Question Q-5527 Which of the following storage interfaces is FASTEST for a…
2 comments · last active May 21, 2026
CompTIA A+ Core 1 220-1201 - Domain 3 Hardware
By Jordan Blake · Updated May 25, 2026
| Questions | 25 |
| Passing Score | 75% |
| Format | 100% Multiple Choice |
| Sessions Logged | 1,777 |
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CPU triangle/notch alignment — never force ZIF socket. Pin grid on AMD vs land grid on Intel LGA — know your platform.
Thermal paste pea-sized dot, even spread when cooler mounts — too much is messy, too little hotspots.
Clicking drive = mechanical failure imminent — backup NOW, replace HDD. SSDs don't click but can stutter before death.
+2 votesSMART predicted failure in BIOS — clone and swap before classroom lab due date (speaking from experience).
Beep codes vary by vendor — 1 long 3 short often memory on AMI. Look up motherboard manual chart.
No POST with no beeps = PSU or CPU power not connected. Minimum hardware for POST test: board+CPU+1 RAM+PSU.
UEFI vs legacy BIOS: GPT disks, Secure Boot, faster boot. CMOS stores settings; battery loss resets date and custom order.
Fast boot hiding POST errors — disable briefly when troubleshooting new build.
80 PLUS rating = efficiency at load tiers (Bronze→Titanium). Higher efficiency = less heat waste, not always 'more power'.
Size PSU for GPU TDP + CPU + 20% headroom. Dual 8-pin PCIe for high-end cards.
Kernel-Power 41 after shutdown/reboot often power or thermal — check PSU rails, reseat RAM, monitor temps under load.
Not always PSU — GPU power cable loose caused this for me once. Wiggle test before replacing parts.
NVMe not in Windows — check Disk Management initialize/partition, BIOS NVMe enabled, correct M.2 slot (some share lanes with SATA).
Clone tools: Macrium, Clonezilla — remember to fix boot order after disk swap.
Dual-channel: populate correct slots (often A2+B2). Mismatched speeds downclock to slowest stick.
DDR4 vs DDR5 notch different — physically won't fit wrong gen. Check motherboard QVL for compatibility.
Question catalog for this preview
Catalog listing of the 5 preview questions for this quiz.
Question 1
A workstation's BIOS reports "SMART failure predicted on hard disk." What should the technician do IMMEDIATELY?
Explanation
S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) failures indicate the drive's internal diagnostics have detected potential failure. The technician should immediately back up all data since the drive may fail at any moment, then replace it.
Question 2
Which type of RAM packaging is used in desktop computers with 240-pin DDR4 modules?
Explanation
Standard desktop computers use full-size DIMMs (288-pin for DDR4, 240-pin for DDR3). SO-DIMMs (Small Outline) are the smaller form factor used in laptops, mini-PCs, and some all-in-ones. SIMMs are obsolete (pre-DDR).
Question 3
A PC has a 450W power supply. A technician is adding a discrete GPU that requires a 6-pin PCIe power connector and states 150W TDP. The existing components consume approximately 250W total. Can the current PSU support this upgrade?
Explanation
250W (existing) + 150W (GPU) = 400W, which fits within the 450W PSU with 50W of headroom (about 11%). This is tight but technically sufficient. Best practice is 20-25% headroom, so upgrading the PSU to 550W+ would be recommended.
Question 4
A technician needs to test whether a power supply is functional without a motherboard. Which method allows them to test PSU output voltages using a jumper?
Explanation
The "paperclip test" shorts pin 16 (PS_ON, green wire) to any ground pin (black) on the 24-pin ATX connector, causing the PSU to power on without a motherboard signal. Then use a multimeter to verify voltage rails (+12V, +5V, +3.3V).
Question 5
A technician is configuring a new server motherboard and needs to understand the difference between ECC and non-ECC RAM. What is the PRIMARY advantage of ECC RAM?
Explanation
ECC RAM contains an extra chip that uses mathematical algorithms to detect and automatically correct single-bit errors (and detect multi-bit errors). This is critical in servers and workstations where memory errors could cause data corruption or crashes.
NVMe M.2 on PCIe x4 beats SATA SSD — U.2 enterprise less common on A+ but know NVMe is fastest consumer.
M-key vs B-key slot — wrong key type won't seat NVMe. BIOS may need CSM off for pure UEFI boot.