Chapter 3 Hardware Flashcards

Question 1

Q

Of the following fiber connectors, which are used for duplex (two strands instead of one)? (Choose two.)

A) ST
B) SC
C) FC
D) LC

Answer

A

B, D. Both SC and LC connectors are square and can be purchased in single or duplex connectors. SC is square and is a push/pull design. ST have a bayonet connection. FC connectors have a threaded coupling. LC connectors are smaller at 1.25 mm and have a latching mechanism to keep them in place, making them good for rack mount use. SC, FC, and ST connectors are 2.5 mm. There are other connectors on the market, but not on the A+ exam.

Question 2

Q

Which motherboard form factor measures 4.7″ × 4.7″?

A) Mini-ITX
B) Nano-ITX
C) Pico-ITX
D) Mobile-ITX

Answer

A

B. Nano-ITX motherboards are 4.7″ square,
a mini-ITX motherboard is a 6.7″ square,
pico-ITX motherboards are 3.9″ × 2.8″, and
mobile-ITX motherboards are 2.4″ square.

Question 3

Q

The DC power supply (DCPS) within a laser printer converts AC power into what three voltages? (Choose three.)

A) +5 VDC
B) –5 VDC
C) +24 VDC
D) –24 VDC

Answer

A

A, B, C. The DC power supply (DCPS) converts house current into three voltages: +5 VDC and –5 VDC for the logic circuitry and +24 VDC for the paper-transport motors.

Question 4

Q

You need to share printers on your network with multiple client operating systems, such as Windows, macOS, and Linux. Which of the following services will best meet your needs?

A) Bonjour
B) AirPrint
C) TCP printing
D) Virtual printing

Answer

A

C. TCP printing allows clients with different OSs to send jobs directly to printers without worrying about intra-OS conflicts. Bonjour and AirPrint are both Apple services, and virtual printing allows you to print output to documents such as PDF files. Whenever sharing printers for remote printing, be sure to set proper user authentication on the print device.

Question 5

Q

What are the dimensions of a mini-ITX motherboard?

A) 12″ × 9.6″
B) 9.6″ × 9.6″
C) 6.7″ × 6.7″
D) 3.9″ × 2.8″

Answer

A

C. Mini-ITX motherboards are 6.7” square (or more precisely, 6.69″ square).
ATX motherboards are 12″ × 9.6″.
A micro-ATX motherboard is a 9.6″ square, and
pico-ITX motherboards are 3.9″ × 2.8″.

Question 6

Q

What hardware device is used to store encryption keys, making them safer because they are never directly loaded into a server’s memory?

A) HSM
B) BIOS
C) ITX
D) TPM

Answer

A

A. The Hardware Security Module (HSM) is a piece of hardware that can be removed and is used to hold encryption keys for a system. It differs from TPM (Trusted Platform Module) implementations in that TPM is a chip on the motherboard, not a separate piece of hardware, and TPM can also be software. TPM is used to encrypt hard drives. The BIOS (or UEFI) is the program the CPU uses to start up the system after being powered on. ITX is a motherboard form factor.

Question 7

Q

You need to enable clients to scan documents and place them on network accessible storage regardless of the multifunction device’s location worldwide. Which service will best suit your needs?

A) Bonjour
B) AirPrint
C) Virtual printing
D) Cloud services

Answer

A

D. Many modern multifunction devices have the ability to connect to a cloud and email and store scanned documents and images directly from the device without requiring a connected PC. The documents are made accessible worldwide via services such as Dropbox, Evernote, or Google Drive.

Question 8

Q

What features are included in modern networked MFDs? (Choose all that apply.)

A) Email
B) Scanning
C) Printing
D) Faxing

Answer

A

A, B, C, D. While faxing is not used as often as it once was, it is still a feature available on some MFDs. Email, scanning, and printing are also common features.

Question 9

Q

During which step of the laser printer imaging process does a fluorescent lamp discharge the photosensitive drum?

A) Cleaning
B) Charging
C) Exposing
D) Developing

Answer

A

A. During the cleaning step, a rubber blade inside the toner cartridge scrapes any toner left on the drum into a used toner receptacle, and a fluorescent lamp discharges any remaining charge on the imaging drum, making it neutral and ready to be charged again by the corona wire (or charging roller).

Question 10

Q

A customer wants you to upgrade their motherboard so that they can have the fastest video connection possible. They want to know how fast PCIe 4 is. What will you tell them the data rate of a single lane of PCIe 4 is?

