By:

Sivaroshan.Mahamayam
Course:
Diploma in Hardware Engineering & Networking

Duration: 2-3 Weeks

Type of Project: Institutional

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Introduction to Motherboard

A
Motherboard is the central printed circuit board (PCB) in many
modern computers and holds many of the crucial components of the system,
while providing connectors for other peripherals. The motherboard is
sometimes alternatively known as the main board, system board, or,
on Apple computers, the logic board. It is also sometimes casually shortened to mobo.
As its name suggests, the motherboard acts as a "parent" board, which takes the form
of a large printed circuit with connectors for expansion cards, memory modules, the
processor, etc.

Motherboard is a complex printed circuit board (PCB) that is the central part of many
electronic systems, particularly the computers. They are alternately known as main
board, system board, or logic board (Apple Computers). A motherboard is a platform that
offers electrical connections through which other components of a computer
communicate, and it also has the central processing unit (CPU), generally referred to as
the brain of computer. Motherboards are also present in mobile phones, clocks, stop
watches, etc. Motherboards include a lot of essential components of a computer such
as microprocessor, main memory; microprocessor’s supporting chipset that provides
interfaces between CPU and other external components. The devices revolutionized the
way computer systems were designed. The earlier versions were confusing and time
consuming. Few things that a motherboard nowadays includes are:

• Sockets for microprocessors

• Slots where main memory (Random Access Memory) is installed
• A chipset that forms an interface between CPU, main memory and peripheral
buses
• BIOS (Basic input/output system)
• Expansion card slots, etc

History of Motherboard
Prior to the advent of the microprocessor, a computer was usually built in a card-cage
case or mainframe with components connected by a backplane consisting of a set of
slots themselves connected with wires; in very old designs the wires were discrete
connections between card connector pins, but printed circuit boards soon became the
standard practice. The Central Processing Unit, memory and peripherals were housed
on individual printed circuit boards which plugged into the backplane.

During the late 1980s and 1990s, it became economical to move an increasing number
of peripheral functions onto the motherboard. In the late 1980s, motherboards began to

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include single ICs (called Super I/O chips) capable of supporting a set of low-speed
peripherals: keyboard, mouse, floppy disk drive, serial ports, and parallel ports. As of
the late 1990s, many personal computer motherboards supported a full range of audio,
video, storage, and networking functions without the need for any expansion cards at
all; higher-end systems for 3D gaming and computer graphics typically retained only the
graphics card as a separate component.

The early pioneers of motherboard manufacturing were

Micronics, Mylex, AMI, DTK, Hauppauge, Orchid Technology, Elite group, DFI, and a
number of Taiwan-based manufacturers.

The most popular computers such as the Apple II and IBM PC had published schematic
diagrams and other documentation which permitted rapid reverse-engineering and third-
party replacement motherboards. Usually intended for building new computers
compatible with the exemplars, many motherboards offered additional performance or
other features and were used to upgrade the manufacturer's original equipment.

The term main board is archaically applied to devices with a single board and no
additional expansions or capability. In modern terms this would include embedded
systems and controlling boards in televisions, washing machines, etc. A motherboard
specifically refers to a printed circuit with the capability to add/extend its performance.

1989: AsusTek, one of Taiwan’s top 5 companies, started manufacturing graphic cards.
1993: First International Computer Inc. becomes the largest motherboard manufacturer
in the world.
1997: Intel Corp. plans to add to its monopoly in microprocessor by manufacturing
motherboards.
2000: ATI Technologies Inc. announces graphic cards technology, advancement, in
computer graphics.
2007: AsusTek becomes the world’s largest maker of computer motherboards.

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Page 4 of 27
Constituent components of Motherboard

1. Mouse & keyboard

2. USB
3. Parallel port
4. CPU Chip
5. RAM slots
6. Floppy controller
7. IDE controller
8. PCI slot
9. ISA slot
10. CMOS Battery
11. AGP slot
12. CPU slot
13. Power supply plug in

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1. Mouse & keyboard: Keyboard Connectors are two types basically. All PCs have a Key
board port connected directly to the motherboard. The oldest, but still quite common type,
is a special DIN, and most PCs until recently retained this style connector. The AT-style
keyboard connector is quickly disappearing, being replaced by the smaller mini DIN PS/2-
style keyboard connector.
You can use an AT-style keyboard with a PS/2-style socket (or the other way
around) by using a converter. Although the AT connector is unique in PCs, the PS/2-style
mini-DIN is also used in more modern PCs for the mouse. Fortunately, most PCs that use
the mini-DIN for both the keyboard and mouse clearly mark each mini-DIN socket as to its
correct use. Some keyboards have a USB connection, but these are fairly rare compared
to the PS/2 connection keyboards.

