220-1201 Hardware Study Guide for the CompTIA A+ Core Series Exam

Additional Hardware

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. For given scenarios on the CompTIA A+ exam, you should be able to install and configure motherboards, as well as the CPUs and add-on cards you plug into them.

Motherboard Form Factors

The form factor describes the physical characteristics and specifications of the motherboard. There are various form factors, and we will discuss the most important ones here.

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Advanced Technology eXtended (ATX)

Older ATX variants contain a 20-pin Molex power connection, while newer models contain the 24-pin Molex power connection. Standard ATX motherboards measure 12 inches by 9.6 inches.

microATX

microATX is a little bit smaller than ATX and does not have as much expansion capability.

Information Technology eXtended (ITX)

ITX 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 inches by 6.7 inches.The Nano-ITX measures 4.7 inches by 4.7 inches. The Pico-ITX measures 3.9 inches by 2.8 inches. The mobile-ITX measures 2.4 inches by 2.4 inches.

Motherboard Connector Types

Motherboards have a variety of connectors that determine what can be connected to them. Motherboard connectors are used for power supply delivery, data transfer, and expansion capabilities.

Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI)

PCI was introduced by Intel™ in the 1990s. It replaced older 8- and 16-bit expansion slots with a 32-bit slot and, on higher-end devices, a 64-bit slot.

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PCI Express (PCIe)

PCIe sends data in a serial stream at higher speeds than conventional PCI and has superseded PCI. There are four common sizes of PCIe slots (x1, x4, x8, and x16) that indicate the number of data lanes the slot supports.

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Power Connectors

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

Serial ATA Connector (SATA)

The SATA connector is the physical port and connector used to connect a power source to a motherboard.

Note: A SATA connector is the physical media used to create a connection between two components, while the SATA interface (discussed above) is the logical protocols used for communications between the two components.

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External SATA (eSATA)

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

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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.

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M.2

M.2 (pronounced M dot 2) is a connection type used for motherboard expansion. M.2 connector slots are keyed, or notched, to ensure only compatible components can be installed in a corresponding M.2 slot. The key type also indicates which interface is supported such as SATA, USB, or PCIe.

Motherboard Compatibility

Motherboards only work with compatible components. Components that are 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 Socket Types

A CPU socket is the space on the motherboard designed to hold the CPU that contains a specific pin grid array (PGA) that is 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.

Multi-Socket

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

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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.

Trusted Platform Module (TPM)

TPM is a security chip that stores cryptographic keys used by the BIOS or UEFI for boot authentication.

Hardware Security Module (HSM)

An HSM is a security device that creates, manages, and stores encryption keys.

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

The BIOS is, arguably, one of the most important aspects of a computer. You need to have a good understanding of the 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 UEFI is an updated booting program that 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 2 TB 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 TPM is a dedicated hardware security coprocessor or cryptoprocessor that is required for the Windows 11 OS and can be configured for booting authentication and cryptographic key storage. During the booting process, TPM verifies the integrity of the boot process to verify the safe state of the device and identify any malfunctions or modifications to the boot process and stop booting if tampering is detected. TPM uses stored cryptographic keys to identify authorized users and for encryption and decryption of data on the device.

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. Fans can be dedicated to a specific component, such as the 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 boot password is a security requirement for accessing the OS of a device and is commonly associated with a user or system. The boot password allows minor changes such as time and date or boot options to be set.

BIOS Password

When enabled, this password, also known as the supervisor or admin password, is required to view and set all BIOS settings.The BIOS password allows access to the underlying BIOS and hardware infrastructure of a device.

Note: While the terms “boot password” and “BIOS password” are often used interchangeably, the BIOS password provides administrative or complete access to the device, while the boot password provides more restricted access.

Temperature Monitoring

The BIOS/UEFI actively monitors the temperature of the CPU and computer components to provide insight into the current functionality of the systems. Advanced temperature monitoring can also be provided by the BIOS/UEFI to set temperature thresholds and track temperature over time.

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).

Central Processing Unit (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 Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC) Machine (ARM)

An ARM processor uses RISC ISA. ARM is also known as an Acorn RISC machine and is in direct competition with Intel and AMD x64-based CPUs.

Core Configurations

The core is the part of the CPU that reads and executes instructions. As the names imply, a single-core CPU has one core, while a multicore CPU has more than one core. A multicore CPU 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.

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 onboard, meaning built into the motherboard. These are the main differences:

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

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Network Interface Card (NIC)

A 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 onboard or add-on card and may have either wired or wireless connections.

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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 remove heat by moving air through a computer. Fans are positioned in the case to allow air to pass between the inside of the case and the outside, bringing in cooler air and pushing out hotter air. Fans are also used on individual components to provide extra cooling. They are sometimes integrated with a heat sink.

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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.

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Thermal Paste/Pads

The quality of contact between a component and the heat sink 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.

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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. The cooling liquid is distributed through the system using tubing composed of either flexible materials (e.g., neoprene, rubber, silicone, PVC) or rigid materials (e.g., PETG, acrylic, brass, copper).These components may be in the computer or outside in a separate unit that connects to the computer.

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