Interview help needed - Computer knowledge

[SIR RAFI]

Hey guys,

I have an engineering interview at a company which I won't mention at the moment just for the sake of not mentioning. My referrer told me to learn quite a bit of things before the interview, and I am trying my best to cover all my bases. However, he mentioned that I will be expected to know a bit about practical computer knowledge. Few examples he gave are: What should you do if motherboard does not start?  What should you do if you see BSOD, how do you debug? BIOS settings explain everything including clocks and what to do and how to do them (I have 0 idea about the ram freq or processor clock stuff on bios). How do you oc' graphics card? Now these are easy topics I am sure, and many of you will say Google is my best friend. However, due to lack of time I have come forth to LTT because you are all enthusiasts on these and will be able to help me more than google will in this lack of time. If you have the answers to the examples he gave or if you have more computer knowledge I should know about, please post it on this thread. I will come back later on the thread to learn the simple answers you guys provide so I can maximize my already slim chance on this interview haha.


Thank you

[Guest]

Me thinks you should look for another kind of job... If that's the profile they are looking for, you won't be that succesfull, and expectations could lead to a bad reputation... I would just fork that interview.

[SIR RAFI]

@Dutch-stonerThat's the side profile they're looking for. Mainly theyre looking for EE grad with some project management and a bit of programming background - which I have strongly covered. However, because I don't tinker around with my computer anymore, I have forgotten most of the things. Hence I need help from you guys to quickly and efficiently learn.

[byalexandr]

1. What should you do if a motherboard does not start?

 

Start troubleshooting. Make sure everything is seated properly in their respective connectors, make sure that the RAM is in the right slot, make sure the video cable is plugged in or the PSU is switched on (trust me, that happens a lot), etc. If you have to, take out the CPU and reseat it. That helps sometimes.

 

2. What should you do if you see a BSOD, and how do you debug?

 

Normally it displays an error code, and with newer versions of Windows it even have a QR code. Write down the code or remember it, then Google it and see what it means. Usually it points to drivers, hardware, power issues, etc. From that info you can then proceed to see what caused the BSOD.

 

3. BIOS settings

 

It varies from board to board, but there are two types of BIOS. Legacy and UEFI, UEFI being the newer technology. Usually the most you need to do is change boot order (so that a specific drive has priority when booting), maybe enable XMP for high speed memory. enable AHCI Mode for newer drives, etc. CPUs have a base clock and a multiplier that 'multiplies' that base clock to give you the frequency it's at. Changing the multiplier to something higher is overclocking. You have to change voltage as well once you increase the multiplier high enough, so that the OC is stable (the CPU is receiving enough power).

 

4. How do you overclock graphics cards?

 

Most of it is done in Windows through various overclocking software. Some even let you overclock from the driver suite (like AMD's Crimson). Use this guide for thorough details: https://www.reddit.com/r/overclocking/wiki/gpu/general

 

 

There's a lot of stuff I can help you answer, I've been building and troubleshooting for years, as have others on the forum. You're more than welcome to message me if you have any other questions, I'm sure some others are willing to do the same.

[Masternji]

Taking the job without proper knowledge is a huge risk since it can damage your resume when you get fired.

[Masternji]

By the way you can set different clock speeds for ram in different motherboards. There is a limit on how much you can set it to on non OCing motherboards.

[Samfisher]

Just now, Masternji said:

Taking the job without proper knowledge is a huge risk since it can damage your resume when you get fired.

The questions above are not related to his job, and is only for the interview.

[Masternji]

10 minutes ago, Samfisher said:

The questions above are not related to his job, and is only for the interview.

I see my bad, I was only reffering to if he had the chance of actually getting accepted and going into the job without proper knowledge can lead to results that can hurt you in the longrun.

 

By the way what is his job?

 

Oh, I thought he was going into computer engineering, my bad.

Edited October 16, 2016 by Masternji

[BingoFishy]

5 minutes ago, byalexandr said:

1. What should you do if a motherboard does not start?

If you have to, take out the CPU and reseat it. That helps sometimes.

