Motherboard and How Motherboards Work

 Motherboard

The motherboard is the main circuit board of your computer and is also known as the mainboard or logic board.

 If you ever open your computer, the biggest piece of silicon you see is the motherboard. Attached to the motherboard, you'll find the CPU, ROM, memory RAM expansion slots, PCI slots, and USB ports. 

It also includes controllers for devices like the hard drive, DVD drive, keyboard, and mouse. Basically, the motherboard is what makes everything on your computer work together.

The most common motherboard design in desktop computers today is ATX, an Intel improvement on the AT design by IBM. Other form factors include extended ATX mini-ATX, microATX, BTX, microBTX mini ITX, micro ITX, and nano ITX.

The integration of components has eliminated the Northbridge chips that managed memory from motherboards. With the advent of memory controllers built into CPU, integrated video too has moved from motherboard to CPU. On AMD’s new Ryzen, even the Southbridge is optional due to the SOC (system on a chip) nature of the CPU. 

This integration into the CPU reduces the cost for motherboard manufacturers who wish to offer base systems for workstations and entry-level computers while also enabling highly customized implementations that support a range of processors to allow for platform upgradability.

History

The first-ever motherboard was used by the IBM in the early 1980s. It was eventually called a planar.

 It is the main component through which the communication takes place between the other components and connects all the peripherals, therefore referred to as the motherboard. 

A computer is lifeless without a motherboard. The other extensions of the motherboard are referred to as daughter boards. 

Motherboard's Purpose

A motherboard houses all the main elements of the computer. The first element that comes to mind is the CPU, which is an integral component in determining the speed of a computer. Located on the motherboard, the CPU must be matched with a compatible motherboard so that it may fit into the motherboard's sockets. The CPU uses the chipset of the motherboard to communicate with other devices.

Motherboard overview

A motherboard provides connectivity between the hardware components of a computer, like a processor (CPU), memory (RAM), hard drive, and video card. There are multiple types of motherboards, designed to fit different types and sizes of computers.

Each type of motherboard is designed to work with specific types of processors and memory, so they don't work with every processor and type of memory. However, hard drives are mostly universal and work with the majority of motherboards, regardless of the type or brand.

Features of Motherboard

A motherboard comes with the following features −

Motherboard varies greatly in supporting various types of components.

Motherboard supports a single type of CPU and a 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.

Components

A motherboard is made of plastic and silicon as well. It is a hub of a computer system. A motherboard is a complex component with various kinds of ports, slots, cables connected to it. 

Some of them are: 

 

RAM slots(Random Access Memory): Also called main memory, it is a primary storage device for storage huge bytes of data.

CPU Fan and HeatSink: Its main function is to cool down the CPU by absorbing the heat while the system is running.

North bridge: Due to its location, it is referred to as Northbridge.

South bridge: Controls the Input and Output functions.

Capacitors: Data storage

Resistors: Data storage

CMOS battery(Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor): A battery that provides backup power.

PCI Slots(Peripheral Component Interconnect): Connects the peripherals.

SATA cables(Serial Advanced Technology Attachment): Data transfer

BIOS(Basic Input Output System): Controls the basic input-output functions.

Processor: the main component for the data processing.

AGP(Accelerated Graphics Port): For displaying graphics on the screen.

IDE(Integrated Drive Electronics): Used for data transfer.

Processor socket: To insert or remove the processor.

Integrated Circuits (IC): for data processing and storage.

Why are the slots and connections different colors?

The slots, ports, and connections on a motherboard may be color-coded to help identify the type of slot, port, or connector. 

For example, with our motherboard picture, the IDE connectors are different colors to help identify the primary and secondary connectors. 

When the memory slots are different colors, it indicates the memory slots are dual-channel, and pairs of memory should be installed on the same channel (color). 

For example, in our picture, the yellow memory slots are Channel A, and Channel B is the black slots. If you were only installing two memory sticks, you'd want to install both of them in Channel A (yellow slots) for optimal performance.

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