2. USB (Universal serial bus):

USB is the General-purpose connection for PC. You can find USB versions of many
different devices, such as mice, keyboards, scanners, cameras, and even printers. A USB
connector's distinctive rectangular shape makes it easily recognizable.

USB has a number of features that makes it particularly popular on PCs. First, USB
devices are hot swappable. You can insert or remove them without restarting your system.

3. Parallel port: Most printers use a special connector called a parallel port. Parallel port
carries data on more than one wire, as opposed to the serial port, which uses only one
wire. Parallel ports use a 25-pin female DB connector. Parallel ports are directly supported
by the motherboard through a direct connection or through a dangle.

4. CPU Chip: The central processing unit, also called the microprocessor performs all the
calculations that take place inside a pc. CPUs come in Variety of shapes and sizes.
Modern CPUs generate a lot of heat and thus require a cooling fan or heat sink. The
cooling device (such as a cooling fan) is removable, although some CPU manufactures sell
the CPU with a fan permanently attached.

5. RAM slots: Random-Access Memory (RAM) stores programs and data currently being
used by the CPU. RAM is measured in units called bytes. RAM has been packaged in many
different ways. The most current package is called a 168-pin DIMM (Dual Inline Memory
module).

6. Floppy controller: The floppy drive connects to the computer via a 34-pinribbon
cable, which in turn connects to the motherboard. A floppy controller is one that is used to
control the floppy drive.

7. IDE controller: Industry standards define two common types of hard drives: EIDE and
SCSI. Majority of the PCs use EIDE drives. SCSI drives show up in high end PCs such as
network servers or graphical workstations. The EIDE drive connects to the hard drive via a
2-inch-wide, 40-pin ribbon cable, which in turn connects to the motherboard. IDE
controller is responsible for controlling the hard drive.

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8. PCI slot: Intel introduced the Peripheral component interconnect bus protocol. The
PCI bus is used to connect I/O devices (such as NIC or RAID controllers) to the main logic
of the computer. PCI bus has replaced the ISA bus.

9. ISA slot: (Industry Standard Architecture) It is the standard architecture of the

Expansion bus. Motherboard may contain some slots to connect ISA compatible cards.

10. CMOS Battery: To provide CMOS with the power when the computer is turned off all
motherboards comes with a battery. These batteries mount on the motherboard in one of
three ways: the obsolete external battery, the most common onboard battery, and built-in
battery.

11. AGP slot: If you have a modern motherboard, you will almost certainly notice a
single connector that looks like a PCI slot, but is slightly shorter and usually brown. You
also probably have a video card inserted into this slot. This is an Advanced Graphics Port
(AGP) slot

12. CPU slot: To install the CPU, just slide it straight down into the slot. Special notches
in the slot make it impossible to install them incorrectly. So remember if it does not go
easily, it is probably not correct. Be sure to plug in the CPU fan's power.

13. Power supply plug in: The Power supply, as its name implies, provides the
necessary electrical power to make the pc operate. The power supply takes standard 110-
V AC power and converts into 12-Volt, 5-Volt, and 3.3-Volt DC power.

I/O Shield

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 Types of Computer Motherboard
Well, of course, after the discussion that we had above, you must be wondering
how to determine a motherboard type. But before starting off with this process of
describing the computer motherboard type, we need to understand, what are the
different ways of classifying or rather differentiating computer motherboards.

Classification of Motherboard on Basis of Processor

This way of differentiating computer motherboards is based on motherboard
socket types. In short, the CPUs that are available in the current market are compatible
to specific motherboards. Let us try to understand the different CPU specific computer
motherboards in a little more detail.

Socket Motherboards
These motherboards are meant for the AMD and Durons processors. The Socket a
motherboard is also known as Socket 464 motherboard. The CPU socket in the
motherboard has 462 pins and it comes in a PGA (Pin Grid Array) packaging. The bus
speed of this type of motherboard is 100 to 200 MHz

Socket 370 Motherboards

Meant for Intel Pentium III and Celeron processor, this motherboard comes for CPUs
with 370 pins. It can also support VIA Cyrix III and VIA C3 processors. The bus speed
for this type of motherboard is 66 to 133 MHz and it also comes in a PGA package.