A) 250 MBps
B) 500 MBps
C) 1 GBps
D) 2 GBps

Answer

A

D. There are five major versions of PCIe currently specified: 1.x, 2.x, 3.0, 4.0 and 5.0. Each version doubles the data transfer rate of the version before. For the four versions, a single bidirectional lane operates at a data rate of 250 MBps, 500 MBps, approximately 1 GBps, roughly 2 GBps, and nearly 4 GBps respectively. In any version of PCIe, there can be up to 16 lanes, so for example, in theory, a PCIe 4.0 x16 connector could transfer nearly 32 GB/s (1.969 GB/s per lane, x 16 lanes). You might find it helpful in your studies to locate or create a chart of the different versions and bandwidth for x1, x4, x8 and x16.

Question 11

Q

A designer from the corporate office is visiting your field office. The user tries to print from their MacBook Pro to a networked printer, but it does not work. Local users in the office are able to print to the device using their Windows computers. What would most likely solve the problem?

A) Select the Enable Mac Printing option in the print server configuration settings.
B) Select the Enable Bonjour option in the print server configuration settings.
C) Install a macOS printer driver on the print server.
D) Stop and restart the print spooler service.

Answer

A

C. Print servers need to have the appropriate drivers for all operating systems that will be clients. It’s possible that this print server does not have the macOS driver installed.

Question 12

Q

You need to perform preventive maintenance on an impact printer. What are two areas you should examine that you would not need to on most inkjet printers? (Choose two.)

A) Ink cartridges
B) Output tray
C) Printhead
D) Tractor feed mechanism

Answer

A

C, D. Impact printers create images by physically striking the paper, which can wear down the printhead. Always check that. Also, impact printers most often use tractor-feed mechanisms to load the paper, and they can wear down or get bogged down by paper debris as well.

Question 13

Q

Which expansion bus technology uses lanes, which are switched point-to-point signal paths between two components?

A) PCI
B) PCI-X
C) PCIe
D) Mini-PCI

Answer

A

C. PCIe uses lanes. Each lane between any two intercommunicating devices consists of a separate pair of wires, one for each direction of traffic, which dramatically increases speed.

Question 14

Q

Your motherboard has 3 PCIe x16 v 4.0 slots and the motherboard does not support up-plugging for PCIe adapter cards. Which of the following statements is true?

A) You can’t put an x8 card into an x16 slot.
B) You can put an x8 card into an x16 slot, but it will run at x1 speed.
C) You can put an x8 card into an x16 slot, and it will run at x8 speed.
D) You can put an x8 card into an x16 slot, and it will run at x16 speed.

Answer

A

B. The x8 card won’t completely fill the x16 slot, but it will work at x8 speeds if up-plugging is supported by the motherboard. Otherwise, the specification requires up-plugged devices to operate at only the x1 rate.

Question 15

Q

An inkjet printer doesn’t seem to be moving the printhead to the right area. What two components within an inkjet printer are responsible for moving the printhead into proper position and therefore could be the problem?

A) Carriage and belt
B) Roller and belt
C) Carriage motor and roller
D) Carriage motor and belt

Answer

A

D. The motor that makes the printhead carriage move is also often called the carriage motor or carriage stepper motor. It has a belt attached to it, the carriage belt, which moves the printhead carriage back and forth.

Question 16

Q

You need to configure Hyper-V on one of your Windows-based desktop computers with an Intel processor. Which of the following must be true? (Choose three.)

A) The CPU must have SLAT.
B) The CPU must have Intel VR.
C) The processor must be 64-bit
D) You need to enable virtualization in the BIOS/UEFI.

Answer

A

A, C, D. The CPU must support VM Display Mode Extension; on an Intel processor, it’s called Virtualization Technology (Intel VT). The processor must be 64-bit and have second-level address translation (SLAT). Virtualization also requires the Windows Pro edition or better. Virtualization must be enabled in the BIOS/UEFI and may be found under different names depending on the motherboard manufacturer.

Question 17

Q

You have a peripheral that needs a data speed of 20 Gbps and 9 W of power to be supplied by the connection to the PC. Which PC peripheral connection type is it most likely to use?

A) Thunderbolt
B) USB 3.0
C) eSATA
D) DisplayPort

Answer

A

A. Thunderbolt v1 and v2 both provide 20 Gbps of data bandwidth. Thunderbolt 3 doubles the data rate to 40 Gbps. Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 can also provide the power the device needs. USB 3.0 can only provide about 5 W of power and is much slower at 5 Gbps. eSATA is also slower and doesn’t provide power, although eSATAp does. DisplayPort is also slower and provides no power, unless it’s DisplayPort over USB.

Question 18

Q

In a laser printer, what is the function of the transfer corona assembly?

A) It transfers a positive charge to the paper.
B) It transfers a positive charge to the imaging drum.
C) It transfers the toner from the imaging drum to the paper.
D) It transfers the image from the laser to the imaging drum.

Answer

A

A. The transfer corona assembly is given a positive charge, which is transferred to the paper, which in turn pulls the negatively charged toner from the photosensitive imaging drum. This is the transferring phase of the laser printer imaging process.

