Transcript Motherboards - WordPress.com

Motherboards
The Main Printed Circuit Board Inside The PC
That Contains and Controls The Components
That Are Responsible For Processing Data.
Motherboard
Holds The Processor
Memory
Expansion Slots
Connects 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 Motherboards
This 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 Motherboards
With 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 microprocessor
An integrated circuit that contains the entire
central processing unit of a computer on a
single chip.
2. (Optionally) coprocessors
Microprocessor 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 slot
An 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 Motherboards
The Processor.
Motherboards are made differently, not all motherboards will
support all CPUs.
Choose Your Chipset
Chipsets 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 manufacturer
Ensure that it has same form factor as current case
Check the power supply requirements and AMD
processors
Verify 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
Chipset
Secondary cache type
Types of slots
Number of slots
Type of memory
Number of memory
sockets and
maximum memory
Type of case
ROM
Plug & Play
compatibility
Type of keyboard
End.