Motherboards
The Main Printed Circuit Board
Inside The PC That Contains and
Controls The Components That Are
Responsible For Processing Data.
Motherboard is
Multi-layered printed circuit board
Copper circuit paths called traces carry
signals and voltages across the
motherboard
Some layers carry data for input/output
while other layers carry voltage and
ground returns
Think of a Motherboard as:
Futuristic City with many modular plug-in
buildings, using power from a common
electrical system
Multiple-lane highways of various widths
transporting data between buildings
Data and power infrastructure for the
entire computer
Motherboard
Holds The Processor
Memory
Expansion Slots
Connects Directly or Indirectly to
Every Part of The PC
Basic Motherboard
Motherboard Made Up Of:
A Chipset (known as the “glue logic”)
Some Code in ROM
Various Interconnections or Buses
Basic Input/Output System
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.
CMOS RAM
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.
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
Form Factors
Form factor means the size and shape of
the actual motherboard
3 most common Form Factor
classifications:
Baby AT
ATX
Slimline NLX
Advice on Buying
Motherboards
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