Socket 378 Motherboards

this type of motherboard is meant for the Pentium 4 processors. It also comes in a PGA
package and has 478 pins. The bus speed is 100 to 200 MHz This motherboard can
also support Intel Pentium 4EE and Intel Pentium M processor. This type of
motherboard is also known as Socket N motherboard.

Socket T Motherboards
Also known as LGA 775, this type of motherboard is meant for Intel Core 2 Duo, Intel
Core 2 Quad and Intel Xeon processor. Of course, this motherboard can also support
other Intel processors such as the Celeron, Pentium 4, Pentium D, Celeron D and
Pentium XE processor. Its specifications include 775 pins and a very high bus speed of

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1600 MHz it also comes in a PGA package.

Socket 939 Motherboards

The Socket 939 is meant mainly for the AMD family. It can support AMD processors like
the Athlon 64, Athlon 64 FX, and Athlon 64 X2 and Opetron. It has 939 pins and can
have a bus speed from 200 to 1000 MHz Just like the other computer motherboard
types described above; it also comes in a PGA package.

Socket AM3 Motherboards

Socket AM3 is among the most recently developed motherboards. Introduced in 2009,
this motherboard is meant for the AMD Phenom II and AMD Athlon II processors. It has
941 pins and a bus speed range of 200 to 3200 MHz The packaging for Socket AM3
motherboard is PGA.

Socket H Motherboards
The Socket H or LGA 1156 is another recent motherboard that has been introduced in
the year 2009 and is meant for the Intel Core i3, Intel Core i5 and Intel Core
i7processors. It has 1156 pins and comes in LGA (Large Grid Array) packaging.

What I have mentioned above are the most common motherboard types. Besides the
different types of computer motherboard types given above, there are other computer
motherboards too. For example, the Socket F motherboard meant for the AMD Option
and AMD Athlon 64 FX and the Socket M motherboard meant for the Intel Core Solo,
Intel Dual Core and Intel Core Duo processors.

Classification of Motherboard on Basis of Dimensions

The dimensions of a motherboard, also known as the form factor, are another way of
distinguishing between the different motherboard types. The different types of
motherboards based on this form factor can be listed as under.

AT baby/AT full format:

Is a format used in the earliest 386 and 486 PCs? This format was replaced by the ATX format,
which shape allowed for better air circulation and made it easier to access the components;

ATX:

The ATX format is an upgrade to Baby-AT. It was intended to improve ease of use. The connection
device on an ATX motherboard is designed to make plugging in peripherals as easy as possible (for

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example, the IDE connectors are located beside the disks.) What's more, motherboard components are
arranged in parallel, so as to improve heat removal.

• ATX standard: The ATX standard format is traditionally 305x244 mm. It

includes an AGP connector and 6 PCI connectors.
• Micro-ATX: The micro ATX format is an upgrade to ATX, which has the
same primary advantages in a smaller format (244x244 mm), with a lower
cost. Micro-ATX includes an AGP connector and 3 PCI connectors.
• Flex-ATX: Flex ATX is an expansion of micro ATX which offers
manufacturers greater flexibility when designing their computers. It
includes an AGP connector and 2 PCI connectors.
• mini-ATX: mi I ATX is a compact alternative to the format micro ATX
(284x208 mm), and includes an AGP connector and 4 PCI connectors
instead of 3 that come with micro ATX. It is mainly intended for mini-PCs
(barebones computers).
BTX:
The BTX format (Balanced Technology extended), supported by Intel, is a format designed
to improve upon the arrangement of components, so as to optimize air circulation, acoustics,
and heat dissipation. The various connectors (memory slots, expansion slots) are aligned in
parallel, in the direction in which air circulates. Additionally, the microprocessor is located in
the front end of the case, by the air intake, where the air is freshest. The BTX power cord is
the same as with ATX power supplies. The BTX standard defines three formats:
• BTX standard, with standard dimensions of 325x267 mm;
• micro-BTX, with small dimensions (264x267 mm);
• Pico-BTX, with much smaller dimensions (203x267 mm).
ITX:
The ITX format (Information Technology extended), supported by Via, is an extremely
compact format designed for miniature configurations such as mini-PC. There are two major
ITX formats:
• mini-ITX, with small dimensions (170x170 mm) and a PCI slot;
• Nano-ITX, with extremely small dimensions (120x120 mm) and a miniPCI
slot. For this reason, the choice of the motherboard (and its form factor)
depends on which case is chosen. The table below summarizes the
characteristics of the various form factors.

