MOTHERBOARD & ITS COMPONENTS

 What is a MOTHERBOARD ?

The official motherboard definition is that it’s the main printed circuit board within a computer, which means it’s the primary piece of circuitry that all of the other pieces plug into to create a cohesive whole.
The motherboard is the backbone that ties the computer’s components together at one spot and allows them to talk to each other. Without it, none of the computer pieces, such as the CPU, GPU, or hard drive, could interact.
 Total motherboard functionality is necessary for a computer to work well. If your motherboard is on the fritz, expect some big problems.
What Does a Motherboard Do?

Features of Motherboard

A motherboard comes with following features −

  • Motherboard varies greatly in supporting various types of components.

  • Motherboard supports a single type of CPU and few types of memories.

  • Video cards, hard disks, sound cards have to be compatible with the motherboard to function properly.

  • Motherboards, cases, and power supplies must be compatible to work properly together.

Popular Manufacturers

Following are the popular manufacturers of the motherboard.

  • Intel
  • ASUS
  • ABIT
  • Biostar
  • Gigabyte
  • MSI

Description of Motherboard

The motherboard is mounted inside the case and is securely attached via small screws through pre-drilled holes. Motherboard contains ports to connect all of the internal components. It provides a single socket for CPU, whereas for memory, normally one or more slots are available. Motherboards provide ports to attach the floppy drive, hard drive, and optical drives via ribbon cables. Motherboard carries fans and a special port designed for power supply.

There is a peripheral card slot in front of the motherboard using which video cards, sound cards, and other expansion cards can be connected to the motherboard.

On the left side, motherboards carry a number of ports to connect the monitor, printer, mouse, keyboard, speaker, and network cables. Motherboards also provide USB ports, which allow compatible devices to be connected in plug-in/plug-out fashion. For example, pen drive, digital cameras, etc.

Common motherboard parts

Parts of a motherboard include power and data connectors, capacitors, heat sinks, and fans. You may also see screw holes for adding new parts or for anchoring it into a device. Look for expansion slots that may be present for adding on other components later as well.
The pieces that plug into it, either with wires or directly, are often called motherboard components. These include:
  • Optical drives, such as DVD and CD-ROM
  • Video cards and GPUs
  • Sound cards
  • Hard drives (SSD or HDD)
  • Processors (CPU)
  • Memory sticks (RAM)
In short, if a computer uses it to function, it’s probably connected to the motherboard so that it can coordinate tasks with other computer parts. Without the motherboard, nothing happens as it should.

Computer - Ports

A port is a physical docking point using which an external device can be connected to the computer. It can also be programmatic docking point through which information flows from a program to the computer or over the Internet.

Characteristics of Ports

A port has the following characteristics −

  • External devices are connected to a computer using cables and ports.

  • Ports are slots on the motherboard into which a cable of external device is plugged in.

  • Examples of external devices attached via ports are the mouse, keyboard, monitor, microphone, speakers, etc.



  • Sockets connect the microphone and speakers to the sound card of the computer.


  • Let us now discuss a few important types of ports −

    Serial Port

    • Used for external modems and older computer mouse

    • Two versions: 9 pin, 25 pin model

    • Data travels at 115 kilobits per second

    Parallel Port

    • Used for scanners and printers

    • Also called printer port

    • 25 pin model

    • IEEE 1284-compliant Centronics port

    PS/2 Port

    • Used for old computer keyboard and mouse

    • Also called mouse port

    • Most of the old computers provide two PS/2 port, each for the mouse and keyboard

    • IEEE 1284-compliant Centronics port

    Universal Serial Bus (or USB) Port

    • It can connect all kinds of external USB devices such as external hard disk, printer, scanner, mouse, keyboard, etc.

    • It was introduced in 1997.

    • Most of the computers provide two USB ports as minimum.

    • Data travels at 12 megabits per seconds.

    • USB compliant devices can get power from a USB port.

    VGA Port

    • Connects monitor to a computer's video card.

    • It has 15 holes.

    • Similar to the serial port connector. However, serial port connector has pins, VGA port has holes.

    Power Connector

    • Three-pronged plug.

    • Connects to the computer's power cable that plugs into a power bar or wall socket.

    Firewire Port

    • Transfers large amount of data at very fast speed.

    • Connects camcorders and video equipment to the computer.

    • Data travels at 400 to 800 megabits per seconds.

    • Invented by Apple.

    • It has three variants: 4-Pin FireWire 400 connector, 6-Pin FireWire 400 connector, and 9-Pin FireWire 800 connector.

    Modem Port

    • Connects a PC's modem to the telephone network.

    Ethernet Port

    • Connects to a network and high speed Internet.

    • Connects the network cable to a computer.

    • This port resides on an Ethernet Card.

    • Data travels at 10 megabits to 1000 megabits per seconds depending upon the network bandwidth.

    Game Port

    • Connect a joystick to a PC

    • Now replaced by USB

    Digital Video Interface, DVI port

    • Connects Flat panel LCD monitor to the computer's high-end video graphic cards.

    • Very popular among video card manufacturers.

    Sockets   

    • Sockets connect the microphone and speakers to the sound card of the computer.








  • Types of Motherboard Form Factors


The motherboard is the main component, based on its function, of the internal structure of all computers. Mainly responsible for the interaction of all the elements of the computer, such as the CPU, RAM, storage, graphics card, I/O, among others.
It is extremely important to recognize its capabilities, limitations as well as the main features it contains so as not to repress the potential of any other piece within the PC. Another key element is the form-factor (exterior physical size and shape) which also should be considered for the computer application according to the field where it’ll be used.