I think you mean the RAM. I've never heard of reseating a CPU. Thumbs up on everything else though.

 

OP - I suggest you take a look at these threads. I believe they may have information you find important: 

 

 

[SIR RAFI]

Thank you @byalexandr! I remember most of these from when I have built my pc but your help is bringing my memories back.
BSOD:
Okay so my referrer have mentioned something about registry debugging when BSOD appears, I am not sure what he meant. I have asked if I needed to know WinDbg and he said nope.

GPU:

Also for GPU OC' guide with let's say my gpu which is gtx 970, how would I increase clock speeds theoretically (Not actually OC'ing haha just want to know the 'general' steps and what to look out for. Trying to avoid looking at youtube because it will really mess with me at the last moment due to information surge haha).
BIOS:
Thank you for that quick summary on OS Oc, are there any non procesor related bios settings I should know about?
Motherboard:
He wanted something more specific, he mentioned error lights but I have no experience in that what so ever. If it were me, I would have done exactly what you have suggested. I even asked him whether we short circuit that mother board pin which starts the pc and he said nope more specific.

Are there anything else I should know about?

[Masternji]

10 minutes ago, SIR RAFI said:

Thank you! I remember most of these from when I have built my pc but your help is bringing my memories back.
BSOD:
Okay so my referrer have mentioned something about registry debugging when BSOD appears, I am not sure what he meant. I have asked if I needed to know WinDbg and he said nope.

GPU:

Also for GPU OC' guide with let's say my gpu which is gtx 970, how would I increase clock speeds theoretically (Not actually OC'ing haha just want to know the 'general' steps and what to look out for. Trying to avoid looking at youtube because it will really mess with me at the last moment due to information surge haha).
BIOS:
Thank you for that quick summary on OS Oc, are there any non procesor related bios settings I should know about?
Motherboard:
He wanted something more specific, he mentioned error lights but I have no experience in that what so ever. If it were me, I would have done exactly what you have suggested. I even asked him whether we short circuit that mother board pin which starts the pc and he said nope more specific.

Are there anything else I should know about?

Msi afterburner for oc?

[Ithanul]

On GPU and motherboard.

 

Usually when overclocking a GPU you do it by upping the clock by 13MHz each time.  You can also overclock GPUs by utilizing custom BIOS or modifying the existing BIOS on the card then flash it with the modded BIOS.  As with overclocking anything, it is best to stress test the hardware to ensure it is stable at the targeted clock speed you set it at.

 

Motherboard error lights can vary by board manufacturer and type.  This usually when you need to reference the motherboard's physical manual or the electronic manual you can usually find on the manufacturer's site.  Also, most if not all boards if you have the little speaker pluged in will do error beeps as well.

[Mark77]

If you're a 4-year EE grad, and you're being interviewed for a job where they're asking you those sorts of questions, you're probably not making appropriate use of your background. 

 

OTOH, if you're a 4-year EE grad, and you're having trouble coming up with answers to those questions in your head, on-the-fly, then I'd have to question how well you really did in EE.

 

Overclocking in an interview question at an engineering firm?  Seriously?  Maybe at Linus Media Group or something like that, but overclocking has almost zero place at an engineering firm, lol. 

 

 

 

 

[Guest]

12 minutes ago, SIR RAFI said:

GPU:

Also for GPU OC' guide with let's say my gpu which is gtx 970, how would I increase clock speeds theoretically (Not actually OC'ing haha just want to know the 'general' steps and what to look out for. Trying to avoid looking at youtube because it will really mess with me at the last moment due to information surge haha).

Jayz2cents has a very comprehensive but short tutorial/information video on youtube... It's almost a must-watch if you want to know something about OC-ing your GPU...

[SIR RAFI]

@Ithanul How about voltage? Do I have to look into the amount of voltage applied as well?

[SIR RAFI]

1 minute ago, Mark77 said:

If you're a 4-year EE grad, and you're being interviewed for a job where they're asking you those sorts of questions, you're probably not making appropriate use of your background. 

 

OTOH, if you're a 4-year EE grad, and you're having trouble coming up with answers to those questions in your head, on-the-fly, then I'd have to question how well you really did in EE.