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Form factor Dimensions Slots

ATX 305 mm x 244 mm AGP / 6 PCI

Micro ATX 244 mm x 244 mm AGP / 3 PCI

Flex ATX 229 mm x 191 mm AGP / 2 PCI

Mini ATX 284 mm x 208 mm AGP / 4 PCI

Mini ITX 170 mm x 170 mm 1 PCI

Nano ITX 120 mm x 120 mm 1 MiniPCI

BTX 325 mm x 267 mm 7

Micro BTX 264 mm x 267 mm 4

Pico BTX 203 mm x 267 mm 1

Some Brands which Produce Motherboard

§ Acer Inc.
§ Advances (industrial motherboards)
§ Albatron
§ AOpen
§ Arima Computer Corporation(Flextronics)
§ ASRock
§ ASUS
§ BFG Technologies
§ Biostar
§ Chaintech (ceased manufacturing motherboards)
§ Chassis Plans
§ DFI
§ Elitegroup Computer Systems (alsoPCChips)
§ EMAXX
§ EPoX

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§ eVGA
§ First International Computer
§ Foxconn
§ Gigabyte Technology
§ Gumstix
§ Intel
§ IWill
§ Jetway
§ Kobian Pte Ltd.(Mercury)
§ Lanner Inc (industrial motherboards)
§ Leadtek
§ Magic-Pro
§ Manli
§ MSI (Micro-Star International)
§ Palit add page
§ PCP
§ PNY Technologies
§ Powercolor
§ Quanmax
§ RedFox
§ Sapphire Technology
§ Shuttle Inc.
§ Soyo Group Inc
§ Supercomp
§ Supermicro
§ Trenton Technology
§ Tyan
§ Universal abit(formerly ABIT)
§ Vertex 3D
§ VIA Technologies
§ Vigor Gaming
§ Xitrix Computer Corporation
§ XFX

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 § Zebronics
§ Zotac
Some Brands which Produce Motherboard Chipset

§ AMD
§ Intel
§ Nvidia
§ Silicon Integrated Systems
§ VIA Technologies

ASUS 25 73.53%
DFI 3 8.82%
GigaByte 3 8.82%
MSI 3 8.82%
Soltek 0 0%
Abit 0 0%
Foxconn 0 0%
ECS 0 0%
ASRock 0 0%
Albatron 0

Classification of Motherboard on Basis of Brands

Form Chipset
Brand Model Name Chipset
Factor Manufacturer
Intel® X38 Express
Asus* Maximus Formula ATX Intel®
Chipset
Maximus Formula(Special Intel® X38 Express
Asus ATX Intel
Edition) Chipset
Asus P5E-VM DO ATX Intel Intel® Q35 Express

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 Chipset
Intel® X38 Express
Asus P5E3 Deluxe ATX Intel
Chipset
Intel® X38 Express
Asus P5E3 Deluxe/Wi-Fi@n ATX Intel
Chipset
Intel® X38 Express
Asus P5E3 ATX Intel
Chipset
Asus P5B-VM DO uATX Intel Intel® Q965
Asus P5GZ-MX uATX Intel Intel® 945GZ
Asus P5N-E SLI ATX NVIDIA* nForce 650i SLI
P5N32-SLI Premium WiFi nForce 590 SLI Intel
Asus ATX NVIDIA
AP Edition Edition
Asus P5N32-E SLI ATX NVIDIA NF680I SLI
Asus P5VDC-MX uATX VIA* P4M800 PRO/8251
Asus P5VDC-MX SE uATX VIA P4M800 PRO/8252
Asus P5VD2-X uATX VIA PT890/VT8237A
Intel® X38 Express
Abit* IX38 QuadGT ATX Intel
Chipset
Abit AW9D ATX Intel Intel® 975X
Abit IL9Pro ATX Intel Intel® 945P
Abit IP-95 uATX VIA P4M890/VT8237R
Abit SG-95 uATX SiS* 662/966L
Abit IB9 ATX Intel Intel® 965/ICH8
Asrock* 4Core-Dual VSTA ATX VIA PT880 Ultra
BIOSTAR TF7150U-M7 ATX NVIDIA GeForce 7150
BIOSTAR* 945G-M7 uATX Intel Intel® 945G
Colorful* C-945-PL ATX Intel Intel® 945PL
ECS* PT890T-A ATX VIA PT890
ECS P4M900T - M V1.0 uATX VIA VIA P4M900
ECS 945GZT-M V1.0 uATX Intel Intel 945GZ
EVGA* nForce 680i SLI ATX NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI
Intel® X38 Express
Foxconn* X38A ATX Intel
Chipset
Intel® X38 Express
Gigabyte* GA-X38-DQ6 ATX Intel
Chipset
Intel® X38 Express
Gigabyte GA-X38-DS5 ATX Intel
Chipset
Intel® X38 Express
Gigabyte GA-X38T-DQ6 ATX Intel
Chipset
Gigabyte GA-945PL-S3 ATX Intel Intel® 945PL Exp
Gigabyte GA-945GME-DS2 uATX Intel Intel 945G
GA-945GZM-S2 (Rev.
Gigabyte uATX Intel Intel 945GZ
3.0)
Gigabyte GA-945P-S3 ATX Intel Intel® 945P
Gigabyte GA965G-DS3 ATX Intel Intel® G965
Gigabyte GA-8I945GZME-RH uATX Intel Intel 945GZ
Intel DP35DP ATX Intel Intel® P35
Intel DQ35JO uATX Intel Intel® Q35
Intel DQ35MP uATX Intel Intel Q35
Intel DG33FB ATX Intel Intel® G33