Motherboards are always characterized by their chipset, type of processor socket, and their form factor.

The following is a picture showing the most important Motherboard Components.  The motherboard in the picture is the K7VT4A PRO and its components are:

  • CPU and CPU socket.
  • RAM, DRAM, and RAM slots.
  • ATX power supply.
  • IDE Connectors
  • Northbridge and southbridge.
  • AGP Slot
  • PCI Slots.
  • CMOS Backup Battery
  • Integrated connectors for peripherals such as USB, mouse, keyboard, display, audio, Ethernet, etc.




Types of Motherboard Form Factors

Form Factor ATX (Advanced Technology Extended)

Designed as an evolution of the Baby AT form factor, ATX marks a profound change in the architecture of the motherboard and other components such as the cabinet and the power supply.

Within the motherboard there are significant changes such as the location of the CPU socket, which is now placed near the power supply, thus allowing the flow of air caused by the fan of the source and not to be interfered with by any element as it happened with the technology Baby AT.

Another change was the connection between the source of the feed. Which is now a single connector, unlike the AT which were two. Some of the most important improvements for ATX and benefits are:

  • Integrated input and output ports
  • Slots of expansion without interference
  • Start Control by software
  • 3 Vol. from the source (reduces hardware cost, energy consumption, and heat)
  • A better airflow
  • Less interference in access to drive bays.

The ATX motherboard dimensions are 12 × 13 in. A variation of the ATX is the Mini ATX, which is essentially a reduced-size version of ATX but more reduced in terms of its shape, its measurements are 11.2 × 8.2 inches.


Micro ATX

It is an evolution of ATX. Its measures are 9.6 × 9.6 inches. The Micro-ATX supports up to four expansion slots that can combine freely with ISA, PCI, PCI / ISA shared, and AGP. Mounting holes changed from the Standard ATX, since the measurements are different, but they are also compatible with most ATX cabinets.

This type of motherboard form factor supports both Intel and AMD processors. It is commonly used on Small Form Factor Desktop Computers.

Mini-ITX

Mini ITX is a low-power consumption motherboard format of 6.7 × 6.7 inches. Its dimensions are the most characteristic factor of this type of form factor. Although this type of motherboard was designed with the aim of empowering teams of low consumption, at present there are no limits and they have grown by giant steps in terms of benefits.

Since the Mini-ITX was introduced they have expanded in all kinds of applications, thanks to their open standard factor. Mini ITX is a standard format for all types of equipment, such as vehicle embedded computers, industrial applications, and IoT. The Mini-ITX is the first standard system of reduced format that is popularized, reaching all types of projects and any equipment where it may be necessary.

Nano-ITX

The Nano-ITX is another type of motherboard form factor, that measures 4.7 × 4.7 in. Nano-ITX are fully integrated boards designed to consume very low power. This type of motherboard can be used in many applications, but it was specially designed for smart entertainment, like PVRs, media centers, smart TVs, in-vehicle devices, and more.

Pico-ITX

The Pico-ITX is the smallest type of motherboard form factor in this list. Its measurements are 3.9 × 2.8 in and it is 75% smaller than the Mini-ITX. This motherboard was designed and developed by VIA, to open up innovation for smaller and smarter IoT devices.

The Pico-ITX with an x86-based-platform and low-power consumption board is a great choice for embedded systems applications, such as industrial automation, in-vehicle computers, digital signage, and more.

Finding your motherboard model’s information

This replacement is generally easier to do on desktop computers, but anyone uncertain about the exact replacement instructions for their particular model may be better served to leave the job to a professional.
In any case, knowing how to find motherboard model information can be helpful for you and your computer pro. You can get this information by checking your computer’s documentation, or if you are able to log onto your PC, run a command prompt to find it.
To do this, follow these steps:
  1. Open the command prompt in Windows by hitting the Windows+R keys or using the search box in the start menu to type in “cmd"
  2. When the command prompt box pops up, type in the following: “wmic baseboard get product,Manufacturer,version,serialnumber”
  3. Write down the information or take a screen shot, which should include the serial number as one of the last bits of info on the new line that comes up
You’re now armed with the right info for making purchase decisions for any component that needs to be compatible with your motherboard, as well as replacing your motherboard itself with the same model.

Caring for the motherboard

Most motherboards outlast the rest of the computer parts, assuming they are well-maintained. You shouldn’t have to do anything to actively care for your motherboard, but being aware of the common motherboard killers can be useful. Things that will prematurely destroy a motherboard include:
  • High heat, usually due to inadequate cooling systems and fans
  • Damage from impact, such as dropping your laptop
  • Electrical damage, from spills or using incorrect power accessories
  • Faulty connections or connector types
If you buy your computer from a reputable manufacturer, treat your device well, and only use approved accessories and power devices, you likely won't run into these issues.

How to replace a motherboard

If you decide to replace your motherboard yourself, you'll need to know the exact model, along with compatible replacement models, before you take the plunge. Motherboards can be extremely difficult to replace in laptops because they are not easy to open or disassemble. The space is also narrow, and one wrong move could damage more than just the motherboard.
You'll also need to be prepared to replace more than just the motherboard. Most people find that the CPU, the graphics card, and even the power source have to be swapped out when they get a new motherboard. This isn’t a cheap repair. Make sure you’ve ruled out the other possibilities and then budget for what could be a costly repair to do yourself.




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