220-1101 Hardware Study Guide for the CompTIA A+ Core Series Exam

Motherboards, Central Processing Units (CPUs), and Add-on Cards

The motherboard provides the circuitry by which all parts of a computer communicate with each other, from the processor to the power supply. Every part of a computer interacts with the motherboard in some fashion. You should be able to install and configure motherboards, as well as the CPUs and add-on cards you plug into them, in a given scenario.

Motherboard Form Factor

The form factor describes the physical characteristics of the motherboard.

Advanced Technology eXtended (ATX)

Older Advanced Technology eXtended variants contain a 20-pin Molex power connection, while newer models contain the 24-pin Molex power connection. Standard ATX motherboards measure 12” x 9.6”. Micro-ATX is a little bit smaller than the ATX and does not have as much expansion ability.

Information Technology eXtended (ITX)

Information Technology eXtended is a series of significantly smaller form factor boards that were created by VIA Technologies™. Mini-ITX is the largest of the ITX form factors, with a size of 6.7” x 6.7”.The Nano-ITX measures 4.7” x 4.7”. The Pico-ITX measures 3.9” x 2.8”. The mobile-ITX measures 2.4” x 2.4”.

Motherboard Connector Types

Motherboards have a variety of connectors that determine what can be connected to them.

PCI—Peripheral Component Interconnect was introduced by Intel™ in the 1990s. This replaced older 8- and 16-bit expansion slots with a 32-bit slot.

PCIe—PCI express sends data in a serial stream at higher speeds than conventional PCI. It has superseded PCI.

Power connectors—The power connector of a motherboard is a special 24-pin connection point through which a motherboard receives electrical power.

SATA—The serial ATA connector is used to connect a hard drive or optical drive.

eSATA—An external SATA is a connection type that allows for external devices to connect directly to the motherboard using a SATA connection.

Headers—A header is a motherboard connection type that allows for external components, such as lights and buttons, to connect directly to the motherboard. Examples of components connected to headers are the power button and light, the reset button, drive activity lights, audio jacks, and USB ports.

M.2—M.2 (pronounced M dot 2) is not technically a connection or bus type but rather a form factor. M.2 supports SATA, USB, and PCIe buses.

Motherboard Compatibility

Motherboards only work with compatible components. Components dependent upon motherboard compatibility include bus architecture, chipsets, expansion slots, memory slots, CPUs, power connectors, non-volatile storage, firmware, CMOS batteries, and front panel connectors and headers.

CPU Sockets

A CPU socket is the space on the motherboard designed to hold the CPU that contains a specific pin grid array dependent upon the motherboard.

Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.™ (AMD)

Specific AMD CPUs must run with specific AMD chipsets. The motherboard manufacturers may vary.

Intel™

Specific Intel CPUs must run with specific Intel chipsets. The motherboard manufacturers may vary.

Server

Server motherboards are typically capable of housing multiple processors with expanded memory and networking capabilities. Most server motherboards are ATX sized and specifically designed to fit within the server chassis.

Multi-socket

A multi-socket motherboard is a motherboard that has more than one CPU socket.

Desktop

A desktop motherboard can be either ATX or ITX and typically contains one CPU socket.

Mobile

A mobile motherboard can be a standard small form factor motherboard but are more commonly specifically designed to fit the needs of the manufacturer with the CPU soldered into the motherboard.

Basic Input/Output System (BIOS)/Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) settings

The basic input/output system (BIOS) is, arguably, one of the most important aspects of a computer. You need to have a good understanding of system BIOS and how to modify the settings. Understand the importance of selecting the proper boot sequence and how BIOS provides low-level drivers that allow the operating system to interact with various hardware components. Comprehend the various stages in the boot sequence, the system POST, and the role BIOS plays in loading the operating system. The CompTIA A+ questions about BIOS require that you assess a scenario to choose the best answer.

The Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) is an updated booting program which connects the firmware of a computer to the operating system. UEFI is faster than BIOS, but it is not widely available on all computer devices. UEFI forgoes the self-test process, which increases its speed. UEFI is capable of handling drives larger than 2TB and more than four primary partitions. However, most devices still use the BIOS system.

Boot Options

You can set the sequence of devices to boot from in the boot option settings. You usually boot from the hard drive, but you may want to boot from an optical drive or flash drive. The boot sequence tells the BIOS where to look to load the operating system. It will proceed down the list in the order configured until it finds an operating system to load.

USB Permissions

USB permissions can be set in the BIOS and specify the permissions that USB devices have on a device.

