Interface Cards & Controllers

Computer Components - The Motherboard Defined

The time period "motherboard" or "mainboard" refers to the most important component found inside a private pc or PC. It's a giant circuit board mounted to 1 facet or backside of the pc case depending on the type of PC. Even laptops include a motherboard however these are designed particularly for the laptop computer in which they are fitted. There are several forms of motherboard and they're categorized by the kind of case they match into also known as the form factor. ATX and mATX or micro ATX are the two commonest types installed in most fashionable PCs.

The motherboard's position is to permit every thing to speak with every other. The circuit board incorporates numerous ports or connectors allowing the various inner components throughout the laptop to communicate with the processor, memory etc. All of those connectors have a task and allow various parts and devices to be fitted or put in internally or externally.

In the rest of this article I will explain the perform of every of these ports or connectors and the gadgets that may be linked to them.

CPU or Processor Socket

The CPU socket is slightly self explanatory as it holds the CPU. There are various forms of processor available and every is designed to fit a certain CPU socket type. The socket is designed so that the processor can only be fitted one way. That is normally decided by a series of notches reduce out of the perimeters of the CPU. These notches will match the CPU socket for correct set up of the processor. The motherboard CPU socket usually incorporates a mechanism or latch to firmly lock the processor securely into the socket.

Memory Slots

Once more the memory slots are simply that. They maintain the computer memory in place. Motherboards can have a various amount of memory slots fitted to them. In most residence PCs there are {two}, three or 4 slots. As with the CPU socket, the memory slots are designed to hold particular varieties of memory. The slots have quite a lot of raised points designed to correspond with the proper kind of memory module, they also assist to find out the orientation of the memory when installed. At every end of the slot a small latch device could be found. These latches are opened earlier than putting in the reminiscence module and lock it in place as the module is inserted into the slot.

SATA Connectors

These connectors enable units similar to onerous disk drives and CD/DVD drives to be put in within the computer. The amount of those connectors varies relying on the motherboard. The connector can be recognised by the small L-shaped receptacle which prevents improper fitting of the SATA cables.

IDE/PATA Connectors

These are the older sort of connection for exhausting disk drives and CD/DVD drives. Older motherboards could have {two} of those connectors, a main and secondary. An IDE cable would be used to attach up to {two} gadgets to each connector. The connector has {two} rows of pins and a notch lower out of one facet enabling easy becoming of the cables making certain that they're accurately fitted. Trendy motherboards may solely have one IDE connector fitted to allow either an older exhausting disk or CD/DVD drive to be installed.

AGP Graphics Slot

This can be a brown coloured slot used to suit the older AGP graphics cards. On some motherboards this would have a small latch at one end to securely maintain the graphics card in place.

PCI, PCI-E Enlargement Card Slots

These are often white in colour and the quantity can range dependant on the motherboard. The older PCI has now been replaced by the PCI-E or PCI Express standard. They permit growth playing cards such as sound, network or multimedia playing cards to be put in allowing easy growth of the computers functionality. Fitting a card simply includes pushing the expansion card into the slot when the computer is powered off.

Motherboard Header Connectors

The motherboard comprises a collection of small connectors in numerous locations around the board. They usually consist of numerous raised pins. These header connectors have a wide range of uses. Some permit USB ports located on the case to be related, others are for connecting the front panel audio connections similar to headphone and microphone sockets housed on the computer case. Connecting to these headers can be awkward and session of a motherboard handbook is often required.

External Ports

On the rear dealing with fringe of the motherboard there are a selection of ports which are visible on the rear of the PC. These may differ relying on the age of the board. The frequent ports are PS2 that are colored purple for connecting a keyboard, inexperienced for connecting a mouse. There might also be a crimson parallel printer port though these are hardly ever discovered on modern boards. One other port which is less widespread on fashionable boards is the turquoise serial connectors that are used to connect quite a lot of units comparable to previous moderns, bar code scanners etc. Some motherboards might have a network or RJ45 port used for connecting the pc to a network but this is not all the time present. USB and Audio connection ports are also situated on the rear of the board allowing external USB units and speaker techniques or microphones to be linked to the PC.

As we can see above the motherboard is the centre piece in the case of connecting all the assorted pc elements inside and out of doors of the PC. So how does the motherboard management all these units and allow them to communicate efficiently?

On the motherboard there's typically one or {two} micro-chips which control the motherboard functions. They're typically known as the chipset however the correct names are "Northbridge" and "Southbridge" chipsets. Each has a selected function for controlling varied communication capabilities between the various elements connected to the motherboard.

About The Author

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Computer wiring help!?

I want to know if you can use 1 IDE connector on a motherboard for both the disk drive and the hard drive.
I am asking this because I have a hard drive that uses an IDE connector and i want to see if both the disk drive and the hard drive can use the same connector so that id do not have to buy a sata to IDE converter.

Yes. Install the hard drive on the primary end of the IDE cable and the optical drive on the slave position. Set the jumpers appropriately. You may need a longer IDE cable for this setup.

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