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Intel DG33BU uATX Intel Intel G33
Intel DG33TL uATX Intel Intel G33
Intel DG965MS uBTX Intel Intel G965
Intel DG965OT uATX Intel Intel G965
Intel DG965RY ATX Intel Intel G965
Intel DG965SS uATX Intel Intel G965
Intel DG965WH ATX Intel Intel G965
Intel DP965LT ATX Intel Intel® P965
Intel DQ963FX ATX Intel Intel® Q963
Intel DQ965GF uATX Intel Intel Q965
Intel D975XBX2 ATX Intel Intel 975X
Intel D946GZIS uATX Intel Intel® 946G
Intel D946GZTS uATX Intel Intel 946G
Intel D945GCCR uATX Intel Intel 945G
Intel D945GCL uATX Intel Intel 945G
J & W* 945GZ uATX Intel Intel 945GZ
Mercury* PI945GZD uATX Intel Intel® 945GZ/ICH7
Mercury PI945GCM uATX Intel Intel® 945GC/ICH7
Mercury PVM890M uATX VIA Via P4M890
Mercury PVM900M uATX VIA Via P4M900
Intel® X38 Express
MSI* X38 Platinum ATX Intel
Chipset
MSI 945GM3-F uATX Intel Intel 945G
MSI 945P Neo-3 uATX Intel Intel 945P
MSI P4M900M-L uATX VIA P4M900
MSI P4M890M-L uATX VIA P4M890
MSI P965 Platinum uATX Intel Intel P965
MSI G965M-F uATX Intel Intel G965
MSI Q965 MDO-F1 uATX Intel Intel Q965
MSI P965 Neo (-F) ATX Intel Intel P965
nVidia nForce 680i SLI ATX nVidia C55 SPP/MCP
nVidia nForce 650i Ultra ATX nVidia nForce 650i SLI
Onda* 965PD ATX Intel Intel P965
Onda 945GZM uATX Intel Intel 945GZ
Onda 945PLD ATX Intel Intel 945PL

Classification of Motherboard in Basis of Generation

Second Generation Motherboard

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 Third Generation Motherboard

Forth Generation Motherboard

Forth Update Generation Motherboard

Laptop Motherboard

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Server Motherboard

Fifth Generation Motherboard

What is the difference between motherboards?

There are a lot of motherboards on the market to choose from. The big question
is, how do you go about choosing which one is right for you? Different motherboards

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support different components, and so it is vital you make a number of decisions
concerning general system specifications before you can pick the right motherboard.

If you purchase your case before the rest of the components, the first factor to think
about concerning motherboards is the size, or form factor. A form factor is a
standardized motherboard size. If you think about fitting a motherboard in a case, there
are a number of mounting holes, slot locations and PSU connectors. The most popular
motherboard form factor today is ATX, which evolved from it's predecessor, the Baby
AT, a smaller version of the AT (Advanced Technology) form factor. Generally
speaking, nowadays a standard computer will have an ATX form factor motherboard:
only special cases require different form factors.

So now you know which size you need, what comes next? The following are all factors
you need to consider.

The first important differential is which CPU the board supports. Two of the biggest
makes of CPUs at the moment are Intel and AMD, yet you cannot buy motherboards
that support the use of either: it will support one or the other, due to physical differences
in the connectors. This is often referred to as a type of platform; for example, an ‘Intel
platform motherboard' means a motherboard with an Intel CPU. Furthermore, you must
choose a specific type of processor; for example, an AMD Athlon 64 or Pentium 4.
Therefore, you must choose which CPU you want before you can choose your
motherboard. Both Intel and AMD processors are capable of running the same
applications, but there are differences in price and performance depending on which
one you choose.

