CompTIA Basic Certification

1. Which of the following is a proper name for a stick of RAM?

CRIMM

DIMM

BGA

LGA

2. What connector was designed to connect your PC to a high-end television set?

DB-HD

HDMI

VESA

VGA

3. Which utility is helpful in troubleshooting hardware?

System Properties

Device Manager

Disk Management

Security Center

4. Which of the following is a common tool that technicians use to avoid ESD damage when they work with PC components?

Static-proof gloves

Silicone tongs

Anti-static wrist strap

Tinfoil hat

5. What do you plug into a three-row, 15-pin port?

Joystick

Keyboard

Monitor

Mouse

6. What sort of connector does a typical network card have?

DB-9

Mini-DIN

RJ-11

RJ-45

7. Which Windows utility backs up critical files and settings and enables you to roll back to a previous state?

Registry

System Restore

System Information

Microsoft Management Console

8. Which of the following is true of the USB interface?

It's an internal connection between the motherboad and RAM

It's a hot-swappable interface

It's only useful for connecting a printer to a computer

You'll find it only on very old computers

9. Which RJ jack type accepts a standard network cable?

RJ-11

RJ-15

RJ-45

RJ-54

10. Many tech tools are grouped together in which location?

Start > All Programs > Tools

Start > All Programs > Tools > System Tools

Start > All Programs > System Tools > Accessories

Start > All Programs > Accessories >System Tools

11. How do you know what voltage of battery to put into your PC?

Use a voltmeter on the old one

Check the battery thickness

Look on the motherboard

Check the motherboard documentation

12. What is the term for the delay in the RAM's response to a request from the MCC?

Variance

MCC gap

Latency

Fetch interval

13. Cavos finds that a disgruntled former employee decided to sabotage her computer when she left by putting a password in CMOS that stops the computer from booting. What can Davos do to solve this problem?

Davos should boot the computer while holding the left SHIFT key. This will clear the CMOS information

Davos should find a replacement motherboard. Unless he knows the CMOS password, there's nothing he can do

14. What is the role of the Southbridge?

Works with RAM

Works mainly with lower-speed devices, such as the USB controller and hard drive controllers

Works with the Memory Controller Chip

Controls nothing

15. What is the role of the Northbridge?

Communicates with the Southbridge

Deals with high-speed interfaces such as the connection to your video card and RAM

Communicates with RAM

Controls the entire chipset

16. What do you call the commands that tell the computer what to do?

Data

Morse Code

Programming

Output

17. Steve adds a second 1GB 240-pin DIMM to his PC, which shoudl bring the total RAM in the system up to 2GB. The PC has an Intel Core 2 Due, 3GHz processor and three 240-pin DIMM slots on the motherboard. When he turns on the PC, however, only 1GB of RAM shows up during the RAM count. Which of the following is most likely to be the problem?

Steve failed to seat the RAM properly

Steve put DDR SDRAM in DDR 2 slot

The CPU cannot handle 2GB of RAM

The motherboard can use only one RAM slot at a time

18. What is the best way to determine the total capacity and specific type of RAM your system can handle?

Check the motherboard book

Open the case and inspect the RAM

Check the Device Manager

Check the System utility in the Control Panel

19. Grregor installed a third stick of known-good RAM into his Core i7 system, bringing the total amount of RAM up to 3GB. Within a few days though, hi started having random lockups and reboots, especially when doing memory intensive tasks such as gaming. What is most likely the problem?

He installed DDR RAM into a DDR2 system

He installed DDR2 RAM into a DDR3 system

He installed RAM that didnt' match the speed or quality of the RAM in the system

He installed RAM that exceeded the speed of the RAM in the system

20. Jill decided to go retro and added a second floppy disk drive to her computer. She thinks she has it physically installed correctly, but id doesn't show up in Windows. Which of the following options will most likely lead Jill where she needs to go to resolve the issue?

