Show:
CPU/
PROCESSOR
POWER SUPPLY/HEATING
HARDWARE/TOOLS
TROUBLESHOOT
THINKING CRITICALLY
100
What are the two major components of a processor cooler assembly?
Heat sink and fan
100
How do you determine the wattage capacity needed by a power supply?
Add up all wattage requirements for all devices that will use the power supply and then add an additional 30 percent
100
When you first turn on a computer and you don’t hear a spinning drive or fan or see indicator lights, is the problem hardware or software related?
Hardware related
100
What is a Windows error message called that appears on a blue screen?
The blue screen of death or BSOD
100
What is a reasonable wattage capacity for a power supply to be used with a system that contains a DVD drive, three hard drives, and a high-end video card? a. 250 watts b. 1000 watts c. 700 watts d. 150 watts
Answer: c. 700 watts
200
How many pins does the CPU fan header on a motherboard have?
4 PINS
200
Which one component in a high-end gaming computer is likely to draw the most power?
The video card
200
Which two components in a system might give out a loud whining noise?
The power supply and hard drive
200
How many beeps does startup UEFI/BIOS give to indicate a successful POST?
One beep or no beeps
200
You upgrade a faulty PCIe video card to a recently-released higher-performing card. Now the user complains that Windows 8 hangs a lot and gives errors. Which is the most likely source of the problem? Which is the least likely source? a. Overheating b. Windows does not support the new card c. The drivers for the card need updating d. Memory is faulty
Answer: The most likely source is (c) The drivers for the card need updating. Since the card is recently released, it’s unlikely that Windows 8 does not support the card. Therefore, the least likely source of the problem is (b) Windows does not support the new card.
300
If the power connector from the CPU fan has only three pins, it can still connect to the 4-pin header, but what functionality is lost?
Adjustable speed control of the fan to lessen the noise in the system
300
Why should a tower case not sit on thick carpet?
The carpet might prevent good air flow
300
What Windows utility can you use to test RAM?
Memory Diagnostics
300
If a system hangs after being used for several hours and you suspect overheating, what can you do to easily monitor the CPU and system temperature?
Install temperature monitoring software such as SpeedFan
300
What should you immediately do if you turn on a computer and smell smoke or a burning odor? a. Unplug the computer b. Dial 911 c. Find a fire extinguisher d. Press a key on the keyboard to enter BIOS setup
Answer: a. Unplug the computer
400
Which type of CPU cooler contains heat pipes?
Fanless/passive CPU cooler
400
For most computer cases, does air flow from front to rear or rear to front?
Air flows from front to rear
400
Which Windows tool is best to use to verify that hardware components installed in Windows are working properly?
Device Manager
400
What can you do if a port on the motherboard is faulty and a device requires this type of port?
Disable the port in BIOS and install an expansion card to provide the same type port or connector
400
When you boot up a computer and hear a single beep, but the screen is blank, what can you assume is the source of the problem? a. The video card or onboard video b. The monitor or monitor cable c. Windows startup d. The processor
Answer: b. The monitor or monitor cable
500
What are two reasons to tie cables up and out of the way inside a computer case?
So they don’t block airflow across the processor or get in the way of fans turning.
500
When a cell phone overheats, why is it important to find out whether the heat is coming from the bottom of the phone or from other areas of the phone?
Heat coming from the bottom of the phone indicate the battery is overheating. Heat coming from other areas of the phone indicate the phone itself is overheating.
500
What is the purpose of standoffs installed between the bottom of the case and the motherboard?
To protect the motherboard against a short
500
What can you do to stop a computer from repeatedly restarting in a continuous loop?
Press F8 to load the Advanced Boot Options menu. Then select Disable automatic restarts on system failure
500
Someone asks you for help with a computer that hangs at odd times. You turn it on and work for about 15 minutes, and then the computer freezes and powers down. What do you do first? a. Replace the surge protector. b. Replace the power supply. c. Wait about 30 minutes for the system to cool down and try again. d. Install an additional fan.
Answer: c. Wait about 30 minutes for the system to cool down and try again