CompTIA A+ Core 1 Study Library
220-1201
24 free articles on the concepts the 220-1201 exam tests, grouped by exam domain. Each one backs real questions in our practice exam.
Hardware
- IPS vs VA vs TN vs OLED: Choosing the Right Monitor Panel Type IPS vs VA vs TN vs OLED compared: viewing angles, color accuracy, contrast, response time, and burn-in risk, matched to real workstation choices.
- Laptop RAM Upgrades: Matched Pairs, Dual-Channel Mode, and ESD Safety How to upgrade laptop RAM the right way: reading memory reports, keeping dual-channel matched pairs, SODIMM handling, and ESD precautions.
- Monitor Specs Explained: Resolution, Native Resolution, Refresh Rate, PPI, and Aspect Ratio Monitor specs decoded: what resolution, native resolution, refresh rate, PPI, and aspect ratio actually mean, and how FHD, QHD, and 4K compare.
- PC Cable and Connector Types: From USB and Video to Legacy Molex Power Identify every PC cable and connector: USB types, HDMI vs DisplayPort, SATA, RJ45, and legacy Molex power — and the job each one is built for.
- Print Servers and Print Settings: Centralized Queues, Quotas, Orientation, and Driver Languages What a print server does, why centralized queues and quotas matter, plus the print settings and PCL vs PostScript choices A+ techs must know.
- Redundant Power Supplies: Hot-Swap PSUs, N+1 Sizing, and Voltage Rails How redundant power supplies keep servers running: hot-swap PSU replacement, N+1 sizing math, and the voltage rails every technician should know.
- sRGB vs Adobe RGB: Color Gamut for Print and Photo Work What color gamut means, how sRGB and Adobe RGB differ, and why print and photo professionals pay extra for wide-gamut monitor coverage.
- The Laser Printer Imaging Process: 7 Steps, Printer Types, and Maintenance Master the 7-step laser printer imaging process in order, how each printer type puts ink on paper, and the maintenance tasks each one needs.
Hardware and Network Troubleshooting
- CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1201) Study Guide: Format, Domains, Cost, and How to Pass The complete 220-1201 guide: exam format, all five domains with weights, cost and registration, a 6-week study plan, and exam-day tactics.
- Dim Screens and Dead Pixels: Backlights, Power-Saving Dimming, and Replacement Policies Why laptop screens dim on battery, what to check first on a dim external monitor, and when dead pixels actually qualify for a replacement.
- Monitor Flickering: Refresh Rate Mismatches, Driver Rollbacks, and Cable Checks Why monitors flicker — refresh rate mismatches, bad graphics drivers, loose cables, failing backlights — and the order a technician checks them.
- Monitor Says No Signal? Input Sources, HDMI vs DisplayPort, and Missing HDMI Audio Fix a monitor showing No Signal: check the input source first, verify HDMI vs DisplayPort connections, and restore missing HDMI audio output.
- Overscan, Underscan, and Garbled Images: Fixing Display Geometry Problems What overscan is, why HDTVs cut off screen edges, how underscan leaves black borders, and how to recover from garbled or blurry display modes.
- Printer Keeps Jamming? Feed Rollers, Tray Guides, and Multi-Feed Fixes Why a printer keeps jamming: worn pickup rollers, tight tray guides, overfilled trays, and multi-feeds — plus the fix order technicians use first.
- Printer Making a Grinding Noise: Gears, Duplexers, Finishers, and Foreign Objects What a grinding noise from a printer means: worn drive gears, failing duplexer assemblies, finisher staple faults, and foreign objects in the path.
- Stylus Not Working? Batteries, Bluetooth Pairing, and Fn-Lock Keyboard Quirks Stylus stopped working? Learn why dead AAAA batteries kill pressure sensitivity, how to fix Bluetooth pairing, and how Fn-lock hijacks F-keys.
- The 6 CompTIA Troubleshooting Steps, in Order (and How the Exam Tests Them) Memorize the six CompTIA troubleshooting steps in order, learn what happens inside each one, and see how 220-1201 ordering PBQs test the sequence.
Mobile Devices
- Laptop Battery Health: Calibration, Cold-Weather Behavior, and Safe Disposal Fix inaccurate laptop battery readings with calibration, understand why lithium-ion loses runtime in the cold, and dispose of packs safely.
- Laptop Wi-Fi Antenna Problems: Weak Signal After Repair, Hinge Routing, and MIMO Limits Diagnose laptop Wi-Fi antenna faults — weak signal after a repair, drops at certain lid angles, Bluetooth-works-but-no-Wi-Fi, and MIMO limits.
- Replacing a Laptop Wi-Fi Card: M.2 Form Factors, U.FL/MHF4 Connectors, and MAIN/AUX Leads Hands-on guide to swapping a laptop's M.2 Wi-Fi card — U.FL/MHF4 antenna connectors, MAIN vs AUX leads, and why labeling cables matters.
Networking
- Router vs Switch vs Access Point: What Each Network Device Actually Does Router, switch, and access point do three different jobs. Learn each device's role, where it sits in a rack, and how 220-1201 PBQs test the difference.
- SOHO Wireless Router Setup: SSIDs, Guest Networks, Channels, 6 GHz, and First-Boot Security Set up a SOHO wireless router the right way: SSID and guest networks, channel selection, 6 GHz WPA3 rules, and key first-boot security steps.
- WWAN and Cellular Internet: Laptop WWAN Cards, Hotspots, and Mobile Connectivity Options What WWAN means, how laptop cellular cards and hotspots work, and when mobile broadband beats wired internet for temporary or remote sites.
Virtualization and Cloud Computing
Reading is step one — practicing is what passes the exam.
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