The document discusses the core components and functions of a motherboard. It describes how the motherboard determines key system aspects like the CPU type, ports, expansion slots, RAM, and onboard components. It also outlines different motherboard form factors like AT, ATX, MiniATX, and their specifications. The document provides an overview of the CPU, including its main components and specifications. It discusses other related components like the chipset, voltage regulator, and expansion bus standards.

1. Computer Architecture:
Core Hardware
Chapter 4
Motherboards
Eric Vanderburg
Eric Vanderburg – Core Hardware © 2005

2. Motherboard
• Sometimes called Mainboard or
Mobo
• Motherboard determines many things
about the system.
– CPU Type
– Ports
– Expansion slots
– RAM type & amount
– BIOS
– Any onboard components
• Video
• Sound
• NIC (RJ45 or 802.11)
Eric Vanderburg – Core Hardware © 2005

3. Form Factors
• AT (Advanced Technology)
– Oldest
– P8/P9 PSU connectors
– Size: 12x13 inches
• Baby AT
– P8/P9 PSU connectors
– Size: 12x8.7 inches
• ATX (Advanced Technology
Extended)
– P1 PSU connector
– Can be soft booted
– Size: 12x9.6
Eric Vanderburg – Core Hardware © 2005

4. Form Factors
• MiniATX
– Size: 11.2x8.2
• SFF (Small Form Factor)
– MicroATX (Size: 7.5x8.2 inches)
– BTX (Balanced Technology Extended)
– http://www.formfactors.org
Eric Vanderburg – Core Hardware © 2005

5. CPU (Central Processing
Unit)
• ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit) - calcs
• I/O Unit – manages the data coming
in or out of the CPU
• Control Unit – Manages CPU activity
• Registers – Fastest storage location
• Cache – Second Fastest (L1, L2, L3?)
• Internal Bus – BSB (Backside Bus)
Eric Vanderburg – Core Hardware © 2005

6. CPU Specifications
• Clock Speed/Core Speed – MHz
– FSB * Multiplier = Clock Speed
• Word size – internal data path size –
bits that can be processed in one
operation
• Code – code to make certain actions
faster (MMX (Multimedia Extension),
& SSE (Streaming Single Instruction
Multiple Data Extensions))
• FSB (Front Side Bus)
• Number of cores
• RAM support (amount & type)
Eric Vanderburg – Core Hardware © 2005

7. Important
• Charts
– Page 134
– Page 137
– Page 148
• CPU Packages – Page 144
• & Many more
Eric Vanderburg – Core Hardware © 2005

8. Voltage Regulator
• Controls how much power is given to
the CPU
• Another thing used for overclocking
• VRM (Voltage Regulator Module)
Eric Vanderburg – Core Hardware © 2005

9. Chipset
• North Bridge
– AGP/PCI-X
– RAM
– CPU
• South Bridge
– I/O controller
– PCI/ISA
– USB
– IDE/SCSI/SATA
Eric Vanderburg – Core Hardware © 2005

10. Bus
• Local Bus – In Sync with CPU
• Expansion Bus – Out of Sync
– System Bus/FSB
– PCI-X
Eric Vanderburg – Core Hardware © 2005

11. Other Slots
• AMR (Audio Modem Riser)
• CNR (Communications & Networking
Riser)
• These cards share processing with
the motherboard.
Eric Vanderburg – Core Hardware © 2005