In Windows, press the DELETE key twice to enter the CMOS setup utility

In Windows, go to Start > Run and type floppy. Click OK to open the Floppy Disk Drive Setup Wizard

21. Which of these internal PC components uses a wide, flat ribbon cable to transmit data?

PATA hard drive

SATA hard drive

Power Supply

CPU

22. What is the proper way to refer to the system root folder?

%system%

&system&

%systemroot%

&systemroot&

23. What does BIOS provide for the computer?

BIOS provides the physical interface for various devices such as USB and FireWire ports

BIOS provides the programming that enables the CPU to communicate with other hardware

BIOS provides memory space for applications to load into from the hard drive

BIOS provides memory space for applications to load into from the main system RAM

24. Where do you connect an atin-static wrist strap? (Select the best answer)

To an anti-static plate on the computer

To an electrical outlet

To a handy metal part of the case

To a non-static wrist strap

25. What is displayed in the My Computer window?

All the drives on your system

All the control Panel applets

Installed programs

Other computers on the network

26. The Intel Core Duo has which of the following advantages over the Pentium M?

Level 1 cache

64-bit data bus

Quad pipelining

Dual processors

27. Which of the following describes the ability to run multiple threads simultaneously on a single core?

Super-threading

Hyper-threading

Multithreading

Core Duo

28. Which of the following is an advantage of running Windows on NTFS as opposed to FAT?

Security

Multiple folders

Long filenames

Speed

29. What connector was designed to connect your PC to a high-end audio system?

DB-HA

DVI

Mini-audio

S/PDIF

30. Which end of the USB cable plugs into the PC?

A

B

Mini-A

Mini-B

31. How to you open a PC case?

Unlock a pair of small levrs and slide the case cover off in one piece

Unscrew one side panel or the other from the front panel, according to your user manual

Take the screws out of the bottom panel and then lift the case straight up

Because cases vary, there is no standard way to open one

32. How many bytes are in one kilobyte?

64

1000

1024

1,048,576

33. What does a nonmaskable interrupt cause the CPU to produce?

The Blue Screen of Death

A parity error

Excessive heat

An incorrect memory count

34. What is the term for a CPU's capability to lower its clock speed when it reaches a certain temperature?

Voltage regulation

Overclocking

Throttling

Downshifting

35. Laura installs a second stick of DDR2 RAM into her Core 2 Duo system, bringing the total system memory up to 2GB. Within a short period of time though, she begins experiencing BSOD. What could the problem be?

BTW: Laura is a very talented technician and the envy of all her co-workers. And she really needs to upgrade to Windows 7 with an i-5 or i-7 processor!

She installed faulty RAM

The motherboard could only handle 1GB or RAM

The mother board needed dual-channel RAM

There is no problem. Windows always does this initially, but gets better after crashing a few times

36. Which of the following set of steps should you take when installing RAM into a portable computer?

Open the case, remove the old RAM, and insert the new RAM

Disconnect the AC cable, open the case, remove the old RAM, and insert the new RAM.

37. What is the term for a CPU's complete set of commands?

Machine language

Instruction set

Motherboard manual

Master codes

38. If you see a small square of tape on the bottom of a CPU fan, what does this mean?

It's the kind of fan that uses glue and thus needs no thermal paste

Nothing - all CPU fans come this way

It's the kind of fan that has an exposed magnetic contact

It's the kind of fan that comes with thermal paste pre-applied

39. The most typical button (s) to press to enter the CMOS utility is:

DELETE

CTRL-ALT-DELETE

HOME

PAUSE / BREAK

40. Which Registry root key contains information about file types?

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE

HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG

HKEY_USERS

41. What do registers provide for the CPU?

Registers determine the clock speed

The CPU uses registers for temporary storage of internal commands and data

Registers enable the CPU to address RAM

Registers enable the CPU to control the address bus

42. A donor gives five Socket 939 Athlon X2 processors to the nonprofit corporation for which Jane works as a technician. Jane has several systems with Socket 939 motherboards and Athlon 64 CPUs installed. Her boss wants her to upgrade five systems with the new processors, but to keep the upgrade costs low, if possible, by using the existing motherboards.
Primary Objective: Upgrade the systems with faster CPUs
Optional Objective: Use existing motherboards
Proposed Solution: Remove the Athlon 64 CPUs on five systems and replace them with the new Athlon 64 X2 CPUs. Update the motherboards, following the motherboard manufacturer's guidelines.
The proposed solution:

Meets onl the primary objective

Meets only the optional objective

Meets the primary and optional objectives

Meets neither objective

See Jane go!

