Hey, Ashraf here. Coding Academy Leader and I are excited to bring you this course as a part of a series to help you pass the CompTIA A+ Certification Core 1 exam.

Things that will be covered in this Course:

Given a scenario, configure settings and use BIOS/UEFI tools on a PC.

–Install firmware upgrades – flash BIOS.

–BIOS component information: RAM, Hard drive, Optical drive, CPU, Boot sequence, Enabling and disabling devices, Date/time, Clock speeds, Virtualization support

–BIOS security (passwords, drive encryption: TPM, lo‐jack, secure boot)

–Use built‐in diagnostics.

–Monitoring: Temperature monitoring, Fan speeds, Intrusion detection/notification, Voltage, Clock, Bus speed

Explain the importance of motherboard components, their purposes, and properties.

–Sizes: ATX, Micro‐ATX, Mini‐ITX, ITX

–Expansion slots: PCI, PCI‐X, PCIe, miniPCI

–RAM slots

–CPU sockets

–Chipsets: Northbridge/Southbridge, CMOS battery

–Power connections and types

–Fan connectors

–Front/top panel connectors: USB, Audio, Power button, Power light, Drive activity lights, Reset button

–Bus speeds

Compare and contrast RAM types and features.

–Types: DDR, DDR2, DDR3, SODIMM, DIMM, Parity vs. nonparity, ECC vs. non‐ECC, RAM configurations (Single channel vs. dual channel vs. triple channel), Single sided vs. double sided, Buffered vs. unbuffered

–RAM compatibility and speed

Differentiate among various CPU types and features, and select the appropriate cooling method.

–Socket types: Intel (775, 1155, 1156, 1366, 1150, 2011), AMD (AM3, AM3+, FM1, FM2, FM2+)

–Characteristics (Speeds, Cores, Cache size/type, Hyperthreading, Virtualization support, Architecture [32‐bit vs. 64‐bit], Integrated GPU, Disable execute bit)

–Cooling (Heat sink, Fans, Thermal paste, Liquid‐based, Fanless/passive)