220-1101 - Hardware (25% of the exam) - Section 3.5

Install or replace the appropriate power supply and configure peripherals and multifunction devices, including wattage, connectors, and printer setup in a given scenario.

Select a power supply by required wattage, rail voltages (3.3 V, 5 V, 12 V), and modular versus non-modular cabling, and match the 24-pin ATX, CPU, PCIe, and SATA connectors to the right component. Configure multifunction devices and printers - laser, inkjet, thermal, and 3D - recognising the imaging process and the consumables each technology uses, and set up shared or network printing.

Power supply wattageATX 24-pin connectorLaser printer imagingNetwork printing

Practice question for this objective

Free sampleHardwaremedium

Leon is installing a SATA solid-state drive using a modular power supply. Which lead from the power supply should he connect to power the drive?

AThe 6-pin PCIe lead, since it is a slim connector that reaches drive bays easily
BThe 15-pin SATA power lead, which matches the drive's flat power connector Correct
CThe 4-pin CPU auxiliary lead, because it provides the low current a drive needs
DThe 4-pin Molex lead, plugged straight into the drive's power port

Match a SATA drive to the 15-pin SATA power connector rather than PCIe, CPU, or legacy Molex leads. Modern SATA drives are powered by the flat 15-pin SATA power connector; PCIe leads serve cards, the CPU lead serves the processor, and Molex is a legacy connector needing an adapter for SATA.

Why A is wrong: It may physically reach the bay, but PCIe leads power expansion cards and will not fit or correctly power a SATA drive's connector.

Why B is correct: SATA drives use the flat 15-pin SATA power connector, so this is the correct modular lead to run from the supply to the drive.

Why C is wrong: Tempting as a small lead, but the 4-pin auxiliary lead feeds CPU power circuitry near the socket and does not connect to storage devices.

Why D is wrong: Molex once powered older drives, but a modern SATA drive uses the flat 15-pin SATA power connector, and Molex will not seat in that port without an adapter.

See more 220-1101 practice questions, answers explained.

Exam traps in Hardware

Answers that look right on this material and are not. Each one is a distractor from a different question in the 220-1101 bank for this domain.

The 8-pin EPS connector, which plugs in near the CPU socket at the top of the board
Why it is wrong: Tempting because it is a large keyed plug on the board, but the 8-pin EPS lead feeds only the CPU voltage regulators, not the board's main power.
A second seven-pin SATA data cable to the drive's spare data port to deliver bus power
Why it is wrong: It is tempting to reuse the familiar seven-pin connector, but SATA data cables carry only signalling, not power, and drives have a single data port.
+5 V, +12 V, and +24 V
Why it is wrong: Tempting because +5 V and +12 V are genuine ATX rails, but a +24 V rail is not part of the ATX specification, so this set is wrong.

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