IT Essentials 8 - Chapter 3 Quiz

What indicates that the charge on the CMOS battery could be getting low?

• A beep error code occurs during POST.

• The computer time and date are incorrect.

• The computer fails to boot.

• Performance while accessing files on the hard drive is slow.

Answer explanation

• The computer time and date are held in CMOS. This requires power from a small battery. If the battery is getting low, the system time and date may become incorrect.

Which website should a technician consult to find instructions for updating the BIOS on a computer?

• operating system developer

• case manufacturer

• CPU manufacturer

• motherboard manufacturer

Answer explanation

• Go to the motherboard manufacturer site to get the correct software to update the BIOS.

A network administrator is setting up a web server for a small advertising office and is concerned with data availability. The administrator wishes to implement disk fault tolerance using the minimum number of disks required. Which RAID level should the administrator choose?

• RAID 5

• RAID 0

• RAID 1

• RAID 6

Answer explanation

• Both RAID 0 and RAID 1 require at least 2 disks. However, RAID 0 does not provide fault tolerance. The minimum numbers of disks for RAID 5 and RAID 6 are 3 and 4 respectively.

Which hardware upgrade would allow the processor in a gaming PC to provide the optimal gaming performance?

• a high capacity external hard drive

• large amounts of fast RAM

• liquid cooling

• a fast EIDE drive

Answer explanation

• Faster RAM will help the processor to keep all of the data in sync because the data that it needs to calculate can be retrieved when it is needed. The more RAM that the computer has, the less often the computer needs to read from slower storage such as hard drives or SSDs.

When a dual core CPU with Hyper-Threading features is installed on a motherboard, how many instructions can the CPU simultaneously process?

• 6

• 4

• 8

• 2

Answer explanation

• With Hyper-Threading, two pieces of code can be processed simultaneously by a single core.

Which definition describes the term “overclocking”?

• modifying the motherboard clocking crystal to increase the timing signals

• changing the bus speed of the motherboard to increase the speed of attached adaptors

• replacing slower SDRAM with faster memory

• increasing the speed of the CPU beyond the recommendations of the manufacturer

Answer explanation

• Increasing the CPU clock speed will make the computer run faster, but also generate more heat and cause overheating issues.

What is a characteristic of thin clients?

• They perform all processing tasks internally.

• They require a network connection to access storage and processor resources.

• They require large amounts of fast RAM.

• They are able to run multiple operating systems simultaneously.

Answer explanation

• A thin client device is typically a type of low-end computer that  does not perform any processing or data storage locally. A thin client relies on a network connection to access any resources required to perform computing tasks and operate software.

A technician accidentally spills a cleaning solution on the floor of the workshop. Where would the technician find instructions on how to properly clean up and dispose of the product?

• the insurance policy of the company

• the regulations provided by the local occupational health and safety administration

• the safety data sheet

• the local hazardous materials team

Answer explanation

• The Safety Data Sheet (SSD) summarizes information about materials, including hazardous ingredients, fire hazards, and first-aid requirements.

Where is the saved BIOS configuration data stored?

• cache

• CMOS

• hard drive

• RAM

Answer explanation

• The BIOS configuration data is saved to a special memory chip called a Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS).

Which specialized computer component would be most important for a workstation built for audio and video editing?

• a TV tuner card

• a high speed wireless adapter

• a specialized video card

• a liquid CPU cooling system

Answer explanation

Computers designed for audio and video editing will need specialized inputs and outputs for recording and playback equipment. This requires an audio and video card that can handle the variety of inputs and outputs needed.