Question 19

Q

What type of connector is shown here?

A) Molex
B) SATA
C) PCIe
D) ATX

Answer

A

C. This is an eight-pin PCIe power connector. They also come in 6-pin configurations.

Question 20

Q

A technician has installed a printer driver on a Windows client computer. What is the best next step the technician can take to ensure that the printer is installed properly?

A) Ping the printer’s IP address.
B) Check the printer status and ensure that it says “Ready.”
C) Stop and restart the spooler service.
D) Print a test page.

Answer

A

D. After installing a new printer, it’s good practice to print a test page to ensure functionality.

Question 21

Q

A graphic designer in your office needs two displays to do their work. Which of the following should you install to set up their desktop computer for this configuration?

A) A video splitter
B) A second video driver
C) A second video card
D) A video replicator

Answer

A

C. To use a second display on a desktop computer, you need to install a second video adapter or have one video adapter with two display interfaces. Laptops often have an external display interface and are capable of providing video to the built-in screen and an external display at the same time.

Question 22

Q

You have a motherboard designed to hold DDR3 1600 memory. What will happen if you attempt to install DDR4 2400 memory into the motherboard?

A) It won’t fit.
B) It will operate at 667 MHz.
C) It will operate at 1133 MHz.
D) It will operate at 1600 MHz.

Answer

A

A. DDR3 and DDR4 memory slots are both keyed, but the keys are in different places. DDR3 has 240 pins and DDR4 has 288 pins. Therefore, the memory will not fit into the slots on the motherboard.

Question 23

Q

A technician needs to install an optical disk system with capacity to burn disks storing about 60 GB of data at one time. What is the minimum technology required to get over this threshold?

A) DVD-10
B) DVD-18
C) Triple BDXL
D) Quad BDXL

Answer

A

C. A Blu-ray Disc Extra Large (BDXL) can store up to 128 GB of data, (Quad BDXL) although most for sale boast only 100 GB of storage (Triple BDXL). Blu-ray is the latest rendition of optical disks, but DVDs are still available, and come in single layer (SL), dual layer (DL), single side (SS) and dual side (DS) formats. DVD-18 (DS, DL) hold approximately 16 GB of data. DVD-10 (DS, SL) can hold approximately 9GB, and DVD-9 (SS, DL) hold approximately 8 GB of storage. DVD-9 and DVD-10 can both be DVD+R or DVD-R format but DVD-18 can only be the DVD+R format.

Question 24

Q

You have been asked to purchase new RAM for three workstations. The workstations call for DDR4 3600 chips. What throughput will these modules support?

A) 450 Mbps
B) 1,800 Mbps
C) 3,600 Mbps
D) 28,800 Mbps

Answer

A

D. The number designation of 3600 in DDR4 3600 indicates bus speed of 3,600 MHz. To find the throughput, multiply the bus speed by 8. DDR4 3600 therefore is the same as PC4 28,800 with a peak transfer rate of 28,800 Mbps. (3,600,000 cycles per second x 8 = 28,800,000 bits per second. Divide by 1000 to get Mbps = 28,800).

Question 25

Q

A technician needs to purchase new RAM for a motherboard. The motherboard specifications call for 5,200 MHz DDR5 RAM. Which RAM modules should the technician use?

A) PC 5200
B) PC 41600
C) PC5 41600
D) PC5 5200

Answer

A

C. Multiply the 5200 bus speed by 8 to get the bits per second that can be transferred in and out of the RAM module. The PC5 designation means that it is DDR5, and the 41,600 means that it can (theoretically) transfer 41,600 Mbps (megabits per second).

Question 26

Q

You’re installing a new printer and notice that the manufacturer has provided two drivers with the printer. One is a PostScript driver and the other is a Printer Control Language (PCL) driver. The user will mainly be printing graphics. Which driver should you install?

A) Allow Windows to install its default driver.
B) Install the PCL driver.
C) Install the PostScript driver.
D) Either driver will work equally well.

Answer

A

C. Windows comes with many drivers for different devices, but if the manufacturer has provided a specific printer driver, it’s often best to install that printer driver first, then connect the device. In this case, the user will be printing mostly graphics, so the PostScript driver will provide better printing for them. PostScript drivers are not dependent on the hardware, so the printed graphic will look the same regardless of what device it is printed on.

Question 27

Q

What type of printer driver is best to use if you’ll be printing mostly documents and want to have the PC released to do other jobs more quickly?

A) Allow Windows to install its default driver.
B) Install the PCL driver.
C) Install the PostScript driver.
D) Driver choice won’t have an effect.

