Module 1
Introduction to A+
Form Factors, Cases, and
Power Supplies
Certification Value– The More The Better
1. Technical
certifications are
worth more than
degrees in this field
2. The number of
certifications impact
salary and jobs
3. Certifications lead to
job promotions and
raises
2
Future IT Worker Demand
1. Remains one of the most in-
demand professions
available
IT Department Staffing
2. Needed in all industries
3. Companies are adding new
tech support workers
4. Hiring by non-IT companies
has generally outpaced
those of IT companies 10-
to-1
5. Focus on “talent”
A. #1- Certifications
TechTarget's IT Salary Survey 2012
B. #2- Job experience
C. #3- Degreed candidates
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Objectives
1. CompTIA A+ Certification:
[Link] 1: Hardware (Computer Maintenance I)
[Link] 2: Software (Computer Maintenance II)
2. PC Hardware:
A.1.3 Differentiate form factors and cases
B.1.1 Choose an appropriate power supply
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WHO IS COMPTIA & WHAT IS A+
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Since 1982, the Computing Technology
Industry Association (CompTIA), has been
dedicated to advancing the global interests of
information technology (IT) professionals and
companies including manufacturers,
distributors, resellers, and educational
institutions.
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CompTIA A+ Certification
1. International industry credential
2. Validates the knowledge of computer service
technicians with the equivalent of 500 hours of
hands-on experience
3. The standard in foundation-level
4. Vendor-neutral certification
5. Held by 900,000 IT professionals
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CompTIA A+ Certification
1. Jobs that use CompTIA A+:
[Link] support specialist
[Link] service technician
[Link] support technician
[Link] support administrator
[Link] support specialist
[Link] entry-level IT positions
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CompTIA A+ Certification
1. The latest version is CompTIA A+ requires two exams
to become certified:
A. CompTIA A+ Exam #1 covers the fundamentals of
computer technology, installation and configuration of
PCs, laptops and related hardware, and basic
networking.
B. CompTIA A+ Exam #2 covers the skills required to
install and configure PC operating systems, as well
as configuring common features for mobile operating
systems.
2. Certifications are valid for three years from the date the
candidate becomes certified.
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Exam #1
This exam will cover:
Exam Domains Percentage
PC Hardware 40%
Networking 27%
Laptops 11%
Printers 11%
Operational Procedures 11%
100%
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Exam #2
This exam will cover:
Exam Domains Percentage
Operating Systems 33%
Security 22%
Mobile Devices 9%
Troubleshooting 36%
100%
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FORM FACTORS AND CASES
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Form Factor
1. Describes the size, shape, and general makeup
of a hardware components
2. Describes the compatibility of components
3. Affected components:
[Link]
[Link] supply
[Link]
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Form Factor
Form Factor Size Usage
AT (Advanced Technology) 12 × 11–13 in Obsolete, superseded by ATX.
ATX (Advanced Technology 12 × 9.6 in Created by Intel in 1995. It is the most
Extended) common form factor.
Micro-ATX 9.6 × 9.6 in A smaller variant of the ATX form factor.
Compatible with most ATX cases, but has
fewer slots than ATX. Very popular for
desktop and small form factor computers.
Mini-ATX 5.9 × 5.9 in Designed for mobile CPUs with lower
power requirement and less heat
generation.
BTX (Balanced Technology 12.8 × 10.5 in A standard proposed by Intel as a
Extended successor to ATX in the early 2000s.
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Form Factor
Form Factor Size Usage
DTX A variation of ATX specification designed
especially for small form factor PCs
Mini-ITX 6.7 × 6.7 in A small, highly-integrated form factor,
designed for small devices such as thin
clients and set-top boxes.
Nano-ITX 4.7 × 4.7 in Targeted at smart digital entertainment
devices such as PVRs, media centers and
Car PCs, and thin devices.
Pico-ITX 3.9 × 2.8 in They often are used in custom media
center computers, car computers and small
home servers.
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Determining the Form Factor
1. Power connector(s)
A. P8 & P9 on AT
B. 20 or 24 keyed connector on ATX, BTX, DTX, ITX
C. Additional 12v power (4-8 pins) on ATX, BTX, DTX,
ITX
2. Keyboard connectors on motherboard
A. DIN or DIN5
B. PS/2 or mini-DIN
3. I/O ports on motherboard
4. Size of motherboard
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Types of Cases
1. Case fans provide the best cooling for components
2. Keep cases sealed for best air flow and minimize dust
3. Maintain positive air flow
90% of the Not used as Fixed
cases fall Servers much because configuration
Shuttle or
in this and of the difficulty to and not
portables
category multibays work on upgradeable
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Types of Motherboards
1. A case can hold smaller version of the same
form factor but not larger.
