Motherboard
The motherboard is the heart of a
PC. Some manufacturers use the terms system board, planar board, baseboard, or
main board, and Intel calls its motherboards desktop boards. No matter what you
call it, the motherboard defines the PC. It provides the common link to all
other components inside the PC, including the CPU, memory, disk drives, video
and sound adapters, keyboard, mouse, and other peripheral components.
Motherboard Overview
The motherboard is the main
circuit board inside your PC. Every components at some point communicates
through the motherboard, either by directly plugging into it or by
communicating through one of the motherboards ports.
The motherboard is one big
communication highway. Its purpose inside your PC is to provide a platform for
all the other components and peripherals to talk to each other.
Modern motherboards come with the
following features:
Processor slot : Processor slot is used for processor.
Memory banks : Memory banks are used for RAM modules.
AGP slot : AGP slots are used for graphics accelerators.
PCI slots : PCI slots are used to provide connectivity for PCI cards
such as modems and sound cards.
IDE : IDE are used to connect and control IDE devices such as hard drives and
CD-ROM drives.
USB ports : USB ports are used to connect USB devices.
These are just some of the
features that a motherboard may have as standard, some motherboards come with
integrated components such as a sound card, graphics card, modem, NIC (Network
Interface Card) and more.
Identifying a Motherboard
While many motherboards are easily
identifiable, a few aren't. Here are some identification methods:
Look for the brand name, model
number, and revision number printed on the circuit board.
Look for a sticker underneath the
lowest expansion slot. It might not be visible without disassembling the
computer and removing the board, or at least by using a small mirror on a
handle.
On bootup, look on the first
screen if the information does appear, you won't have long to see it unless you
press the Scroll Lock key.
The information might appear
somewhere in the BIOS.
If the computer is a brand-name
computer, you can often find the board used by going to the computer
manufacturer's Web site.
How to Choose a Motherboard
As everything you have on the PC
at some point needs the motherboard, you need to consider these components when
buying a motherboard. For example, if you have a lot of devices with a PCI
interface that you wish to use, there is little point buying a motherboard that
only offers you 3 PCI slots. Like wise with memory, you have to make sure that
there are enough slots for the amount of memory you have or wish to have.
The motherboard also needs the
correct type of interface for your Memory, Graphics card, Hard disks and other
items as well. You will find that most motherboards offer everything you need
however it needs checking on when buying. Its especially important to pay
detail to your motherboard if you want to use older components, which a new
motherboard may or may not support.
The major difference between
motherboards that support the same CPU is the model of the chipset. Different
chipsets offer different performance and different features in terms of memory
support, AGP port speed, Multiplier numbers, Bus speeds and much more.
When you are choosing one
motherboard you have to consider:
What's Your Processor?
First and most important thing to
consider when buying your motherboard - what CPU or processor are you using?
Motherboards are made differently, not all motherboards will support all CPUs.
What CPU you select will determine
the type of motherboard you get. For example, if you want to use an Intel
Pentium 4 CPU, the motherboard you select must be able to support that brand
and model of CPU. The motherboards are also designed to support specific speeds
for a CPU, so make sure it can support the speed of the processor as well.
What is a Motherboard Chipset?
What is a chipset? Well, chipsets
are the main controllers on the motherboard - they allow the CPU to interface
with the various components and expansion cards installed.
When choosing your chipset, always
bear in mind the type of memory supported by the motherboard. Make sure that
the board supports the type and amount of RAM you need. Generally, choosing a
chipset that supports high speed memory will allow your system to perform
better.
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 intend to buy expansion cards,
make sure the board comes with an ample number of PCI slots.
Other Features
These days, most motherboards have
a whole host of extra features loaded into them. These can include things such
as on-board VGA, audio, a RAID controller, Modem or Network Card.
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