Motherboard Basics

Running Heading: MOTHERBOARD BASICS

Motherboard Basics

Abstract

As the title of this paper suggest, the research within is to inform the reader about motherboard basics. The basic components of a motherboard will be explored, as well as the evolution of motherboards over the years. Also, key factors to take into consideration when purchasing a motherboard will be discussed. The research within will hopefully give the reader a better understanding of motherboards.

Motherboard Basics

“A motherboard, also known as main board, system board, or logic boards on Apple Computers, and sometimes abbreviated as mobo is the central or primary circuit board making up a complex electronic system, such as modern day computer” (Motherboard). If the CPU is thought of as the brain of a PC then the motherboard can be thought of as the central nervous system (Choosing). The processor, memory, and expansion slots are all held by the motherboard, and connect directly or indirectly to every single part of a PC. A chipset (also known as “glue logic”), some code in ROM, and interconnections or busses are used to make up the motherboard (Motherboards).

Early on computers had few integrated devices, just ports for a keyboard and a cassette deck for storage. Everything else, including the display adapter and floppy, were add in components. Expansion slots were used to connect all add in components.

As recently as 1995 I/O ports and disk controllers were mounted on expansion cards. Overtime more components have been integrated on the motherboard. Today components such as graphics cards, networking, SCSI, and sound usually remain separate form the motherboard. Some manufacturers have integrated some or all of these components into the motherboard (Evolution).

When these components are added to the motherboard, drawbacks exist. “It is harder to upgrade the specification if integrated components can not be removed, and highly integrated motherboards often...