HOW TO IDENTIFY A MOTHERBOARD

The manufacturer of most modern, quality motherboards are fairly easy to identify.
Many package their motherboards in retail boxes and include User Manuals (or what is
often called "motherboard books"), etc. which clearly displays the manufacturer's name
and motherboard model, and often include the manufacturer's web site URL, as well. If
these are lost, one can usually find the name or an abbreviation thereof silk-screened
on the motherboard/on the side of the last expansion board slot to the left of the
motherboard. Additionally, the slot will often contain the board version number. Such
has not always been the case. In the "old days" motherboards were commonly shipped
as OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer - a company that makes computers, etc.)
products in "plain wrappers." Some still are. And the motherboard books did not
mention the manufacture either--a generic product, indeed. So how does one find-out
who made the board?

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Watch the computer as it boots. The manufacture's name and motherboard model
might be displayed as the BIOS goes through its post routine. Use the Pause Key to
freeze the screen (and any key to restart it).

Download and run CT BIOS. This utility may grab the manufacturer's info from the
BIOS. In the case of my BIOS, it listed the manufacturer's web site URL among other
things.

Visit Whim’s Bios Page for help identifying the board with BIOS numbers.

Some boards just may have an FCC ID number on the board/slot, in the motherboard
book, or elsewhere on the computer if the same manufacturer made more than just the
motherboard. That number can usually be matched to the manufacture's name, etc.
using the FCC data base at: http://www.fcc.gov/oet/fccid/. Use that info to find the
manufacturer with an Internet search engine. This is also useful for finding the
manufacturer of expansion boards, etc.

Other motherboards may just have the model number of the board on them. Run this
number through some of the Internet search engines.

Slots in Motherboard

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A. PCI Slot - This board has 2 PCI slots. These can be used for components
such as Ethernet cards, sound cards, and modems.
B. PCI-E 16x Slot - There are 2 of them on this motherboard diagram, both
are blue. These are used for your graphics card. With two of them
onboard, you can run 2 graphics cards in SLI. You would only need this if
you are a gamer, or working with high end video / graphics editing. These
are the 16x speed versions, which are currently the fastest.
C. PCI-E 1x Slot - Single slot - In the PCIe 1.x generation, each lane (1x)
carries 250 MB/s compared to 133 MB/s for the PCI slots. These can be
used for expansion cards such as Sound Cards, or Ethernet Cards.
D. Northbridge - This is the Northbridge for this motherboard. This allows
communication between the CPU and the system memory and PCI-E
slots.
E. ATX 12V 2X and 4 Pin Power Connection Power Connection - This is
one of two power connections that supply power to the motherboard. This
connection will come from your Power Supply.
F. CPU-Fan Connection - This is where your CPU fan will connect. Using this
connection over one from your power supply will allow the motherboard to
control the speed of your fan, based on the CPU temperature.
G. Socket - This is where your CPU will plug in. The orange bracket that is
surrounding it is used for high end heat sinks. It helps to support the weight
of the heat sink.
H. Memory Slots - These are the slots for your RAM. Most boards will have 4
slots, but some will only have 2. The color coding you see on the
motherboard diagram is used to match up RAM for Dual-Channel. Using
them this way will give your memory a speed boost.
I. ATX Power Connector - This is the second of two power connections.
This is the main power connection for the motherboard, and comes from
the Power Supply.
J. IDE Connection - The IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) is the connection
for your hard drive or CD / DVD drive. Most drives today come with SATA
connections, so you may not use this.
K. Southbridge - This is the controller for components such as the PCI slots,
onboard audio, and USB connections.

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 L. SATA Connections - These are 4 of the 6 SATA connections on the
motherboard. These will be used for hard drives, and CD / DVD drives.
M. Front Panel Connections - this is where you will hook in the connections
from your case. These are mostly the different lights on your case, such as
power on, hard drive activity etc.
N. FDD Connection - The FDD is the Floppy Disk controller. If you have a
floppy disk drive in your computer, this is where you will hook it up.
O. External USB Connections - This is where you will plug in external USB
connections for your case or USB bracket.
P. CMOS battery - This is the motherboard's battery. This is used to allow
the CMOS to keep its settings.

How to Select Motherboard

1. CPU

There is three different motherboards types that support the three main
CPUs in use today.

