C05 - Custom Configurations Flashcards
You have been asked to set up a workstation for a new graphic designer at your company.
Which of the following is not a requirement for a graphic design workstation?
A. Fast hard drive
B. Maximum RAM
C. Powerful CPU
D. High-end video
A. Graphics design and CAD/CAM design workstations do not require a fast hard
drive because the artist works with static images that do not stream from the drive.
However, RAM is needed to hold the highly detailed, sometimes 3D, artwork before
saving, and a powerful processor is required for implementing complex algorithms on a
small amount of information during rendering. High-end video is necessary for assisting
in the rendering and display of the images.
You have been hired as a consultant for a video editing company that needs all new workstations
for its six editors. Which of the following is required when constructing an A/V
editing workstation?
A. Gigabit NIC
B. Powerful processor
C. Maximum RAM
D. Fast hard drive
D. A/V editing workstations require specialized audio and video cards and large and
fast hard drives, and they also benefit from dual monitors. A fast NIC, extra RAM,
and a faster than normal processor do not support the requirements of A/V editors.
Danielle has been asked to configure virtualization at her company. She recommends that
her manager buy multicore processors. What justification should she give as to why virtualization
workstations require as many CPU cores as possible?
A. Each virtual machine has one or more cores installed directly in it.
B. Each virtual machine makes use of actual CPU resources for processing instructions
and data.
C. Fault tolerance dictates that if one CPU core fails, there should be one or more in line
to take its place.
D. Because each guest operating system runs in its own space, multiple cores are required
to store the collective data.
B. Virtual machines do not imply virtual processing. The data storage, processing
cycles, and RAM usage are all real. The separate hard drive and chassis for each operating
system are virtual. The other answers all have at least one fundamental problem
with their logic. CPU cores are not installed in virtual machines but in CPU packages
within physical machines. CPU cores do not take over for each other. There is no fault
tolerance among them. Storing data is the job of RAM, which should also be maximized
for virtualization workstations.
Your friend Joe plays video game tournaments online, and he read in an online forum that
he should overclock his CPU for better speed. You tell him that if he does that, he needs
better cooling. Why is high-end cooling a requirement for gaming PCs?
A. Gaming PCs tend to overclock their CPUs and run multiple high-performance GPUs.
B. Gaming controllers have components for tactile realism that generate copious amounts
of heat.
C. Digital sound cards generate more heat than analog sound cards.
D. Placing that many hard drives in such a small space generates too much heat.
A. The processors found in a gaming PC are many, and the CPU is often overclocked.
Such a configuration generates too much heat for conventional cooling to dissipate
before the system is damaged. These machines don’t have unusual hard-drive requirements.
The cooling has no effect on external controllers, and sound cards don’t generate
much heat, but analog would certainly generate more than digital.
Marcus, a network technician, has been asked to build an HTPC for his manager. Which
of the following is not a common requirement that Marcus should consider for this custom
configuration?
A. Surround sound
B. HDMI
C. Micro-ATX case
D. TV tuner
C. Home theater PCs are based on the mini-ITX motherboard and have their own form
factor, HTPC, a more compact form factor than chassis made for micro-ATX boards.
Which type of system simply needs to run standard versions of Windows and desktop applications? A. Thin client B. Thick client C. Home server PC D. Virtualization workstation
B. Thick clients are standard desktop PCs. They stand in contrast to systems with specialized
requirements, such as the remaining options.
Which of the following descriptions most closely matches that of a thin client?
A. A high-resolution monitor, keyboard, and mouse
B. A computer with a low-profile case
C. A laptop
D. A dumb terminal with a NIC
D. Although not all thin clients are devoid of local processing capability, some are.
High-resolution graphics are not a requirement, but thin clients do require a system
unit with a NIC.
You have recently installed a home server PC in your home so that all of your family members
can share media. You have a router and network cabling that supports Gigabit Ethernet.
Why should you equip a home server PC with a gigabit NIC?
