2. WHAT IS A 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.
3. 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.
4. HISTORY
Prior to the invention of the microprocessor, a
digital computer consisted of multiple printed
circuit boards in a card-cage case with
components connected by a backplane, a set of
interconnected sockets. In very old designs,
copper wires were the discrete connections
between card connector pins, but printed circuit
boards soon became the standard practice.
5. DESIGN
A motherboard provides the electrical connections by which the other components of the system
communicate. Unlike a backplane, it also contains the central processing unit and hosts other
subsystems and devices.
6. PERIPHERAL CARD SLOTS
A typical motherboard will have a different number of
connections depending on its standard and form
factor.
7. TEMPERATURE AND RELIABILITY
Motherboards are generally air cooled with heat sinks often mounted on larger chips, such as
the Northbridge, in modern motherboards. Insufficient or improper cooling can cause damage
to the internal components of the computer, or cause it to crash. Passive cooling, or a single fan
mounted on the power supply, was sufficient for many desktop computer CPU's until the late
1990s
