Motherboards

The Main Printed Circuit Board Inside The PC That Contains and Controls The Components

That Are Responsible For Processing Data.

Motherboard

Holds The ProcessorMemoryExpansion SlotsConnects Directly or

Indirectly to Every Part of The PC

Motherboard Components.

Main Importance of Motherboards

To hold the computer's microprocessor chip and let everything else connect to it.

Everything that runs the computer or enhances its performance is either part of the motherboard or plugs into it via a slot or port.

Different types of mother boards

1. ATX Motherboards

The ATX (Advanced Technology Extended) motherboard has a length of 12 inches and a width of 7.5 inches. The I/O ports and USB ports meant for the motherboard are integrated directly into it. The bus speed in ATX motherboard is 100 MHz. This board is mainly meant for the Intel processors.

Different types of mother boards conti…

2. Full AT MotherboardsThis was the first type of motherboard, which was 12 inches wide and 11 inches long. This motherboard suffered from a lot of problems like access to components was cumbersome and most importantly, the heating problem.

3. Baby AT MotherboardsWith a dimension of 10 by 8.5 inches, this motherboard is meant for the classic Pentium processors. The DIN keyboard connector at the top right corner of this motherboard makes recognizing this motherboard a relatively simple task

Main components found on a mother board.

1. The microprocessorAn integrated circuit that contains the

entire central processing unit of a computer on a single chip.

2. (Optionally) coprocessorsMicroprocessor that performs specialized

functions that the central processing unit cannot perform or cannot perform as well and as quickly.

Main components found on a mother board conti…

3. Memory-All motherboards include a small block of Read Only Memory (ROM) which is separate from the main system memory used for loading and running software. The ROM contains the PC’s BIOS.

- Motherboards include a separate block of memory made for low power consumption CMOS RAM chips, which is kept alive by a battery even when the PC’s power is off.

Main components found on a mother board conti…

4. Basic input/output system (BIOS)Is a chip located on all computer motherboards

that contains instructions and setup for how your system should boot and how it operates.

The BIOS includes instructions on how to load basic computer hardware and includes a test referred to as a POST (Power On Self Test) that helps verify the computer meets requirements to boot up properly.

If the computer does not pass the POST, you will receive a combination of beeps indicating what is malfunctioning within the computer.

In most PCs, the BIOS has 4 main functions: POST - Test computer hardware, ensuring hardware is

properly functioning before starting process of loading operating system. Additional information on the POST can be found on our POST / Beep Codes page.

Bootstrap Loader - Process of locating the operating system. If capable operating system located, BIOS will pass the control to it.

BIOS - Software / Drivers that interface between the operating system and your hardware. When running DOS or Windows you are using complete BIOS support.

BIOS / CMOS Setup - Configuration program that allows you to configure hardware settings including system settings such as computer passwords, time, and date.

Main components found on a mother board conti…

5. Expansion slotAn expansion slot usually refers to any of

the slots available on a motherboard for PCI, AGP, ISA, or other format expansion cards. Sometimes the openings on the rear of the case are referred to as expansion slots.

6. Interconnecting circuitry

Advice on Buying MotherboardsThe Processor.Motherboards are made differently, not all motherboards will

support all CPUs.Choose Your ChipsetChipsets are the main controllers on the motherboard - they

allow the CPU to interface with the various components and expansion cards installed.

Expansions Slots and Connectors

If you intend to various peripherals to the computer, then the number and type of expansion slots and connectors is important. By default, most motherboards these days have USB 2.0 ports incorporated into their design. If you do a lot of video capturing and editing, you'll also want to have a Firewire (IEEE 1394) port. If you intend to buy expansion cards, make sure the board comes with an ample number of PCI slots.

 

Advice on Buying Motherboards Cont…Do You Need to Over clock?To speed up the computer beyond the manufacturer's

specifications in order to run faster. If you want to overclock your CPU (though I don't particularly encourage it) - you should ensure you get a motherboard that supports overclocking. You'll want a motherboard that has a wide range of adjustments to CPU settings, including CPU voltage and bus speeds.

Deal with reputable manufacturerEnsure that it has same form factor as current caseCheck the power supply requirements and AMD

processorsVerify the form factor of your computer case

matches the form factor of any motherboard you plan to buy

Avoid tweaking voltages and timings

Motherboard Determines:

CPU type and speed

ChipsetSecondary cache

typeTypes of slotsNumber of slotsType of memory

Number of memory sockets and maximum memory

Type of case ROMPlug & Play

compatibilityType of keyboard

End.