Answer

A

B. Printer Control Language (PCL) drivers depend on the printer hardware to create some of the effects such as filling in areas and making underlines. The PC releases the print job to the printer to finish, making the PC and application available to the user more quickly.

Question 28

Q

You notice that a fan on a power supply has stopped turning and you will need to replace it. Which of the following statements best describes the function of a typical power supply fan?

A) It cools the power supply by blowing in air from outside the case.
B) It cools the power supply by blowing hot air out the back of the power supply.
C) It cools the computer by blowing in air from outside the case, through the power supply, and into the computer.
D) It cools the computer by pulling hot air from inside the case, through the power supply, and blowing it out the back of the power supply, which in turn draws cooler air in through vents in the case.

Answer

A

D. The power supply fan is used to cool the power supply and the inside of the computer case. This fan draws air from inside the case into vents in the power supply. This pulls hot air through the power supply so that it can be blown out of the case, which also causes cooler air to be drawn in through vents in the case.

Question 29

Q

What are the dimensions of a mobile-ITX motherboard?

A) 9.6″ × 9.6″
B) 6.7″ × 6.7″
C) 3.9″ × 2.8″
D) 2.4″ × 2.4″

Answer

A

D. Mobile-ITX motherboards are 2.4″ square, MicroATX motherboards are 9.6″ square, mini-ITX motherboards are 6.7″ square, and Pico-ITX motherboards are 3.9″ × 2.8″.

Question 30

Q

Which two CPU sockets are capable of supporting Intel Core i9 processors? (Choose two.)

A) LGA1700
B) LGA2066
C) Socket AM3+
D) Socket FM2

Answer

A

A, B. Sockets that support Intel processors are currently named starting with the letters LGA, such as LGA1700 and LGA2066. Socket names that start with AM or FM will support AMD processors and not Intel processors.

Question 31

Q

You are discussing data storage needs with a client who is a videographer and media producer. They need to store dozens of large files and need immediate access to them for editing. What is the most appropriate storage technology for them to use?

A) NAS
B) SSD
C) SD
D) BD-R

Answer

A

B. A solid-state drive (SSD) will provide them with the highest capacity of the four options and also give them immediate access. Network attached storage (NAS) speaks to its connection and availability, not capacity. If the client required file sharing as well, then using a NAS would be the proper choice. Secure Digital (SD) is a memory card format and does not offer the capacity or immediacy they need. BD-R is a Blu-ray disk format. It has good storage capabilities, but not the immediacy for editing.

Question 32

Q

Which of the following are typical formats supported by virtual printing? (Choose three.)

A) Print to PDF
B) Print to XPS
C) Print to DOC
D) Print to image

Answer

A

A, B, D. The four virtual printing options are print to file, print to PDF, print to XPS, and print to image.

Question 33

Q

A PCIe x1 v 3.0 lane provides how much data throughput?

A) 250 MBps
B) 500 MBps
C) 1 GBps
D) 2 GBps

Answer

A

C. There are five major versions of PCIe currently specified: 1.x, 2.x, 3.0, 4.0, and 5.0. For the five versions, a single bidirectional lane operates at a data rate of 250 MBps, 500 MBps, approximately 1 GBps, roughly 2 GBps, and nearly 4 GBps, respectively. Each PCIe slot can have up to 16 lanes, the number of lanes being indicated by x1, x4, x8, x16. (The x is pronounced as by.) Therefore, a PCIe 3 x1 slot can support up to 1 GBps of bandwidth.

Question 34

Q

A user on your network has a laser printer that is several years old with no Ethernet connection. It’s connected to their computer and shared on the network for others to use. Now, the user no longer wants the printer, but others still need to use it on the network. What would be the best upgrade to install in this printer to allow others to send print jobs to it directly over the network?

A) A network card
B) A print server
C) TCP/IP printing
D) AirPrint

Answer

A

B. To get this printer off of the original user’s desk, it probably needs to be its own print server. Installing an integrated (or stand-alone) print server with a network connection should work well in this situation. Installing a network card wouldn’t take care of the sharing aspect of the problem. You need a network connection before you can use TCP/IP settings to connect to it. AirPrint is Apple’s wireless printing, which would also need to have the printer connected to a wireless network.

Question 35

Q

A technician needs to perform maintenance on an inkjet’s dirty paper pickup rollers. What should they use to clean them?

A) Rubbing alcohol
B) Mild soap and water
C) A dry, lint-free cloth
D) Compressed air

Answer

A

B. Clean pickup rollers (and other rubber rollers) with mild soap and water and not alcohol. Alcohol can dry out the rollers, making them brittle and ineffective. A dry cloth will not remove the dirt or debris, and compressed air would just blow the debris into other internal printer components.

Question 36

Q

Three of these four motherboard form factors can be mounted in the same style of case. Which ones are they? (Choose three.)

