2. What is the motherboard?
– Is the main printed circuit board (PCB) found in
general purpose microcomputers and other
expandable systems. It holds and allows
communication between many of the crucial
electronic components of a system, such as the
central processing unit (CPU) and memory, and
provides connectors for other peripherals. Unlike a
backplane, a motherboard usually contains significant
sub-systems such as the central processor, the
chipset's input/output and memory controllers,
interface connectors, and other components
integrated for general purpose use.
3. Parts:
– DIMM (Double Inline Memory Module)
slots, SIMM (Single Inline Memory
Module) and RIMM: Different types of
memory (RAM) can be installed into
these slots.
Chipset-North Bridge: An integrated
circuit that has special duties.
PCI(Peripheral Component Interconnect)Slot:
Supports peripherals like sound
cards, DVD decoders, and graphic
accelerators with 32 bits at 33Mhz
capabilities. There are usually
anywhere from 1 to 6 PCI slots
available on the motherboard.
AGP (Accelerated Graphic Port): This
provides fast bus speed connectivity
along with fast access to the main
memory. It is designed for video
cards that demand higher
bandwidth.
CPU (Central Processing Unit)
Socket: A socket specifically for
connecting your computer
processor.
4. – Parallel or (LPT) Port: The place used to connect scanners and printers.
– Game Port: The port to connect all gaming devices for example, a joystick.
– Sound Card Connectors: Plug in your microphone or speakers here.
– Display Connector: Connecting your monitor to the motherboard.
– COM (Communication) Port: The port designed to connect your mouse and
modem.
5. – Motherboard Battery: A battery compartment, which stores the battery used for storing data such
as system date and time, when you shut down your system.
– IDE Connector: Responsible for connecting the IDE cord used for hard disks, CD drives, and DVD
drives.
– Firewire header (IEEE 1394): A serial bus used to exchange digital and audio data with high
performance abilities.
– The following listed items are parts that are built within the motherboard with specific connective
uses such as keyboards, mouse, and printers.
– PS/2 Connectors: Each motherboard usually has 2 PS/2 connectors for the keyboard and the mouse.
– USB (Universal Serial Bus) Port: There are usually a couple of these ports located on each
motherboard used for connecting pen drives and external hard drives, like Ipods or Mp3 players.
