The CompTIA 220-1001 exam is one of two exams requires to obtain the CompTIA A+ (1000 series). This exam will focus on hardware like hard drives, motherboards, CPUs, memory and peripheral devices.
1) Rank the following starting with the fastest and ending with the slowest: IDE, SATA, SCSI
Ordering for speed first, the correct order is:
This question is filed under objective 3, Hardware
2) You are helping a friend build a new gaming PC. To save on costs they have opted to buy a new motherboard but keep their existing DDR2 memory from their previous PC. After having some trouble getting the memory to fit into the motherboard you check the motherboard manufacturer's documentation and find they recommend their own DDR3 memory. How should you proceed?
DDR2 and DDR3 memory are not compatible and will not physically fit into each other's slots on a motherboard. In this case you will need to purchase new DDR3 memory as the documentation states it uses DDR3. However as an open standard you do not need to purchase the memory from the same manufacturer as the motherboard. As long as both the memory and the motherboard support DDR3 any brand will be fine.
This question is filed under objective 3, Hardware
3) Which video cable can send both digital and analog signals?
Digital Visual Interface - Integrated (DVI-I) can send both digital and analog signals. DVI-D (Digital), HDMI and Mini-HDMI are digital only cable types.
This question is filed under objective 3, Hardware
Digital Visual Interface (DVI) is a video display interface developed by the Digital Display Working Group (DDWG) The digital interface is used to connect a video source, such as a video display controller, to a display device, such as a computer monitor It was developed with the intention of creating an industry standard for the transfer of digital video content This interface is designed to transmit uncompressed digital video and can be configured to support multiple modes such as DVI-A (analog only), DVI-D (digital only) or DVI-I (digital and analog) Featuring support for analog connections, the DVI specification is compatible with the VGA interface… Read More
4) A technician is working on a PC that utilizes a RAID array. The user of the system has reported that random files are becoming corrupted on creation with no pattern to the activity. One drive in the array is likely failing and causing the read/write failures. Which of the following types of RAID is MOST likely in use?
RAID 0 uses striping and does not use a mirror or parity disk. This means corrupted data cannot be recovered and that an issue on one disk could cause information on other disks to be unreadable.
This question is filed under objective 3, Hardware
RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks or Drives, or Redundant Array of Independent Disks) is a data storage virtualization technology that combines multiple physical disk drive components into one or more logical units for the purposes of data redundancy, performance improvement, or both This was in contrast to the previous concept of highly reliable mainframe disk drives referred to as "single large expensive disk" (SLED)Data is distributed across the drives in one of several ways, referred to as RAID levels, depending on the required level of redundancy and performance The different schemes, or data distribution layouts, are named by the word "RAID" followed by a number, for example RAID 0 or RAID 1… Read More
5) Which type of motherboard expansion slot has various speeds such as x16 and x32?
PCIe, or PCI-Express, comes in x1, x4, x8, x16, x32 speeds. The size of the expansion slot also varies depending on type used. While PCIe x32 is defined in the official standard, x16 is generally the largest you will find on the market.
This question is filed under objective 3, Hardware
PCI Express (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express), officially abbreviated as PCIe or PCI-e, is a high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard, designed to replace the older PCI, PCI-X and AGP bus standards It is the common motherboard interface for personal computers' graphics cards, hard drives, SSDs, Wi-Fi and Ethernet hardware connections PCIe has numerous improvements over the older standards, including higher maximum system bus throughput, lower I/O pin count and smaller physical footprint, better performance scaling for bus devices, a more detailed error detection and reporting mechanism (Advanced Error Reporting, AER), and native hot-swap functionality More recent revisions of the PCIe standard provide hardware support… Read More
6) What is the benefit of thermal paste?
Thermal paste helps facilitate the transfer of heat from a processor to a heat sink. Without thermal paste heat will remain in the CPU and overheating will occur.
This question is filed under objective 3, Hardware
Thermal grease (also called CPU grease, heat paste, heat sink compound, heat sink paste, thermal compound, thermal gel, thermal interface material, or thermal paste) is a thermally conductive (but usually electrically insulating) compound, which is commonly used as an interface between heat sinks and heat sources such as high-power semiconductor devices The main role of thermal grease is to eliminate air gaps or spaces (which act as thermal insulation) from the interface area in order to maximize heat transfer and dissipation Thermal grease is an example of a thermal interface material As opposed to thermal adhesive, thermal grease does not add mechanical strength to the bond between heat source and heat sink… Read More
7) What of the following is a true statement regarding M.2 drives?
M.2 drives mount directly to the motherboard without the use of power or data cables.