A) ATX
B) MicroATX
C) Mini-ITX
D) Nano-ITX

Answer

A

A, B, C. The ATX, MicroATX, and mini-ITX motherboard form factors can all be mounted inside a standard ATX case. The mini-ITX will have only three of the four mounting holes line up with the case, but the rear interfaces are placed in the same location as those on ATX motherboards.

Question 37

Q

Your manager is excited because they just purchased a fast USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 external hard drive for their work team. They want to set it in the middle of the cubicles and let everyone have access to it. Some of the cubicles are about 15 feet away from each other. What is the recommended maximum cable length for this type of device?

A) 3 meters
B) 5 meters
C) 10 meters
D) 15 meters

Answer

A

A. The USB 3.0 standard doesn’t specify a cable length limitation, but it does recommend a cable length of 3 meters or less. USB 2.0 cables can be up to 5 meters in length. USB4 cables should be only 0.8 meters. The manager will need a USB hub, and to extend the distance the manager could purchase active USB cables, some of which have an external power supply or extra USB A connector for extra power, or a Cat 5/Cat 6 USB extender.

Question 38

Q

A technician has just installed an automatic document feeder (ADF) on a laser printer. The ADF was sold by the manufacturer and is compatible with the printer. However, the printer doesn’t pull the papers from the feeder. What might resolve the issue?

A) Removing and reinstalling the duplexing assembly
B) Turning the printer off and back on
C) Upgrading the printer’s firmware
D) Stopping and restarting the spooler service

Answer

A

C. Depending on the printer, you may be able to update the printer’s information in Devices and Printers; otherwise, a firmware update may be needed. Firmware upgrades can offer newer features that are not available on previous versions.

Question 39

Q

You have a desktop computer with three PCI expansion slots. What will happen when you mix cards of different speeds on the same motherboard?

A) The cards will operate at their original speeds.
B) None of the cards will function.
C) The cards will all operate at the faster speed.
D) The cards will all operate at the slower speed.

Answer

A

D. PCI is a shared-bus topology, so mixing 33 MHz and 66 MHz adapters in a 66 MHz system will slow all adapters to 33 MHz.

Question 40

Q

Which of the following are types of CPU sockets? (Choose two.)

A) LGA
B) CGA
C) IGA
D) PGA

Answer

A

A, D. A pin grid array (PGA) socket has holes to receive the pins that are on the CPU. The land grid array (LGA) is a newer technology that places the delicate pins on the motherboard instead of on the CPU.

Question 41

Q

Which component in a laser printer is responsible for converting AC current into usable energy for the logic circuitry and motors? (Choose two.)

A) LVPS
B) HVPS
C) DCPS
D) ACPS

Answer

A

A, C. The DC power supply (DCPS), also sometimes called the low voltage power supply (LVPS), provides power for the logic boards and motors, whereas the high voltage power supply (HVPS) provides higher voltages for the toner transfer process. The printer’s logic circuitry and motors require low voltages, between +5 VDC and +24 VDC. The DC power supply (DCPS) converts house current into three voltages: +5 VDC and –5 VDC for the logic circuitry and +24 VDC for the paper-transport motors. This component also runs the fan that cools the internal components of the printer.

Question 42

Q

What types of RAM modules are shown here, from top to bottom?

A) DDR3 and DDR4
B) DDR5 and DDR3
C) DDR4 and DDR3
D) DDR4 and DDR5

Answer

A

A. The top module is DDR3, and the bottom one is DDR4. DDR3 has 240 pins whereas DDR4 has 288 pins. DDR5 also has 288 pins, but the DDR5 key position may vary depending on whether it is UDIMM or RDIMM.

Question 43

Q

The Acme company has a laser printer in its Chicago office that has been used for three months. A technician needs to ship the printer to the Detroit office for use there. What, if any, preparations should be made for the toner cartridge?

A) No preparations are needed for the toner cartridge before shipping.
B) Insert a toner blocker into the toner cartridge before shipping.
C) Seal the toner cartridge with tape before shipping.
D) Remove the toner cartridge from the printer before shipping.

Answer

A

D. Never ship a printer anywhere with a toner cartridge installed! The jostling that happens during shipping could cause toner to spill out of the cartridge and all over the inside of the printer, and a toner spill is difficult to clean up. Remove the toner cartridge first. You can put it in a sealed, airtight bag to ship if needed.

Question 44

Q

Which step immediately precedes the cleaning step in the laser printer imaging process?

A) Processing
B) Transferring
C) Exposing
D) Fusing

Answer

A

D. The order of steps is processing, charging, exposing, developing, transferring, fusing, and cleaning.

Question 45

Q

Identify the connector shown here.