A. All systems, including the server, should communicate at the same speed.
B. The server should not be allowed to communicate at the higher speeds of the rest of the
network or it will be overused.
C. The server should exceed the communication speed of the clients to avoid a bottleneck.
D. The operating system that home servers run is not compatible with Gigabit Ethernet.
C. Optimally, the server should communicate across a link that is the aggregate of all
client links, but at the very least, the server’s link should be a faster one to alleviate the
potential bottleneck when all clients try to access the server simultaneously.
An engineer on your network is complaining that his CAD workstation is slow and he
wants a processor upgrade. Which of the following reasons is justification for having a
powerful processor in a CAD/CAM workstation?
A. Only powerful processors can stream graphical information efficiently.
B. Manufacturing equipment is generally faster than design equipment, which needs faster
processors to keep up.
C. Graphics adapters used in CAD/CAM do not have their own processors, so the CPU
performs this job as well.
D. The algorithms used in rendering graphics can be processor intensive.
D. Quite simply, the rendering of 2D and 3D graphics makes use of complex algorithms
that need all of the processing power they can get to remain usable. CAD
workstations deal with static images, not streaming video. Manufacturing equipment is
generally slower than computers used for the design phase. CAD workstations call for
high-end video, which includes graphics adapters with GPUs often more powerful than
the system’s CPU.
A video editor at your company wants a second monitor, claiming that only having one
monitor limits her ability to work. Why do A/V editing workstations benefit from more
than one monitor?
A. Their software often has enough controls across their width that one monitor seems
cramped.
B. While one graphics adapter works on one rendering project, the other can simply display
a normal desktop.
C. Once the editing is complete, the second monitor is used to present the results to others
on the team.
D. Additional monitors are used for remote collaboration among other editors.
A. Editors of this type of media have numerous controls and timelines to track. These
constructs often lie along the bottom of the application and run horizontally. Subsequent
monitors allow the editor to spread out without shrinking the view excessively.
You are configuring a virtualization workstation for your home use. Which of the following is required for your new system? A. Multiple host operating systems B. Maximum RAM allowed C. File sharing services D. Multiple NICs
B. Maximum RAM and CPU cores are the primary requirements for such systems.
Although there are multiple guest operating systems, generally there is but one host to
those guests. File sharing may be a service the administrator decides to offer, and multiple
NICs might prove advantageous with virtual machines that are popular among
the clients, but these workstations do not require either.
Robin has been asked to lead training for new technicians at a local PC distributor specializing
in gaming PCs. For which one of the following should she not recommend upgraded parts?
A. High-end cooling
B. A RAID array
C. High-end video
D. Better sound card
B. Gaming PCs are not known for requiring fault tolerance or data persistence. RAID
arrays, therefore, are generally not included. The other components are a benefit for
gaming PCs, however.
Which of the following system types does not require a CPU enhancement of any sort? A. A/V editing workstation B. Gaming PC C. Graphic design workstation D. Virtualization workstation
A. A/V editing workstations require video enhancements and a hard drive capable of
storing a large quantity of data and accessing it quickly. The other system types require
faster or more plentiful processors.
Maria is setting up an HTPC and wants to know which type of video cables to purchase.
Which of the following is the recommended video output technology for home theater PCs?
A. DVI
B. WUXGA
C. HDMI
D. YCbCr
C. Because of its exceptional capabilities of digital video and audio output as well as
its potential for support of future standards, HDMI is the home-theater video output
technology of choice. Neither DVI nor component video (YCbCr and YPbPr) can make
the same claims. WUXGA is a resolution of 1920 × 1200 and not a video output
technology.
Which of the following is a common feature of a standard thick client?
A. Has enhanced video capabilities
B. Has a high-performance hard drive
C. Has as much RAM installed as is possible
D. Can run a full version of Windows
D. These standard systems do not have any special requirements, only that they can
run Windows and desktop applications.