• Socket A motherboards for AMD Athlons and Durons

• Socket 370 motherboards for Intel Pentium IIIs and Celerons
• Socket 478 for the new Pentium 4

You must buy a motherboard that supports the type of CPU you want. CPUs
differ by speed and price. You always pay a lot more for fast CPUs.

If you are looking at getting a cheap computer then I recommend getting a

minimum of a socket 370 Pentium III/Celeron motherboard.

2. Memory

There is also three different memory types:

• DDR SDRAM this fast memory is the most common type supported by
Althlon/Duron (socket A) motherboards. It is also supported by some
of the newer Pentium 4 (socket 478) motherboards. DDR memory also
comes in different speeds with 266 MHz the most common and 333
MHz just starting to arrive now.

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 • SD RAM This is oldest, slowest and cheapest memory type. This is the
only memory type found on Pentium III/Celeron motherboards. If you
want to build your own cheap computer then I still recommend this
memory type. Remember to get PC 133 SD RAM as it is the fastest
and most common type.
• RD RAM this memory is only supported by Pentium 4 (socket 478)
motherboards. RD RAM is very fast and worth getting if the price is
right.

3. Hard drive transfer speed: Ultra DMA 33/66/100/133 or Raid

Ultra DMA 133 is the fastest while Ultra DMA 33 is the slowest. Your hard
drive must also support the transfer speed in order to get the speed boost.
You can connect an Ultra DMA 33 drive to an Ultra DMA 133 motherboard
but you will only get Ultra DMA 33 speeds.

Raid hard drive interface can also be built in. This requires more than one
hard drive to work and involves splitting data up over two drives that either
prevents data loss due to hard drive failure or increases the read write speed
by sharing the load. Raid effectively turns two drives into one fast drive or
one automatically backed up drive. This is definitely not a required feature
and is mostly found on servers.

4. USB ports

if you are buying a new motherboard get a USB 2 compatible one. USB 2 is
much faster than USB 1 and new USB devices are starting to come out now.
USB 2 is fully back compatible with USB 1 so all the old stuff will still work.

Also get as many USB ports as you can. 4 ports should be the minimum.

5. Onboard graphics and sound:

Some new motherboards come with a built in graphics and sound capabilities. This
saves you money as you do not have to spend extra to get these separate graphics
and sound cards. However the built in graphics cards are slow and won't play the
latest games very well. Usually built in sound is fine and definitely worth getting.

Those about wraps up everything you need to know about motherboards. If you're
interested in prices have a look at Tiger Direct for some great motherboard deals.

Take a look around the rest of my site if you are interested in buying tips or
technical guides to building your own computer.

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Motherboard buying tips

CPU socket / slot There are a wide variety of different types of CPU Sockets
and Slots. When looking at purchasing a motherboard,
ensure it is compatible with the CPU you have or that it will
be compatible with the CPU you plan on purchasing.

Additional information about CPUs and the Sockets or Slots

can be found on our CPU buying tips page.

Drive connectors Drive connectors can be an important consideration when

purchasing a computer. Determine the type of interface of
the drives you plan on using, and ensure that the
motherboard supports that interface or has the connector for
that interface. An example of such an interface is IDE, EIDE
or SCSI.

Additional information about hard disk drive buying tips can

be found on our Hard drive buying tips page.

Additional information about CD-ROM buying tips can be

found on our CD-ROM buying tips page.

Memory slots / type Today there is a wide variety of different types and speeds
of memory. When looking at purchasing a motherboard,
ensure that it is compatible with the memory you currently
have or plan on purchasing.

Additional information about Memory buying tips can be

found on our Memory buying tips page.

Slots The type of slots can be an important consideration. Below

is a listing of the different types of slots used in
motherboards.

1. AGP - AGP, or Advanced Graphics Port, is used for

video cards and is highly recommended that only
motherboards with AGP slots be considered and/or
purchased.
2. AMR - AMR, or Audio Modem Riser, is a new type of slot that is used
for Audio / Modem cards and is found on some motherboards. This is
not a critical slot and has been replaced by the CNR.

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 3. CNR - CNR, or Communication and Network Riser, is
a new type of slot that supports audio, modem, USB
and Local Area Network cards. This slot is highly
recommended for any user building a large amount of
computers as the cards are generally cheaper than
the standard PCI or ISA cards.
4. ISA - Today, ISA is becoming obsolete and is not
found on all motherboards. Unless you have old ISA
cards that need to be used, it is recommended you
purchase a new motherboard with no ISA slots and
additional PCI slots.
5. PCI - The most widely and commonly used slot, the
PCI slot, allows for all types of cards.