Explanation

See Jane go!

43. Scott wants to add 512MB of PC100 SDRAM to an aging, but still useful desktop system. The system has a 100 MHz motherboard and currently has 256MB of non-ECC SDRAM in the system. What else does he need to know before installing?

What speed of RAM does he need?

What type of RAM does he need?

How many pins does the RAM have?

Can the system handle that much RAM?

44. Why is SDRAM faster than regular DRAM?

It makes two processes per clock cycle

It runs synchronously with the system clock

It uses dual-channel architecture

It has fewer pins, resulting in feewer corrupt bits

45. If you upgrade your memory but notice that the RAM count does not reflect the additional memory, what should you do?

Remove the RAM and try to reinstall it

Restart the computer

Return the memory because it is probably bad

Go to Setup and configure the memory to reflect the new amound

46. What is the new name for the Memory Controller Chip?

Southbridge

Northbridge

Frontside chip

Memory Chip

47. When a tech adds a new Athlon 64 X2 processor to a motherboard, which of the following should the tech check? (Choose the best answer)

Clock speed of the CPU, clock multiplier for the CPU

Clock speed of the CPU, clock multiplier for the CPU, voltage settings on the motherboard

Clock speed of the CPU, clock multiplier for the CPU, voltage settings on the motherboard, system clock speed

Voltage settings on the motherboard, system clock speed

48. Richard over in the sales department went wild in CMOS and made a bunch of changes that he thought would optimize his PC. Now most of his PC doesn't work. The computer powers up, but he can only get to CMOS, not into Windows. Which of the following tech call answers would most likely get him up and running again?

Reboot the computer about three times. That'll clear CMOS and get you up and running

49. Jill boots up an older Pentium III system that has been the cause of several user complaints at the office. The system powers up and starts to run through POST, but then stops. The screen displays a "CMOS configuration mismatch" error. Of the following list, what is the most likely cause of this error?

Dying CMOS battery

Bad CPU

Bad RAM

Corrupt system BIOS

50. What folder is a central storage location for user files in XP?

Program Files

My Documents

My Files

%systemroot%Users

51. What is the correct sequence for a PC?

CPU, POST, power good, goot loader, operating system

POST, power good, CPU, boot loader, operating system

Power good, boot loader, CPU, POST, operating system

Power good, CPU, POST, boot loader, operating system

52. Which utility is missing from the default Windows XP Home installation?

Backup

Character Map

Computer Management

User Accounts

53. The Intel Core Duo processor has two 32-KB Level 1 caches, whereas the Athlon 64 X2 has one 128-KB Level 1 cache. What do caches provide for the processors?

The enable the CPU to continue working during pipeline stalls

The enable the CPU to continue working during hard drive refreshes

They enable the CPU to access RAM

The enable the CPU to access the chipset memory controller

54. Silas has an AMD-based motherboard with two sticks of DDR2 RAM installed in two of the three RAM slots, for a total of 2B of system memory. When he runs CPU-Z to test the system, he notices that the software claims he's running single-channel meory. What could be the problem? (Select the best answer)

His motherboard only supports single-channel memory

His motherboard only supports dual-channel memory with DDR RAM, not DDR2

He needs to install a third RAM stick to enable dual-channel memory

He needs to move one of the installed sticks to a different slot to activate dual-channel memory

55. Which of the following SDRAM speeds would not work with a 100MHz motherboard?

66MHz

100 MHz

133 MHz

200 MHz

SDRAM is tied to the system clock, so its speed is matched to the frontside bus. The RAM speed had to match or exceed the system speed or the computer would be unstable or wouldn't work at all.

Explanation

SDRAM is tied to the system clock, so its speed is matched to the frontside bus. The RAM speed had to match or exceed the system speed or the computer would be unstable or wouldn't work at all.

