Lesson 5: Hardware — CPUs and Motherboards
Week of Tue, Oct 13 · lesson closes Mon, Oct 19
Take Meerk's quiz for Lesson 5
This lesson's items
Exact due times are in Canvas.
Watch — Professor Messer
Watch — Professor Messer: CPUs and Motherboards (220-1201)
Free, independent educational resource. Not affiliated with or endorsed by CompTIA. Watch, then read the notes below.
Know these cold
- CPU sockets: Intel LGA (pins on socket), AMD AM5 (pins on CPU). Socket compatibility locks CPU to motherboard generation.
- Motherboard form factors: ATX (standard desktop), Micro-ATX (smaller), Mini-ITX (smallest). Determine case size.
- POST (Power-On Self-Test): firmware initializes hardware. Beep codes indicate failures (1 short=OK, multiple=problem).
Meerk's quiz — open the Lesson 5 gate
10 questions, no time limit. 85% on your first attempt in a 24-hour window opens the gate. Retakes inside the window are practice — they help you learn, they don't count. Work alone; the point is to know it, not to have seen it.
Dinner Table Question
Ask at home: Why can't you put any CPU in any motherboard?
En español: ¿Por qué no puedes poner cualquier CPU en cualquier tarjeta madre?