A) ST
B) SC
C) LC
D) MFF

Answer

A

C. The connector shown is a type of mini form factor (MFF) fiber-optic connector called a Lucent connector (LC). It’s especially popular for use with Fibre Channel adapters, fast storage area networks, and Gigabit Ethernet adapters.

Question 46

Q

You need to create several UTP cables from a roll of bulk cable. Your company uses the T568B standard. What is the correct order for wires in the connectors?

A) White/orange, orange, white/green, blue, white/blue, green, white/brown, brown
B) White/orange, orange, white/green, green, white/blue, blue, white/brown, brown
C) White/orange, green, white/green, blue, white/blue, orange, white/brown, brown
D) Orange, white/orange, white/green, blue, white/blue, green, white/brown, brown

Answer

A

A. The correct order for a T568B cable is white/orange, orange, white/green, blue, white/blue, green, white/brown, brown. In the T568A standard, the orange and green cables are swapped. The blue and brown wires don’t change position between the two standards.

Question 47

Q

You need to replace a faulty 250-foot section of RG-6 cable, but all you have available is RG-59. Which of the following statements is true?

A) The replacement cable will not work because the distance exceeds RG-59 specifications.
B) The replacement cable will not work because RG-6 and RG-59 use different connectors.
C) The replacement cable will not work because RG-6 and RG-59 have different impedance.
D) If the replacement cable works, it won’t work as well. RG-6 should be purchased.

Answer

A

D. RG-6 is a better choice because it supports digital signals and has a longer range (304 meters, or 1,000 feet). RG-59 can run up to 228 meters (750 feet). Both have impedance of 75 ohms, and both use BNC connectors or F-type connectors. RG-6 is usually better insulated and will have less signal loss. While the RG-59 might work, if it doesn’t, would you want to do the job over?

Question 48

Q

Question 49

Q

You have been asked to design a new network that requires 10 Gbps transmission speeds. Which cable types will meet the minimum specifications? (Choose two.)

A) MMF
B) Cat 5
C) Cat 5e
D) Cat 6a

Answer

A

A, D. Multimode fiber (MMF) and unshielded twisted pair (UTP) Cat 6 and newer support 10 Gbps transmission speeds. Cat 5 supports up to 100 Mbps, and Cat 5e supports up to 1,000 Mbps.

Question 50

Q

You are investigating remnants of a network setup in an unused building. At the end of a conduit, all you see are the connectors shown here. What type of cable do you expect these connectors to be attached to?

A) Coaxial
B) STP
C) UTP
D) Fiber-optic

Answer

A

D. The connectors shown are ST connectors, which are used with fiber-optic cable. ST connectors attach with a BNC-like locking mechanism.

Question 51

Q

Identify the connector shown here.

A) ST
B) SC
C) LC
D) MFF

Answer

A

B. The connector shown is a subscriber connector (SC), also known as a square connector because of its shape. It’s a fiber-optic cable connector. ST and LC are also types of fiber-optic connectors, and MFF is multimode fiber-optic cable.

Question 52

Q

You are trying to replace a hard drive in an older system. The connector has 68 pins, along two rows. You believe from the printing on the motherboard that it is a 16-bit connection. What type of drive do you have to replace?

A) SATA
B) ATA
C) SCSI
D) NVMe

Answer

A

C. The 16-bit SCSI drives were connected by a Molex type connector, two rows of pins, totaling 68 pins.

Question 53

Q

Which of the following does not apply with triple channel memory?

A) Triple the 64-bit communication path to the CPU
B) Triple the speed with which memory is accessed
C) Requires installation of three matched memory modules
D) Triple the memory access latency

Answer

A

D. Triple channel memory is achieved when three matching memory modules are installed, permitting data to be spread and memory accessed simultaneously. The effect is lower memory latency, triple the access speed (compared to single channel), and triple the 64-bit communication path.

Question 54

Q

What form factor for solid-state hard drives measures 22 mm wide with lengths varying between 30 mm, 42 mm, 60 mm, and longer?

A) NVMe
B) SATA
C) PCIe
D) M.2

Answer

A

D. M.2 is a solid-state hard drive form factor, measuring 22 mm wide. Its lengths vary between 30 mm, 42 mm, 60 mm, 80 mm, and 120 mm. NVMe is a storage protocol, not a form factor. Many M.2 drives use the NVMe protocol. SATA and PCIe are bus interface standards found on a motherboard.

Question 55

Q

You wish to protect your system from someone not authorized to start the OS. What is your best option?

A) Password-protect the locked screen.
B) Password-protect in the BIOS/UEFI settings.
C) Encrypt the hard drive.
D) Use a 12-character login password.

Answer

A

B. The system BIOS/UEFI settings include password protection to not allow system bootup unless someone enters a password. This would prohibit the OS from loading upon boot.

