MOTHERBOARD
Motherboard
Main printed circuit board (PCB) that allows
communication between computer’s key
components: CPU, Memory RAM, peripheral
devices
Heart of the pc and mother of all components
Motherboard contains the CPU, RAM the
chipset's input/output and memory controllers,
interface connectors, and other components
integrated for general use, expansion cards
Discussion of the components mounted in
the motherboard:
Expansion cards
1. Sound Card
Provide sound system, enables audio devices.
Usually built in but possible to be installed
manually.
2. Video Cards or Graphics Card
Render graphics, process graphical data
For gamers, those who use programs that
require high graphics processing speed.
Onboard GPU, graphics processing unit, less
powerful
3. Network Cards
Makes your computer connect to a network,
either LAN or IP
Unique MAC Address – identifier to send and
receive data from other devices in a network
CPU
Also known as microprocessor or processor
Regarded as the brain of the computer.
Responsible for processing data and performing
mathematical and logical operations, and
executing program instructions.
CPU must be compatible with motherboard
RAM
Memory chip that is volatile, which means it
loses its contents when power is off.
Used to store temporary but quickly accessed
data information
BIOS – (Basic Input Output System)
Interface between the operating system and the
hardware.
Used by the CPU to perform start-up
procedures. Booting up your system
BIOS contains all the code for a number of
miscellaneous functions like control the
keyboard, display screen, disk drives, serial
communications, and
CMOS – Complementary Metal Oxide
Semiconductor
Store basic configurations like date and time
which is updated by a real time clock, also
including the BIOS settings
Kept alive by the CMOS battery to avoid
reconfiguration, since it is a type of RAM chip
Expansion bus
Series of expansion slot on the motherboard for
expansion cards to plug into it
Computer chipsets – coordinates the flow of data
of PC components
Two main chipsets
They’re called bridge because they connect two
or more buses
NorthBridge – controlling transfers between
Ram and Processor
SouthBridge – handles communication
between slower peripheral devices or input
output devices
That’s why it’s also called Input output controller
hub,
CPU clock – synchronizes all operations, provides
basic timing signals for the CPU