56. Which of the following CPU installation tasks is most difficult to perform without tools?

Positioning the CPU properly in the socket

Locking the ZIF socket's lever arm in place

Providing power to the cooling fan

Snapping the fan mounting bracket in place

57. Which of the following most accurately describes the relationship between BIOS and hardware?

All hardware needs BIOS

All hardware that attaches to the motherboard via ribbon cables needs BIOS

All hardware built into the motherboard needs BIOS

Some hardware devices need BIOS

58. What is the function of the system crystal?

It ensures that the CPU will be able to speak the same language as the RAM

It keeps the CPU and external data bus from sending conflicting signals

It stores the codebook information that the CPU uses to communicate with the rest of the PC

It determines the speed at which the CPU and the rest of the PC will operate

59. What function does the external data bus have in the PC?

The external data bus determines the clock speed for the CPU

The CPU uses the external data bus to address RAM

The external data bus provides a channel for the flow of data and commands between the CPU and RAM

The CPU uses the external data bus to access registers

60. Which version of Windows uses the Backup Status and Configuration Tool?

Windows 2000

Windows XP Media Center

Windows XP Professional

Windows Vista Ultimate

61. Which of the following performs the actual calculations within the CPU?

The system clock

The registers

The ALU

The MCC

62. Rico has a motherboard with four RAM slots that doesn't seem to work. He has two RDRAM RIMMs installed, for a total of 1GB of memory, but the system won't boot. What is likely to be the problem?

The motherboard requires SDRAM, not RDRAM

The motherboard requires DDR SDRAM, not RDRAM

The motherboard requires that all four slots be filled with RDRAM

The motherboard requires the two empty slots to be filled with CRIMMs for termination

63. Motherboards that support more thatn four sticks of RAM may require what to function properly?

Buffered RAM

ECC RAM

Dual-channel RAM

DDR2 RAM

64. How does the CPU know how to start working when you start the PC?

Its power good wire is charged

You press the Windows Start button

The hard drive begins to load the operating system

The POST tells it to start

65. A printer usually plugs into which of the following ports? (Select all that apply)

DB-9

DB-25

Mini-DIN

USB

Submit

66. What distinguishes the Athlon 64 from the original Athlon? (Select Two)

Athlon 64 uses an external memory controller

Athlon 64 uses an internal memory controller

Athlon 64 runs on a traditional fronside bus

Athlon 64 runs on a HyperTransport

Submit

67. After a sudden power outage, Samson's PC rebooted, but nothing appeared on the screen. The PC just beeps at him, over and over and over. What's most likely the problem?

The Power outage toasted his RAM

The Power outage toasted his video card

The Power outage toasted his hard drive

The Power outage toasted his CPU

68. What package does DDR-SDRAM use for desktop PCs?

30-pin

72-pin

168-pin

184-pin

69. Henry bought a new card for capturing television on hi somputer. Whe he finished going through the packaging though, he found no driver disc, only an application disk for setting up TV capture software. After installing the card and software, it all works flawlessly. What's the most likely explanation?

The divice doesn't need BIOS, so there's no need for a driver disc.

The device has an option ROM that loads BIOS, so there's no need ofr a driver disc.

Windows supports TV capture cards out of the box, so there's no need for a driver disc.

The manufacturer made a mistake and didn't include everything needed to setup the device.

70. What happens if you mix RAM sticks of different speeds?

Your computer will work fine, as long as it uses dual-channel architecture

Your computer may slow down

Your computer will work fine if all the memory sticks are slwer than the speed of the motherboard

Your computer may lock up every few seconds or provide corrupted data

71. Modern keyboards connect to which of the following ports? (Select all that apply)

DIN

FireWire

Mini-DIN

USB

Submit

72. If a CPU runs at 2GHz, how many clock cycles is that per second?

2

2000

2 million

2 billion

73. Where does Windows Vista store device drivers?

Computer

Hardware

Registry

Drivers and Settings

74. What is the size of the data bus and the l1 cache on a Core 2 Duo CPU?

32-bit data bus, 32-KB L1 cache

64-bit data bus, two 32-KB L1 caches

64-bit data bus, two 64 --KB L1 caches

128-bit data bus, two 128-KB L1 caches

75. A CMOS setup menu does not include an Integrated Peripherals option, but the PC clearly has built-in peripherals. What's happening?