 

Overclocking in an interview question at an engineering firm?  Seriously?  Maybe at Linus Media Group or something like that, but overclocking has almost zero place at an engineering firm, lol. 

 

 

 

Does my thread bother you in anyway? Don't need negativity around. Sorry for bothering you with my thread. @Mark77 4 year EE =/= IT knowledge. Most of my questions are IT related. I am not CE. You cannot answer any of these questions on the fly when it ISN'T your specialty. OC interview question at engineering firm? When did I mention what kind of company it is. Please if you like to be negative to anyone take it somewhere else, everyone is being positive here except you.

 

[SlyTroopah]

2 minutes ago, SIR RAFI said:

@Ithanul How about voltage? Do I have to look into the amount of voltage applied as well?

ohhhhh yeah. 1.35-1.4v is a sweet spot for high oc on air. 1.4v+ is mainly for really really good coolers as in water coolers. - This applies to a lot of processors. To have an exact, you are going to need to look up the certain processor just in case.

[Ithanul]

6 minutes ago, SIR RAFI said:

@Ithanul How about voltage? Do I have to look into the amount of voltage applied as well?

Depending on GPU and clocks.  Every GPU can vary at specific clock speeds at what voltage it can stably run at.  Hence the term golden chip for ones that can clock high without pushing high voltage.

 

Usually with higher end clocks one will have to start increasing voltage to allow the GPU to stay stable.  Also temperature can affect on how high one can push the clock speed up to.  This varies as well depending on GPUs, and what is utilized to cool the chip and vram on the GPU's board.

 

Though, very curious as others stated why you having such questions for a interview.

[Akolyte]

Pretty simple job honestly, not as bad as applying for somewhere like Google or Facebook... Gosh! 

 

The best places to look are always Wikipedia for these things, sure, maybe they aren't 100% reliable but most of the pages have really in depth information.  I can explain some basic things here that you should know, the key is knowing WHERE you are working.  If you PM me it I might be able to help you out a bit more.  

 

The BIOS is a basic input output system, it's come a long way since the old days but that is still it's core function.  The BIOS can be used to overclock the processor, every processor is different and it's important to know the baselines, the real answer you should give about overclocking the processor is not what to do, but how to do it and why you do it.  For example, overclocking a processor should not be something everyone knows how to do, you should first do your research on the processor, and then build a guess as to what the best minimum clock and voltage could be while gaining significant boost and go from there. 

 

In terms of a motherboard not starting, the best thing to do is to troubleshoot, with hardware unless you have a monitor tool or something you cannot directly know which is the failing component.  If the computer has a little read thingy that some of them have then you can look at the manual and refer an error code and base your troubleshooting on that.  Either way, you are going to have to troubleshoot, which is just trial and error. 

 

In terms of GPU overclocking that is normally done INSIDE the OS using a tool, GPU overclocking is pretty harmless unless you push it well beyond what everyone else does.  

 

If you just PM me and ask questions. It will be easy to answer.  I'm by no means saying I know a lot about computers.  But this kind of stuff is pretty simple for me, and I would be happy to help out with any info.  Just remember to explain WHY and HOW.  

[Thaldor]

17 minutes ago, SIR RAFI said:

@Ithanul How about voltage? Do I have to look into the amount of voltage applied as well?

I think not, because changing voltage goes to the area of chance. Put it shortly, when OC'ing (being it CPU or GPU) you want to first raise the clockspeeds until the system comes unstable, after that you raise the voltage of the part and start from the beginning rising clockspeeds and stress testing all the way (with stock voltages you get some baseline of the temperatures and is your cooling good enough for higher voltages, with higher than stock voltages you start really look into the temperatures). You keep doing this until the system cannot get stable anymore with voltages or you start to get too high temperatures (these wary from part to part check from the manufacturer which temperatures the part is usable). The golden point of the system depends highly on how lucky you have been with the silicon lottery but it's always the same: Stable system with as high as possible clockspeeds with voltages that the cooling can handle.