2. An ATX case would hold:
[Link]
[Link]-ATX
Full size desktop Handheld device
[Link]-ATX
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POWER SUPPLIES
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Power Supply
1. AC (alternating current)
[Link] back and forth rather than traveling in
only one direction
[Link] economical way to transmit electricity
2. DC (direct current)
[Link] in only one direction
[Link] of current required by most electronic
devices, including computers
[Link] power supplies function as both a
transformer and a rectifier
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Computer Power Supply
Power Switch
Dual Voltage Selector
External Power Source
Cooling Fan
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Computer Power Supply
1. Power supplies may be internal or external:
[Link] are external AC adaptors
[Link] desktops are internal
[Link] servers have redundant power
supplies
Laptop Power Supply Server Power Supply Micro-ITX
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Troubleshooting Power Supplies
1. NEVER open the power supply case
2. Check the power switch is on
3. Check the voltage selector is correct
4. Blinking light indicates under voltage
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Power Connectors
1. The number of
connectors is
dependent on the
20 or 24 pin
wattage of the Berg Molex connector
power supply
4, 6, or 8 pin
AT or P8/P9 SATA connector
connector connector
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Main Power Connector
1. 20 or 24 pin keyed connector
[Link] supplies over 400 watts
usually have 24 pins.
B.4 extra pins used for dual core
20 or 24 pin connector
and up processors.
[Link] can buy 20 to 24 OR 24
to 20 pin adapters.
2. P8/P9 connectors were used on
AT motherboards only
AT or P8/P9 connector
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Expansion Power Connectors
1. Berg connectors supply 12v
power to floppy drives
2. Molex connectors supply 12v
power to IDE hard drives, Berg Molex
CD/DVD drives, tape drives
and some video cards.
3. Molex is found on every
desktop power supply.
4. SATA connectors supply 12v SATA connector
power to SATA drives
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Auxiliary Power Connectors
1. 4- and 8-pin connectors have
been used to provide extra
power to Pentium 4 and up
motherboards
2. 6- and 8-pin connectors are
used to provide power to PCIe
4, 6, or 8 pin connector
slots for devices like graphics
cards
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Power Supply Wire Colors
Voltage Wire Use AT ATX Acceptable
Color Power Power Voltage Range
Disk drive motors, fans, cooling
+12v Yellow +10.8 to +13.2
devices and the system bus slots
Some types of serial port and early
-12v Blue -10.8 to -13.2
programmable ROM
Most newer CPUs, some types of
+3.3v Orange system memory, and AGP video +3.1 to +3.5
cards
+5v Red Motherboards and earlier CPUs +4.5 to +5.5
-5v White ISA bus cards -4.5 to -5.5
Ground – Used to complete circuits
0v Black
with the other voltages
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Measurements of Electricity
Unit Definition An Example as Applied to a Computer
Volts Abbreviated as V (for An AT power supply supplies four
(measures example, 120 V). Volts are separate voltages: +12 V, -12 V, +5 V, -5
potential measured by finding the V. An ATX power supply supplies these
difference) potential difference between and also +3.3 V.
the electrical charges on
either side of an electrical
device in an electrical
system.
Amps or Abbreviated as A (for A 17-inch monitor requires less than 2A
amperes example, 1.5 A) Amps are to operate. A small laser printer uses
(measures measured by placing an about 3A. A CD-ROM drive uses about
electrical ammeter in the flow of .3A.
current) current and measuring that
current.
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Measures of Electricity
To help you understand, imagine water flowing
through a pipe:
1. The volume or force of water that flows
through the pipe is like the volume of
electricity through a conductor; the volume or
force is measured in volts.
2. The rate or speed of the water flowing
through the pipe is like the rate of the
electricity flowing through a conductor; the
rate or speed is measured in amps.
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Wattage
1. Total amount of power needed to operate an
electrical device
2. Measured in watts
3. Calculated by multiplying volts by amps in a
system (A x V = W)
4. In the US, AC current (V) comes out of the outlet
at 120V @ 60Hz.
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Calculating Wattage (A x V = W)
If you have a computer that draws 4 amps:
1. 4A x 120V = 480W (this is the maximum output of
your computer.
2. 480 x .20 = 96 (It’s a good idea to add 20% so the
power supply does not run at its maximum)
3. 480 + 96 = 576W
4. Power supplies come in increments of 50 watts. So
you would need a 600W power supply to run this
computer
Note: 250W is the minimum size used in any computer
system.
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Summary
In the module, we discussed:
1. Form Factor and how it effects components
2. AC and DC current
3. Types of connectors
4. Power supply wire colors and voltages
5. Calculating Wattage
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