Additional information and help about each of the above

slots can be found on our Information about the computer
bus page.

Buying tips for computer video cards can be found on

our video card buying tips page.

Buying tips for computer sound cards can be found on

our sound card buying tips page.

Buying tips for computer modems can be found on our

modem buying tips page.

Jumpers Jumpers are generally overlooked when considering a

motherboard; however, they can be an important
consideration, especially for users who plan on over
clocking their computer. Below is a listing of some of the
jumpers that should be asked about or known when
purchasing a computer motherboard.

1. Does the motherboard have a clear CMOS / BIOS

jumper?
2. Does the motherboard have CPU settings jumpers?
Or is it configured through CMOS? Is it auto detect?
3. Does the motherboard have onboard video / sound?
If yes, can they be disabled with jumper or is it done
through CMOS? Note: either way is fine as long as it
can be disabled.

USB Ports While all motherboards today have USB ports, ensure that
the motherboard you plan on purchasing has USB ports.

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 Effects

Upgrading / replacing a new computer motherboard may have the below effects on the
computer.

• Speed up the overall performance of the computer. May not be noticeable.

• Allow for new improved hardware to be added into the computer.

Motherboard installation

Additional help and information about installing a computer motherboard and other
computer hardware can be found through our Installation section.

Troubleshooting Motherboards

Motherboards fail. Not often, but motherboards and motherboard components can
die from many causes: time, dust, cat hair, or simply slight manufacturing defects made
worse by the millions of amps of current sluicing through the motherboard traces.
Installing cards, electrostatic discharge, flexing the motherboard one time too many
when swapping out RAM or drives—any of these factors can cause a motherboard to
fail. The motherboard is a hard-working, often abused component of the PC!
Unfortunately for the common tech, troubleshooting a motherboard problem can be very
difficult and time-consuming. Let’s wrap this chapter with a look at symptoms of a failing
motherboard, techniques for troubleshooting, and the options you have when you
discover a mother board problem.

Symptoms

Motherboard failures commonly fall into three types: catastrophic, component, and
Ethereal. With a catastrophic failure, the PC just won’t boot. This sort of problem
happens with brand-new systems due to manufacturing defects—often called a burn-in-
ure—and to any system that gets a shock of electrostatic discharge. Burn-in failure is
Uncommon, but usually happens in the first 30 days of use. Swap out the motherboard
for a replacement and you should be fine. If you accidentally zap your motherboard
When inserting a card or moving wires around, be chagrined. Change your daring ways
and wear an anti-static wrist strap!
Component failure happens rarely, but appears as flaky connections between a device
And motherboard, or as intermittent problems. A hard drive plugged into a faulty
Controller on the motherboard, for example, might show up in CMOS auto detect, but
Be inaccessible in Windows. A serial controller that worked fine for months until a big
Storm took out the external modem hooked to it, but doesn’t work anymore, even with
A replacement modem is another example.
The most difficult of the three types of symptoms to diagnose are those I call ethereal
Symptoms. Stuff just doesn’t work all the time. The PC reboots itself. You get blue
Screens of death in the midst of heavy computing, like right before you smack the villain
And rescue the damsel. What can cause such symptoms? If you answered any of the

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Following, you win the prize:
• Faulty component
• Buggy device driver
• Buggy application software
• Slight corruption of the operating system
• Power supply problems
Err…you get the picture.
What a nightmare scenario to troubleshoot! The Way of the Tech knows paths
Through such perils, though, so let’s turn to troubleshooting techniques now.

Conclusion
Motherboard is the most important component in Computer. There are
various manufactures to manufacture the motherboard in the world. They
produce various types of Motherboards according to the demand of people.
Each Manufacture or competitor to produce best, fast, efficient
motherboard. In Srilanka, especially in Jaffna it is hard to stay update with
those motherboards. Today’s new one will be older tomorrow. Through this
project I’m able to know the Kinds of Motherboards as follows:

• AT baby
• BTX
• ITX
• ATX

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 Reference

• Wikipedia-the free encyclopedia

• PC Encyclopedia by Chuck Bryan
• Photos - Encarta Encyclopedia
• www.Buzzle.com
• www.kioseka.net
• www.duxcw.com
• www.wikianswers.com
• www.motherboars.com
• www.asus.com
• www.tutor2u.com
• Teachers instruction manual for A/L – Unit 2
• Photos –www.pcworld.com
• Google books

There is a Video how to Assemble Motherboard from

Ø www.youtube.com sees it too………….. Click Here

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