[byalexandr]

36 minutes ago, BingoFishy said:

I think you mean the RAM. I've never heard of reseating a CPU. Thumbs up on everything else though.

 

OP - I suggest you take a look at these threads. I believe they may have information you find important: 

 

 

I know what I typed, I'm literally saying that sometimes reseating the CPU works. I've had that issue before. But reseating the RAM is common as well.

[byalexandr]

37 minutes ago, SIR RAFI said:

Thank you @byalexandr! I remember most of these from when I have built my pc but your help is bringing my memories back.
BSOD:
Okay so my referrer have mentioned something about registry debugging when BSOD appears, I am not sure what he meant. I have asked if I needed to know WinDbg and he said nope.

GPU:

Also for GPU OC' guide with let's say my gpu which is gtx 970, how would I increase clock speeds theoretically (Not actually OC'ing haha just want to know the 'general' steps and what to look out for. Trying to avoid looking at youtube because it will really mess with me at the last moment due to information surge haha).
BIOS:
Thank you for that quick summary on OS Oc, are there any non procesor related bios settings I should know about?
Motherboard:
He wanted something more specific, he mentioned error lights but I have no experience in that what so ever. If it were me, I would have done exactly what you have suggested. I even asked him whether we short circuit that mother board pin which starts the pc and he said nope more specific.

Are there anything else I should know about?

Some motherboards have LCD number displays that post an error code when something is at fault. Record the error code and either refer to the motherboard manual or look it up online to see what it means and resolve it accordingly.

 

As for the registry debugging, the best thing to do is run the 'sfc /scannow' command in an Admin-privileged command prompt. It checks for any Windows files that are corrupt or out of place and resolves them accordingly, including registry keys.

[SIR RAFI]

@byalexandr How about dump files? Should I know any general information about how to resolve computer problems through dump files? How do you access the dump files?

[byalexandr]

4 minutes ago, SIR RAFI said:

@byalexandr How about dump files? Should I know any general information about how to resolve computer problems through dump files? How do you access the dump files?

The Event Viewer utilizes these files. Just open your Start Menu and search for it, then it'll show all the errors the PC has encountered, what severity they were, and when they occurred. It also gives information about system audits and warnings and such.

[SLAYR]

1 hour ago, SIR RAFI said:

Hey guys,

I have an engineering interview at a company which I won't mention at the moment just for the sake of not mentioning. My referrer told me to learn quite a bit of things before the interview, and I am trying my best to cover all my bases. However, he mentioned that I will be expected to know a bit about practical computer knowledge. Few examples he gave are: What should you do if motherboard does not start?  What should you do if you see BSOD, how do you debug? BIOS settings explain everything including clocks and what to do and how to do them (I have 0 idea about the ram freq or processor clock stuff on bios). How do you oc' graphics card? Now these are easy topics I am sure, and many of you will say Google is my best friend. However, due to lack of time I have come forth to LTT because you are all enthusiasts on these and will be able to help me more than google will in this lack of time. If you have the answers to the examples he gave or if you have more computer knowledge I should know about, please post it on this thread. I will come back later on the thread to learn the simple answers you guys provide so I can maximize my already slim chance on this interview haha.


Thank you

Are you going into an IT job, or engineering job? It would help to determine what practical computer knowledge you would need to know?

 

An engineering job will not ask you how to oc a gpu, or troubleshoot a computer, those are IT related questions for people going into tech support and such, engineering computer skills might be programming, or knowing how to use MatLab, SolidWorks or some other engineering software.

 

If you have no experience fixing computers, or even the basics of a computer, and are going into a tech support job I wish you good luck, not only will you have to deal with fixing the computer, but also dealing with other people.

 

If you need to know the basics of computers I would suggest you go watch some TechQuickie videos on youtube.

 

For BSODs they happen for almost any reason here is a good resource.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3106831

 

Debugging is usually dealing with programming, and writing code.

 

You oc a gpu like you oc anything else up the frequency, stress, up the frequency again, stress, repeat until it fails, then add voltage, repeat this until you hit thermal, frequeny, or voltage limits, or you hit your desired results.