Question 1

It is not vital to have a properly functioning power supply for a computer to work correctly.

Accepted Answer

A properly functioning power supply is crucial for a computer to work correctly as it converts electrical power from an outlet into usable power for the internal components of the computer.

Question 2

All power supplies use fans to dissipate the heat created by the operation of the power supply.

Accepted Answer

Some power supplies use passive cooling methods, such as heat sinks or natural convection, instead of fans to dissipate heat.

Question 3

Most power supplies, excluding a few early ATX power supplies, use a cooling technique called negative pressure.

Accepted Answer

Most power supplies use negative pressure to cool their components, which means that they draw air in from the outside and expel it through the back or sides of the power supply.

Question 4

All multimeters are equipped with red and black test leads.

Accepted Answer

Multimeters typically come with red and black test leads, where red is for positive and black for negative or ground connections.

Question 5

Multimeters use only one method of readout style.

Accepted Answer

Multimeters can use analog dials with a moving needle or digital displays to show measurements, offering more than one method of readout style.

Question 6

Low-cost surge suppressors are often just as useful as their more expensive counterparts.

Accepted Answer

Low-cost surge suppressors often use cheaper materials and simpler designs, which may not provide the same level of protection against power surges as more expensive, higher-quality models. Higher-priced surge suppressors typically offer better build quality, higher joule ratings, and additional features such as insurance for connected devices.

Question 7

There are two different types of UPS systems.

Accepted Answer

There are two main types of UPS systems: standby (offline) and online (double-conversion).

Question 8

Power supply capacity is rated in watts.

Accepted Answer

The capacity of a power supply is indeed rated in watts, which measures the maximum amount of power it can deliver to a device or system.

Question 9

Aluminum is the only material used for all heatsinks in computers today.

Accepted Answer

Various materials including copper, aluminum, and sometimes a combination of both are used for heatsinks due to their thermal conductivity properties.

Question 10

Thermal compound should always be applied when installing a new passive or active heatsink on a processor, northbridge or southbridge chip, GPU, or other component.

Accepted Answer

Thermal compound improves the thermal conductivity between the component and the heatsink, ensuring efficient heat transfer and cooling.

Question 11

The two major symptoms in overloading a power supply are overheating and _______.

Accepted Answer

Overloading a power supply can lead to overheating and spontaneous rebooting as the system becomes unstable or the power supply attempts to protect itself and the connected components.

Question 12

To determine if the fan in a power supply has failed, you should do which of the following?

Accepted Answer

The answer of To determine if the fan in a...

Question 13

Typically, recent power supplies in tower-case (upright case) machines use ______ power supplies reflecting on the greater number of drives and cards that can be installed in the computer.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Typically, recent power supplies in tower-case (upright...

Question 14

A(n) _________ is caused by connecting devices that draw more power (in watts) than the power supply is designed to handle.

Accepted Answer

An overloaded power supply occurs when devices connected to it draw more power than it is designed to handle, leading to potential overheating and failure.

Question 15

What is used as a diagnostic tool to test the functionality of a defective device such as a power supply but can also be used to test coaxial, serial, and parallel cables, as well as fuses, resistors, and batteries?

Accepted Answer

A multimeter is a versatile tool used for diagnosing and testing various electrical components and devices, including power supplies, cables, fuses, resistors, and batteries. It can measure voltage, current, and resistance, making it suitable for the tasks mentioned.

Question 16

What is another name for a battery backup unit?

Accepted Answer

A UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) is a device that provides battery backup when the electrical power fails or drops to an unacceptable voltage level.

Question 17

Which of the following are signs of a dead system with no signs of life when turned on? (Choose all that apply.)

Accepted Answer

All the options listed (A through D) describe scenarios that could result in a computer system showing no signs of life when powered on. Defects in AC power, power supply issues, short-circuits, and component failures are all potential causes for a system not turning on.

Question 18

What is the name of the finned metal device that radiates heat away from the processor?

Accepted Answer

A heat sink is a finned metal device designed to dissipate heat away from electronic components, such as a processor, by radiating it into the surrounding air.

Question 19

What is an active heat sink?

Accepted Answer

An active heat sink includes a fan for additional cooling beyond what passive heat dissipation (through materials and design alone) can achieve. This helps in more effectively removing heat from components like CPUs.

Question 20

What is the other name for the northbridge?

Accepted Answer

The northbridge, in older computer architectures, is also known as the memory controller hub chip. It was responsible for tasks like connecting the CPU to memory, the PCI bus, and, in some cases, the graphics card.

Quiz 4: Power Supplies and System Cooling