This question is filed under objective 3, Hardware
M2, formerly known as the Next Generation Form Factor (NGFF), is a specification for internally mounted computer expansion cards and associated connectors M2 replaces the mSATA standard, which uses the PCI Express Mini Card physical card layout and connectors Employing a more flexible physical specification, the M2 allows different module widths and lengths, and, paired with the availability of more advanced interfacing features, makes the M2 more suitable than mSATA in general for solid-state storage applications, and particularly in smaller devices such as ultrabooks and tabletsComputer bus interfaces provided through the M2 connector are PCI Express 3… Read More
8) Which video cable type can carry video and audio signals?
High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) supports both audio and video signals. VGA only supports video, SCSI is an older standard used for items like hard drives and printers.
This question is filed under objective 3, Hardware
HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is a proprietary audio/video interface for transmitting uncompressed video data and compressed or uncompressed digital audio data from an HDMI-compliant source device, such as a display controller, to a compatible computer monitor, video projector, digital television, or digital audio device HDMI is a digital replacement for analog video standards HDMI implements the EIA/CEA-861 standards, which define video formats and waveforms, transport of compressed and uncompressed LPCM audio, auxiliary data, and implementations of the VESA EDID CEA-861 signals carried by HDMI are electrically compatible with the CEA-861 signals used by the Digital Visual Interface (DVI) No signal conversion is necessary,… Read More
9) Which statement most accurately describes RAID 10?
RAID 10 (also called RAID 1 + 0) combines RAIDs 1 and 0 into a single disk array and provides both data redundancy faster performance.
This question is filed under objective 3, Hardware
RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks or Drives, or Redundant Array of Independent Disks) is a data storage virtualization technology that combines multiple physical disk drive components into one or more logical units for the purposes of data redundancy, performance improvement, or both This was in contrast to the previous concept of highly reliable mainframe disk drives referred to as "single large expensive disk" (SLED)Data is distributed across the drives in one of several ways, referred to as RAID levels, depending on the required level of redundancy and performance The different schemes, or data distribution layouts, are named by the word "RAID" followed by a number, for example RAID 0 or RAID 1… Read More
10) What cable type is used for internal hard drives of desktop PCs?
Serial ATA (SATA) is used internally by computers to connect hard drives to the motherboard.
This question is filed under objective 3, Hardware
Serial ATA (SATA, abbreviated from Serial AT Attachment) is a computer bus interface that connects host bus adapters to mass storage devices such as hard disk drives, optical drives, and solid-state drives Serial ATA succeeded the earlier Parallel ATA (PATA) standard to become the predominant interface for storage devices Serial ATA industry compatibility specifications originate from the Serial ATA International Organization (SATA-IO) which are then promulgated by the INCITS Technical Committee T13, AT Attachment (INCITS T13) … Read More
11) Which USB standard supports up to 5 Gigabit per second transfer speeds?
USB 3.0 has a maximum transmission speed of 5 Gigabits per second. USB 2.0 has a speed of 480 Mbit/s.
This question is filed under objective 3, Hardware
USB 30 is the third major version of the Universal Serial Bus (USB) standard for interfacing computers and electronic devices Among other improvements, USB 30 adds the new transfer rate referred to as SuperSpeed USB (SS) that can transfer data at up to 5 Gbit/s (625 MB/s), which is about 10 times faster than the USB 20 standard It is recommended that manufacturers distinguish USB 30 connectors from their USB 20 counterparts by using blue color for the Standard-A receptacles and plugs, and by the initials SSUSB 31, released in July 2013, is the successor standard that replaces the USB 3… Read More
12) What cooling mechanism provides the lowest temperatures for internal PC components?
Liquid or Water Cooling provides the best cooling mechanisms for internal computer components but is uncommon due to the higher costs.
This question is filed under objective 3, Hardware
13) Your supervisor has asked you to bring her a DE-15 connector. Which of the following is she referring to?
VGA uses a 15 pin DE connector
This question is filed under objective 3, Hardware
A Video Graphics Array (VGA) connector is a three-row 15-pin DE-15 connector The 15-pin VGA connector was provided on many video cards, computer monitors, laptop computers, projectors, and high definition television sets On laptop computers or other small devices, a mini-VGA port was sometimes used in place of the full-sized VGA connector Few new devices now include VGA connectors, and it generally coexists with DVI or the newer and more compact HDMI and DisplayPort interface connectors … Read More
14) How many pins are present in SATA data and power cables?
SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) has two main connector types. The power connector is larger with 15 pins, while the data connector is 7 pins.
This question is filed under objective 3, Hardware
Serial ATA (SATA, abbreviated from Serial AT Attachment) is a computer bus interface that connects host bus adapters to mass storage devices such as hard disk drives, optical drives, and solid-state drives Serial ATA succeeded the earlier Parallel ATA (PATA) standard to become the predominant interface for storage devices Serial ATA industry compatibility specifications originate from the Serial ATA International Organization (SATA-IO) which are then promulgated by the INCITS Technical Committee T13, AT Attachment (INCITS T13) … Read More
15) True or False:
Data may be recovered after a drive failure in a RAID 0 configuration.