Just because a PC has integrated peripherals doesn't mean you can change them in CMOS

You have a CMOS error

Modern motherboards don't have integrated peripherals

This particular CMOS setup program has them under a different name

76. What does the CPU use to access the system's RAM?

The system bus

The frontside bus

The address bus

The expansion bus

77. What is the function of the address bus in the PC?

The address bus enables the CPU to communicate with the memory controller chip

The address bus enables the memory controller chip to communicate with RAM

The address bus provides a channel for the flow of data and commands between the CPU and RAM

78. Jane, the hardware technician for a nonprofit corporation, has 10 systems that she needs to upgrade with new microprocessors. Each system currently has a Socket 939 mother board with an Athlon 64 3200+ CPU installed. To keep the upgrade costs low, her boss has told her to use the existing motherboards if possible.
Primary Objective: Upgrade the systems with faster CPUs
Optional Objective: Use existing motherboards and avoid adding any hardware aside from the CPU, fan, and heat-sink assemble
Proposed Resolution: Jane places an order for 10 PPGA Core 2 Duo processors and 10 PPGA to Socke 939 converters.
The proposed solution:

Meets only the primary objective

Meets the primary objective and one of the optional objectives

Meets the primary objective and both of the optional objectives

Meets none of the objectives

You can't install Intel processors on AMD-based mother boards. Jane should go work for the school district.

Explanation

You can't install Intel processors on AMD-based mother boards. Jane should go work for the school district.

79. If you're running Windows 2000 or Windows XP, you can use all of the following methods to find out how much RAM is installed in your computer except______________________.

From the Control Panel, select System and then the Hardware tab

Use the Performance tab under the Task Manager

Select Properties from My Computer

With a newer keyboard, press the [WINDOWS-PAUSE/BREAK] keystrokes combination

80. What stick type does RDRAM use?

DIMM

RIMM

SIMM

ZIMM

81. What is the primary reason that DDR2 RAM is faster thatn DDR RAM?

The core speed of the RAM chips is faster

The input/output speed of the RAM is faster

DDR RAM is single-channel and DDR2 RAM is dual-channel

DDR RAM uses 184-pin DIMMS and DDR2 uses 240-pin DIMMS

82. Which of the following is a 64-bit processor?

Opteron

Athlon XP

Pentium II

Core Duo

83. The hundreds of tiny programs stored in the ROM chip on your motherboard that talk the hardware of your PC are know collectively as?

System BIOS

CMOS

CMOS Setup

ROM

CompTIA Basic Certification

1. Which of the following is a proper name for a stick of RAM?

2.

What first name or nickname would you like us to use?

2. What connector was designed to connect your PC to a high-end television set?

3. Which utility is helpful in troubleshooting hardware?

4. Which of the following is a common tool that technicians use to avoid ESD damage when they work with PC components?

5. What do you plug into a three-row, 15-pin port?

6. What sort of connector does a typical network card have?

7. Which Windows utility backs up critical files and settings and enables you to roll back to a previous state?

8. Which of the following is true of the USB interface?

9. Which RJ jack type accepts a standard network cable?

10. Many tech tools are grouped together in which location?

11. How do you know what voltage of battery to put into your PC?

12. What is the term for the delay in the RAM's response to a request from the MCC?

13. Cavos finds that a disgruntled former employee decided to sabotage her computer when she left by putting a password in CMOS that stops the computer from booting. What can Davos do to solve this problem?

14. What is the role of the Southbridge?

15. What is the role of the Northbridge?

16. What do you call the commands that tell the computer what to do?

18. What is the best way to determine the total capacity and specific type of RAM your system can handle?

19. Grregor installed a third stick of known-good RAM into his Core i7 system, bringing the total amount of RAM up to 3GB. Within a few days though, hi started having random lockups and reboots, especially when doing memory intensive tasks such as gaming. What is most likely the problem?

20. Jill decided to go retro and added a second floppy disk drive to her computer. She thinks she has it physically installed correctly, but id doesn't show up in Windows. Which of the following options will most likely lead Jill where she needs to go to resolve the issue?