Question 56

Q

If you require more USB ports than your system can provide, what is your most cost-effective option?

A) Install a USB expansion card.
B) Swap peripherals for those requiring different connectors.
C) Replace the motherboard for one with additional USB ports.
D) Swap out peripherals as you use them.

Answer

A

A. A USB expansion card would utilize an expansion slot on the motherboard to provide two to four additional USB ports. Not included as an option, but a USB hub is a cost-effective fix as well, and some will provide additional power for USB-powered devices.

Question 57

Q

You need to purchase RAM for a computer. Which factors determine the speed of memory you should purchase? (Choose two.)

A) CPU speed
B) RAM speed supported by the motherboard
C) RAM speed supported by the processor
D) RAM speed supported by the TPM chip

Answer

A

B, C. The speed of RAM that a computer can use is limited by the speed of the motherboard’s memory bus and the speed of RAM supported by the processor, especially now that the memory controller is part of the processor. Even if faster RAM is purchased, it will run at the slower speed of the memory bus or what the processor supports.

Question 58

Q

You installed a new motherboard because the previous one failed. Your new motherboard doesn’t have a VGA display port; it has onboard HDMI. Your display only uses VGA. What is the least expensive option to resolve this dilemma?

A) Purchase a new display.
B) Return the motherboard and choose a different one.
C) Purchase a video card with a VGA port on it.
D) Purchase an HDMI-to-VGA adapter.

Answer

A

D. Although the more fun answer is to purchase a new display, the question asks what would be the least expensive, and that is to purchase an HDMI-to-VGA adapter. There are adapters for almost everything on a computer system, so in a case like this, that would be the quickest and least expensive solution.

Question 59

Q

Your company owns a 3D printer and has asked you to order the consumable materials for it. It is an extrusion type printer that is used to make small plastic parts. What is the material called that you’ll order for it?

A) Toner
B) Ink
C) Filament
D) Resin

Answer

A

C. Extrusion type 3D printers heat material called filament from a roll and force it through a narrow nozzle while the nozzle is moved to the appropriate spot to build an object layer by layer. Filament is available in different thickness and characteristics, so it’s important to verify exactly what type of filament the printer uses before ordering it.

Question 60

Q

What type of connector is the one shown?

A) SATA
B) eSATA
C) HDMI
D) SATAe

Answer

A

B. eSATA connectors provide a way to access the SATA bus via an external connector. Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) is a type of internal drive connection and bus that replaced the older parallel ATA (PATA). SATAe is a motherboard bus that supports both SATA and PCIe. HDMI is an audio/video interface.

Question 61

Q

You have a motherboard that has 16 RAM slots. It is a quad-channel, with four RAM slots for each channel. The slots are all black, but they are labeled A1, A2, A3, A4, B1, B2, B3, B4, and so on. To take advantage of the quad-channel feature, how will you install the RAM modules?

A) Any four slots will work for quad channel.
B) Install them all in the “A” slots.
C) Install them in A1, B2, C3, and D4.
D) Install them in A1, B1, C1, and D1.

Answer

A

D. Typically in a motherboard with multichannel support, the channels will be labeled with a letter (A, B, C, D). To take advantage of the multichannel capabilities, you would install one RAM module in each channel. Lowest numbered slots are usually filled first, so you would use slot 1 (or zero, if numbering started there) of each channel. You should, of course, always consult the motherboard documentation.

Question 62

Q

You have an extruder type 3D printer. What two components of the printer are likely to move as the print job progresses? (Choose two.)

A) Extruder nozzle
B) Print bed
C) Platform
D) Resin tray

Answer

A

A, B. In many extruder type 3D printers, the print bed will move down as the print job progresses and may move front to back during the printing of each layer, while the extruder nozzle moves left to right, building the 3D object one layer at a time.

Question 63

Q

What are the two types of connectors shown here, left to right?

A) MicroUSB, miniUSB
B) MiniUSB, microUSB
C) USB-A, USB-B
D) USB-C, USB4

Answer

A

B. The connector on the left is a miniUSB, and on the right is a microUSB.

Question 64

Q

What type of hard drives are not available in a 3.5″ form factor?

A) SSD
B) mSATA
C) SATA
D) Magnetic

Answer

A

B. SSDs and magnetic drives can both be found in the 3.5″ form factor that is used in desktop computers, and often they connect via a SATA interface. mSATA and M.2 are solid-state drives consisting of a very small circuit board that connects directly to the motherboard via a slot with a screw or connector to hold it in place.

Answer 64

A

B, D. M.2 drives are keyed with B or M or B+M keys. A and E keys are for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or cellular devices such as networking cards found in laptops. In computers, a key is a device such as a notch, an indent on a circuit board, that ensures you can’t plug the wrong type of device into something. Power connectors are keyed by shape, RAM modules are keyed with notches in different places, CPUs will have keys, SATA connectors have an L shape for a key, and M.2 drives are keyed as well. In an M.2, a B key is for PCIe x 2/SATA/USB and so on, and an M key is PCIe x4/SATA.

