with laptops and larger systems. Flash drives are USB. Some cameras may have a USB port, but that is external storage and not internal storage. mSATA is a laptop expansion card technology.
When installing multiple add-on cards of the same type, which type of cards might you need to bridge together to function as a single unit?
a. Video
b. Sound
c. USB
d. eSATA
A. PCIe video cards may be bridged together, enabling two cards to function as one system. Sound cards and I/O expansion cards such as USB and eSATA cards do not have bridging capabilities.
