Everything You need to Know About Motherboards
You must have heard the word motherboard a lot because technically every computer has one. If you have ever taken a look under the case of your computer you must have seen one circuit board that ties everything together. The motherboard is that circuit board. It connects all parts of your computer so that they can receive power and communicate with each other.
Motherboards have changed quite a lot in the last 20 years. The first motherboard had a few components. It only contained card slots and a single processor. The card slots could be used to plug in components like floppy drives etc.
However, today motherboards have become more complex and efficient. They come with several built-in features and affect the abilities and capabilities of computers. In this blog, I will tell you everything you need to know about motherboards.
What is a Motherboard?
The motherboard is a printed circuit board. It is also known as the backplane board, main circuit board, and system board, etc. It is the biggest circuit board of the computer. It contains the connectors for attaching more boards such as BIOS, memory, expansion slots, etc. It is actually the brain of the computer.
There are many different types of motherboards available in the market. Each type is specifically designed to work with different processors and memory boards. So a motherboard won’t be compatible with every type of memory and processor.
On the other hand, hard drives usually work with most motherboards since they are universal. You must buy a motherboard that is compatible with the processor of your CPU. People usually prefer to invest in a motherboard and CPU combo which is often cheaper plus it ensures compatibility. White motherboards are mostly liked by the gamers these days.
What Does a Motherboard Help your Computer?
As said earlier it allocates powers to all components and allows communication between RAM, hard drive, CPU, and other hardware devices. It is the communication center of the computer. It allows peripherals to connect with components so that your computer can function.
Types of Motherboards
There various types of motherboards in the market. Some Motherboards are divided into categories based on the type of sockets they have. There is Socket 478 and Socket 478 for example. Socket 478 is used for Intel Pentium 4 and the Celeron series. Similarly, Socket 939 is used for the AMD64 processor. Remember Socket 478 won’t work with AMD64 and Socket 939 won’t work with Intel Pentium because of compatibility issues. So make sure that you buy the type of motherboard that is compatible with your processor.
There are various types of motherboards available but here I will discuss a few of them in detail so that you can understand how motherboard evolved over the years. I will discuss AT Motherboard, ATX Motherboard, LPX Motherboard and BTX Motherboard, Pico BTX Motherboard, and Mini ITX Motherboard.
AT Motherboards:
These motherboards were majorly in use during the 1980s but they are not used that much today. An AT motherboard has dimensions of the order of some hundred millimeters. It was big so it might not fit in with a mini desktop. Plus the dimensions of AT motherboard used to make it difficult to install new drives. The concept of six-pin plugs and socket works as the power connector in this type of motherboards. However, its power connectors are hard to distinguish so many users face difficulty in making proper connections.
ATX Motherboard:
Advanced Technology Extended or ATX motherboards were produced by Intel during the 1990s.This is an improved version of the previous AT motherboards. ATX motherboards allowed the interchangeability of the connected parts. Plus the dimensions of this motherboard were quite smaller as compared to the AT motherboard so it could support drive bays too. The connector system of the ATX motherboard was also better than AT motherboards.
LPX Motherboard:
LPX motherboards were low profile extension motherboards created in the 1990s. LPX motherboards were different from AT and ATX motherboards as its input and output ports were present at the back of the system. Putting ports in the back of the system proved to be beneficial and was adopted by other motherboards too. It could also support a riser card but it proved to be problematic as it was obstructing airflow.
Some very low quality LPX motherboards lacked even the real AGP slots. They simply connected to the PCI bus. This motherboard had a lot of negative aspects and this led to their extinction.
BTX Motherboard:
BTX stands for Balanced Technology Extended. It resolved some of the issues faced by older motherboards. It was smaller in size and came with better thermal design. It provides a straighter airflow path which results in better cooling performance. It comes with a large 12 cm case fan that cools the CPU through an air duct. It also reduced the strain of the motherboard through heat sinks and capacitors etc.
Pico BTX Motherboard:
Pico BTX motherboard is a form factor motherboard that is smaller than many “micro” sized motherboards and hence the word “Pico” has been used in its name. As the demands for the smaller system is increasing, many companies are aiming to size down. This Pico BTX motherboard is a result of such an effort by the BTX line.
Mini ITX Motherboards:
These motherboards are usually used in small form factor computer systems. They are smaller in size but are more efficient than the motherboard with a traditional build. They are small in size but they have graphic card slots, expansion slots, and even two slots riser cards. They also come with an efficient cooling system. They are very popular these days because of their small form. People are buying them because they take less space in your setup but work smoothly like any other ATX mid-build motherboard.
Components of the Motherboard:
Motherboards are quite complex however the main components of a motherboard are listed below.
- Processor Socket.
- Power connectors.
- Memory Slots.
- Video Card Slots.
- Expansion Slots.
- IDE and SATA Ports.
- BIOPS Chip and Battery.
- North Bridge and South Bridge.
- Front Panel Connectors and USB Header
- Rear Connectors.
Processor Socket:
The processor Socket is the central component of the motherboard. It is located in the center of the motherboard and it acts as the central processor of your computer.
Power Connectors:
Obviously like all computer components, the motherboard needs the power to work. The power connectors are present on the right edge of the motherboard. This is where the power supply’s main connector is attached which provides power to the motherboard and all other computer components.
Memory Slots:
Memory Slots are located in the upper right part of the motherboard. They house a computer’s memory module. The number of slots varies some low profile motherboard can have 2 while some advanced motherboards can have as many as 8 memory slots.
Video Card Slot:
Video card Slots are usually situated just below the processor. Some motherboards lack this slot however advanced gaming motherboards come with multiple video card slots. They allow the installation of multiple video cards.
Expansion Slots:
These slots are located under the video card slots. Expansion Slots allow you to install additional components to enhance the abilities and functionality of your computer. They allow you to install a video capture card, a TV turner or a sound card, etc. Again the number of expansion slots varies. Some large motherboards have more expansion slots while smaller ones have less.
IDE AND SATA ports:
IDE and SATA ports provide connectivity for the optical drives and storage devices. IDE ports are often replaced by SATA ports since the IDE interface is outdated. SATA provides a maximum speed of up to 600 MB/s meanwhile IDE provides a maximum speed of 133 MB/s. Hence nowadays most motherboards come only with SATA ports.
BIOS Chip and Battery:
The BIOS chip contains the code required to take your computer through the boot process to the point where the operating system takes over. The code is usually stored on a memory chip that requires constant power hence a battery keeps the chip powered when the computer is unplugged.
Northbridge and Southbridge:
Northbridge is one of the most important components of the motherboard. It coordinates the data flow between the memory slots, the processor, and the video card. Similarly, Southbridge coordinates the flow of data between the processor and various peripherals.
Front Panel Connectors and USB headers:
The front panel contains the power button, reset button, audio connectors, power led, and USB connectors.
Rear Connectors:
The name of these connectors is misleading as these connectors are not located on the rear side but the left edge of the motherboards. However, these connectors are accessible from the rear side of the PC case. These connectors allow peripherals devices such as the keyboard, mouse, speaker, and monitor to connect to the computer.
Now you know the basics of the motherboard. You know the role motherboards plays in the functioning of the computer plus you are also familiar with all the components of the motherboard. I hope you found this blog helpful.