Answer 65

A

C. SATA 3 had a speed of 6 Gbps and a data throughput of 600 MBps, but SATA 3.2 (also called SATAe) ties compatible drives into the PCIe bus on the motherboard, decreasing overhead and taking advantage of the PCIe bus speeds which makes the data throughput multiple times better.

Answer 66

A

A, C. Socket AM4 and Socket TR4 are only compatible with AMD processors. The two LGA sockets listed are for use with Intel processors only.

Answer 67

A

B, C. Intel Xeon and AMD EPYC processors are designed to be high-end server processors. The Atom processor is a small form factor processor, and the Ryzen 3 is a desktop processor.

Answer 68

A

A, C. Arm Holdings, LTD. is the company that has developed the nine iterations of ARM processors. ARM is famous for developing Reduced Instruction Set Computing (RISC), and their intellectual property can be found in everything from embedded systems and smartphones all the way up to servers. An ARM processor is considered a SoC (system-on-a-chip) rather than a CPU because processors are built with various features around the ARM processor.

Answer 69

A

C. A SAN (storage area network) is a separate network that has only storage devices on it, but you still need a way to connect to that storage. Connecting can be done through a host bus adapter (HBA) connected through the PCIe bus on a network server’s motherboard. Since Fibre Channel (FC) networks are so fast, they are often used for SANs.

Answer 70

A

C. A webcam would be very inefficient and difficult solution at best, and FireWire would not be fast enough for today’s systems. While screen-capture software might work, the best solution would be to install a capture card either as a discrete (external) unit or in a PCIe slot on a motherboard. The capture card can take some of the workload off the processor, making the video less likely to skip, lag, or freeze.

Answer 71

A

B, C. Some power supplies will have a 20-pin+4-pin connector designed to connect to a 24-pin P1 motherboard connector. An ATX12V PSU is the perfect solution. A 20-pin P1 connector plus a P4 connector is the right number of pins, but the P4 connector is not compatible with the main motherboard power. ATX12VO is a 12 volt only connector that has only 10 pins and that would not be compatible with this motherboard, unless it had other connections.

Answer 72

A

B, C. Whenever you get new equipment for the first time, the best choice is to check for manufacturer’s directions. Lacking those, flipping a printer over and pulling the box off of the printer may cause damage before you’ve even set it up! The best course of action is to slide the contents gently out of the box. Using box cutters could damage the printer or its cables.

Answer 73

A

D. Most modern network-enabled multifunction devices will have Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Ethernet connections. They may also have AirPrint support for Apple devices. They are not likely to have RFID as a connection type, although they may have an RFID reader for secure print job authentication.

Answer 74

A

C. The only type of printer that will print on all copies of multipart forms is an impact printer, usually a dot-matrix. It’s the only type of printer listed that makes a mark by physically striking the paper. These multipart forms are sometimes called NCR (No Carbon Required) or carbonless multipart forms. The back of each page, except the last one, will have a coating of microencapsulated ink or dye that produces an image when it is pressed or written on.

Answer 75

A

D. If you have a printer with multiple trays, normally when you print there will be a setting that allows you to choose which tray to print from. Letterhead can be in one tray and plain paper in another. Orientation is whether the paper is printed in the taller or wider direction. Duplexing means printing on both sides, and quality settings let the user choose either faster or better printing.

Answer 76

A

A, D. Both laser and inkjet printers occasionally need to be calibrated. Exactly when depends on the printer, but often for inkjet printers it’s after installing a new ink cartridge, and for laser printers, when you need to adjust colors.

Answer 77

A

A. A punchdown block can be found in a telecommunications closet mounted on a networking rack. Network drops from work areas are terminated (punched down) in the back, and cables with RJ-45 connectors connect the front to a switch or router. Punchdown blocks provide a neat way to keep cables organized. Switches and routers are network connectivity devices. A terminator is another name for a terminating resistor, which is sometimes needed at the end of a length of coaxial cable.

Answer 78

A

C. There are five major versions of PCIe currently specified: 1.x, 2.x, 3.0, 4.0 and 5.0. For the five versions, a single bidirectional lane operates at a data rate of 250 MBps, 500 MBps, approximately 1 GBps, roughly 2 GBps, and nearly 4 GBps respectively. Each PCIe slot can have up to 16 lanes, the number of lanes being indicated by x1, x4, x8, x16. (The x is pronounced as by.) Therefore, a PCIe 5.0 x16 slot can support up to 64 GBps of bandwidth. (16 x 4 = 64).