21. Which of these internal PC components uses a wide, flat ribbon cable to transmit data?

22. What is the proper way to refer to the system root folder?

23. What does BIOS provide for the computer?

24. Where do you connect an atin-static wrist strap? (Select the best answer)

25. What is displayed in the My Computer window?

26. The Intel Core Duo has which of the following advantages over the Pentium M?

27. Which of the following describes the ability to run multiple threads simultaneously on a single core?

28. Which of the following is an advantage of running Windows on NTFS as opposed to FAT?

29. What connector was designed to connect your PC to a high-end audio system?

30. Which end of the USB cable plugs into the PC?

31. How to you open a PC case?

32. How many bytes are in one kilobyte?

33. What does a nonmaskable interrupt cause the CPU to produce?

34. What is the term for a CPU's capability to lower its clock speed when it reaches a certain temperature?

36. Which of the following set of steps should you take when installing RAM into a portable computer?

37. What is the term for a CPU's complete set of commands?

38. If you see a small square of tape on the bottom of a CPU fan, what does this mean?

39. The most typical button (s) to press to enter the CMOS utility is:

40. Which Registry root key contains information about file types?

41. What do registers provide for the CPU?

43. Scott wants to add 512MB of PC100 SDRAM to an aging, but still useful desktop system. The system has a 100 MHz motherboard and currently has 256MB of non-ECC SDRAM in the system. What else does he need to know before installing?

44. Why is SDRAM faster than regular DRAM?

45. If you upgrade your memory but notice that the RAM count does not reflect the additional memory, what should you do?

46. What is the new name for the Memory Controller Chip?

47. When a tech adds a new Athlon 64 X2 processor to a motherboard, which of the following should the tech check? (Choose the best answer)

50. What folder is a central storage location for user files in XP?

51. What is the correct sequence for a PC?

52. Which utility is missing from the default Windows XP Home installation?

53. The Intel Core Duo processor has two 32-KB Level 1 caches, whereas the Athlon 64 X2 has one 128-KB Level 1 cache. What do caches provide for the processors?

55. Which of the following SDRAM speeds would not work with a 100MHz motherboard?

56. Which of the following CPU installation tasks is most difficult to perform without tools?

57. Which of the following most accurately describes the relationship between BIOS and hardware?

58. What is the function of the system crystal?

59. What function does the external data bus have in the PC?

60. Which version of Windows uses the Backup Status and Configuration Tool?

61. Which of the following performs the actual calculations within the CPU?

62. Rico has a motherboard with four RAM slots that doesn't seem to work. He has two RDRAM RIMMs installed, for a total of 1GB of memory, but the system won't boot. What is likely to be the problem?

63. Motherboards that support more thatn four sticks of RAM may require what to function properly?

64. How does the CPU know how to start working when you start the PC?

65. A printer usually plugs into which of the following ports? (Select all that apply)

66. What distinguishes the Athlon 64 from the original Athlon? (Select Two)

67. After a sudden power outage, Samson's PC rebooted, but nothing appeared on the screen. The PC just beeps at him, over and over and over. What's most likely the problem?

68. What package does DDR-SDRAM use for desktop PCs?

70. What happens if you mix RAM sticks of different speeds?

71. Modern keyboards connect to which of the following ports? (Select all that apply)

72. If a CPU runs at 2GHz, how many clock cycles is that per second?

73. Where does Windows Vista store device drivers?

74. What is the size of the data bus and the l1 cache on a Core 2 Duo CPU?

75. A CMOS setup menu does not include an Integrated Peripherals option, but the PC clearly has built-in peripherals. What's happening?

76. What does the CPU use to access the system's RAM?

77. What is the function of the address bus in the PC?

79. If you're running Windows 2000 or Windows XP, you can use all of the following methods to find out how much RAM is installed in your computer except______________________.

80. What stick type does RDRAM use?

81. What is the primary reason that DDR2 RAM is faster thatn DDR RAM?

82. Which of the following is a 64-bit processor?

83. The hundreds of tiny programs stored in the ROM chip on your motherboard that talk the hardware of your PC are know collectively as?