Raid 0 stripes data across multiple hard drives which improves performance but provides no data recovery after a failure.
This question is filed under objective 3, Hardware
RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks or Drives, or Redundant Array of Independent Disks) is a data storage virtualization technology that combines multiple physical disk drive components into one or more logical units for the purposes of data redundancy, performance improvement, or both This was in contrast to the previous concept of highly reliable mainframe disk drives referred to as "single large expensive disk" (SLED)Data is distributed across the drives in one of several ways, referred to as RAID levels, depending on the required level of redundancy and performance The different schemes, or data distribution layouts, are named by the word "RAID" followed by a number, for example RAID 0 or RAID 1… Read More
16) What connector type is usually used to provide power from a PCs power supply to an internal hard drive, CD or DVD drive?
Molex connectors are found in older desktop PCs and provide power to components like hard drives and CD drives. As most modern PCs use SATA drives with special SATA Power cables the use of Molex connectors has dropped significantly.
This question is filed under objective 3, Hardware
Molex connector is the vernacular term for a two-piece pin and socket interconnection Pioneered by Molex Connector Company, the two-piece design became an early electronic standard Molex developed and patented the first examples of this connector style in the late 1950s and early 1960s First used in home appliances, other industries soon began designing it into their products from automobiles to vending machines to mini-computers In such a connector, cylindrical spring-metal pins fit into cylindrical spring-metal sockets The pins and sockets are held in a rectangular matrix in a nylon shell The connector typically has 2 to 24 contacts and is polarized or keyed to ensure correct orientation… Read More
17) Which of the following options is a benefit of a multi-core processor?
Processors run calculations using threads and each processor core can only handle one thread at a time. Additional cores improve processor performance by enabling multiple threads to be run simultaneously.
This question is filed under objective 3, Hardware
A multi-core processor is a computer processor integrated circuit with two or more separate processing units, called cores, each of which reads and executes program instructions, as if the computer had several processors The instructions are ordinary CPU instructions (such as add, move data, and branch) but the single processor can run instructions on separate cores at the same time, increasing overall speed for programs that support multithreading or other parallel computing techniques Manufacturers typically integrate the cores onto a single integrated circuit die (known as a chip multiprocessor or CMP) or onto multiple dies in a single chip package… Read More
18) What of the following is a true statement regarding NVMe?
Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe) is a protocol that allows very high speed access to Solid State Drives (SSDs). The important thing to understand about NVMe is that it only defines how the data is read and transferred. The NVMe protocol can be used on M.2 based drives and PCIe based drives. NVMe is not comparible to M.2 because M.2 is not a protocol but instead a physical form factor specification. You can think of NVMe as the logical side while M.2 is the physical side.
This question is filed under objective 3, Hardware
NVM Express (NVMe) or Non-Volatile Memory Host Controller Interface Specification (NVMHCIS) is an open logical device interface specification for accessing non-volatile storage media attached via a PCI Express (PCIe) bus The acronym NVM stands for non-volatile memory, which is often NAND flash memory that comes in several physical form factors, including solid-state drives (SSDs), PCI Express (PCIe) add-in cards, M2 cards, and other forms NVM Express, as a logical device interface, has been designed to capitalize on the low latency and internal parallelism of solid-state storage devicesBy its design, NVM Express allows host hardware and software to fully exploit the levels of parallelism possible in modern SSDs… Read More
19) Of the following 4 options, which incorrectly describes the functionality of parity RAM or parity memory?
Parity memory or Parity RAM (Random Access Memory) uses a parity bit to detect errors. Parity memory is great for detecting errors but offers no way to correct the error once it occurs. Automatic error correction is possible using Error-correcting code memory (ECC) but not parity memory.
This question is filed under objective 3, Hardware
RAM parity checking is the storing of a redundant parity bit representing the parity (odd or even) of a small amount of computer data (typically one byte) stored in random access memory, and the subsequent comparison of the stored and the computed parity to detect whether a data error has occurred The parity bit was originally stored in additional individual memory chips with the introduction of plug-in DIMM, SIMM, etc modules, they became available in non-parity and parity (with an extra bit per byte, storing 9 bits for every 8 bits of actual data) versions … Read More
20) What type of connector is used for internal hard drives and has 40 pins?
IDE (also called Parallel ATA) has 40 or 80 pins but the 40 pin was far more common.
This question is filed under objective 3, Hardware
Parallel ATA (PATA), originally AT Attachment, is an interface standard for the connection of storage devices such as hard disk drives, floppy disk drives, and optical disc drives in computers The standard is maintained by the X3/INCITS committee It uses the underlying AT Attachment (ATA) and AT Attachment Packet Interface (ATAPI) standards The Parallel ATA standard is the result of a long history of incremental technical development, which began with the original AT Attachment interface, developed for use in early PC AT equipment The ATA interface itself evolved in several stages from Western Digital's original Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) interface… Read More
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