CompTIA Practice Test Hardware 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A technician is building a workstation that requires ECC RAM. Which use case BEST justifies ECC memory?
- Gaming PC needing faster frame rates
- Server handling financial transaction processing (Correct answer)
- Home desktop used for web browsing
- Laptop requiring extended battery life
Correct answer: Server handling financial transaction processing
ECC (Error-Correcting Code) memory detects and corrects single-bit errors, making it essential for servers and workstations where data integrity is critical.
Question 2: Which connector type is used to attach a SATA SSD to a motherboard for both power and data?
- A single 15-pin SATA power connector handles both
- Separate 7-pin data and 15-pin power connectors (Correct answer)
- A single M.2 slot handles both power and data
- PCIe x4 slot with a separate Molex power connector
Correct answer: Separate 7-pin data and 15-pin power connectors
SATA SSDs use a 7-pin data connector and a separate 15-pin power connector, both of which must be connected.
Question 3: A user reports their PC randomly shuts down during gaming but works fine during light tasks. What is the MOST likely cause?
- Failing hard drive
- Insufficient RAM
- Inadequate power supply wattage (Correct answer)
- Outdated network driver
Correct answer: Inadequate power supply wattage
A PSU that cannot deliver sufficient wattage under full GPU and CPU load will trigger a protective shutdown during intensive tasks like gaming.
Question 4: What is the purpose of thermal paste applied between a CPU and its heatsink?
- It acts as an electrical conductor to improve signal speed
- It fills microscopic air gaps to improve thermal conductivity (Correct answer)
- It bonds the heatsink permanently to the CPU
- It prevents static electricity from damaging the CPU
Correct answer: It fills microscopic air gaps to improve thermal conductivity
Thermal paste fills microscopic surface imperfections between the CPU lid and heatsink, eliminating insulating air gaps and improving heat transfer.
Question 5: Which RAID level provides disk striping with parity, requiring a minimum of 3 drives and tolerating one drive failure?
- RAID 0
- RAID 1
- RAID 5 (Correct answer)
- RAID 10
Correct answer: RAID 5
RAID 5 uses block-level striping with distributed parity across a minimum of 3 disks, allowing recovery from a single disk failure.
Question 6: A technician replaces a CPU and notices the system will not POST. The motherboard has a debug LED lit. What should the technician check FIRST?
- RAM seating
- CPU compatibility with the motherboard (Correct answer)
- Boot drive connection
- Monitor cable
Correct answer: CPU compatibility with the motherboard
A new CPU may not be compatible with the current motherboard BIOS version or socket type, which would prevent POST from completing.
Question 7: What technology allows a NVMe SSD to communicate directly with the CPU, bypassing the traditional storage controller?
- SATA III interface
- PCIe bus via M.2 or U.2 connector (Correct answer)
- USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface
- Thunderbolt 3 daisy-chain
Correct answer: PCIe bus via M.2 or U.2 connector
NVMe SSDs use the PCIe bus (via M.2, U.2, or add-in card) to communicate directly with the CPU, achieving far lower latency than SATA.
CompTIA Practice Test Hardware 2
A technician is building a workstation that requires ECC RAM.
Which use case BEST justifies ECC memory?