What aspects of a motherboard are important to consider during the building process?
Form factor, RAM slots, PCI slots, CPU compatibility, and available headers
Define and describe PCI
Peripheral Component Interconnect, is a slot that allows expansion drives to be installed, it can be 32 or 64 bit in width and uses parallel communication
What is PCIe?
PCI Express, is the serial upgrade to PCI that comes in x1,2,4,8,16, and 32 full-duplex lanes
What is the 24-pin connector used for?
Motherboard power
What are the 5 voltages of the 24-pin connector?
+3.3, +/-5, and +/-12V
What is the 20-pin connector used for?
Older standard of motherboard power, 4 additional pins were added to accommodate PCIe
What is the 4-pin ATX connector used for?
CPU power on older motherboards
What is the voltage of the 4-pin ATX connector?
+12V
What is a header?
An array of metal pins used as a simple connection on the motherboard
What are some distinguishing traits of server motherboards?
Multisocket CPU, many RAM slots, many PCIe slots, large form factor
What are some distinguishing traits of desktop motherboards?
Single-Socket CPU, 2 or 4 RAM slots, limited PCIe slots, medium form factor
What are some distinguishing traits of mobile motherboards?
Limited thermal capacity for CPU, limited system modification, low power consumption, small form factor
What is a system board?
A proprietary board with components commonly pre-installed permanently