Trusted Platform Module (TPM) Security Features

The Trusted Platform Module is a dedicated security coprocessor or cryptoprocessor that can be configured for booting authentication.

Fan Considerations

Fans provide airflow within a computer to keep components cool during operation. Fan considerations include fan location, front or rear, and fan dedication, such as power supply exhaust, CPU, chipset, video card, or memory module fans.

Secure Boot

Secure boot ensures that the operating system and drivers are authorized versions without malicious code before loading them.

Boot Password

The supervisor or admin password, if enabled, requires a password to view and set all BIOS settings. The user or system password allows minor changes such as time and date or boot options to be set.

Encryption

An encryption key can be set to access an encrypted hard drive. If set, that key must be used for decryption, even if the drive is moved to another computer.

TPM

The Trusted Platform Module is a security chip that stores cryptographic keys used by the BIOS or UEFI in booting authentication.

Hardware Security Module (HSM)

A hardware security module (HSM) is a security device that can create, manage, and store encryption keys.

CPU Architecture

CPU architecture is the rules by which a CPU communicates with other components.

x64/x86

The x64/x86 platform uses CISC technology (CISC is an instruction set architecture [ISA]) that is designed to work with either 64 or 32 bits of data at a time. Working with 64 bits is referred to as x64 while working with 32 bits is referred to as x86.

Advanced RISC Machine (ARM)

An advanced RISC machine (ARM) processor uses RISC ISA (RISC stands for reduced instruction set computer). ARM is also known as an Acorn RISC machine and is in direct competition with Intel and AMD x64-based CPUs.

Single-core

A core is the part of the CPU that reads and executes instructions. As the name implies, a single-core CPU has one core. Most of today’s CPUs have multiple cores.

Multicore

A core is the part of the CPU that reads and executes instructions. Multicore CPUs have more than one core. This allows different threads of instructions to be run simultaneously, with each core running one thread, resulting in faster performance. A dual-core processor will run faster than a single core, but not quite twice as fast. There are also quad-core, eight-core, and other types of multicore processors.

Multithreading

Multithreading occurs when a CPU is able to run multiple threads at once. A thread is the string of instructions that the CPU runs. Hyper-threading technology (HTT) is a form of simultaneous multithreading marketed by Intel.

Virtualization Support

Modern CPUs support virtualization in hardware. AMD refers to virtualization support in their products as AMD-V, while Intel refers to virtualization support as Virtualization Technology (VT).

Expansion Cards

An expansion card can be attached to a motherboard through expansion slots. An expansion slot can be used to expand the capabilities of a computer. You must use expansion cards that are compatible with the expansion slots available.

Sound Card

Add-on sound cards are used to improve the sound capabilities beyond the motherboard’s sound capabilities. A musician, composer, or audiophile may choose to upgrade their computer’s sound with an add-on card.

Video Card

Video cards control the graphics that are displayed. This function may be provided by an add-on card or it may be on-board, meaning built into the motherboard.

On-board—On-board video cards typically provide good graphics features and specifications. It serves the purpose for most users, but some users, like gamers or graphic designers, may need better graphics.

Add-on card—Add-on video cards have their own graphics processing unit (GPU). They are used to improve the graphics capabilities beyond what the on-board video provides.

Capture Card

A capture card is an expansion device that converts video signals to digital signals that can then be uploaded to the internet.

NIC

A network interface card (NIC) is a device that provides a device with the capability to connect to a network, typically the internet. A NIC can be either an on-board or add-on card and may be either wired or wireless connections.

Cooling

Components on motherboards and add-on cards generate heat, especially CPUs and GPUs. There are several types of cooling mechanisms to remove heat from a computer.

Fans

Fans are used to move air through a computer to remove heat. Fans are positioned in the case to allow air to pass between the inside of the case and the outside. Fans are also used on individual components to provide extra cooling. They are sometimes integrated with a heat sink.

Heat Sink

Heat sinks are devices that conduct heat and have the effect of increasing the surface area of a component. This removes heat from the component more quickly than fans alone. Some heat sinks have fans built into them.

Thermal Paste/Pads

The quality of contact between a component to be cooled and the heat sink used to cool it will impact how effectively it is cooled. Thermal paste and thermal pads conduct heat and are used between the component and heat sink to make the best thermal-conductive connection.

Liquid

For high-performance computers, air cooling may not be enough. Liquid cooling is more effective at transferring heat away from components. Distilled water is the most commonly used liquid. Liquid cooling systems include a tank for the liquid, a radiator, a water pump, and a cooling block that attaches to the component being cooled. These components may be in the computer or outside in a separate unit that connects to the computer.