What are Motherboards?
Motherboards are also known as mainboards, or system boards, and are the backbone of a computer. Motherboards provide the electrical connections through which other parts of the computer communicate. They are also home to the central processing unit, or CPU, which is the brain of the computer. All electrical components of a computer including peripheral devices plug in to the motherboards in some manner. Most motherboards produced today are for IBM compatible computers. IBM compatibles account for 90% of computer sales. But, motherboards are not limited to computers. They exist in many electrical devices such as mobile phones, watches, and clocks. The modern motherboard contains a variety of components including: 1. electrical sockets for the CPU 2. sockets for the main memory 3. Chipset 4. non-volatile memory chips 5. clock generator 6. power connectors 7. input device connectors and expansion slots
The motherboard has electrical sockets for the microprocessor. There can be more than one microprocessor on the motherboard. The microprocessor is also referred to as a CPU, or central processing unit. The CPU is where execution of computer programs takes place.
Motherboards contain the sockets for the system?s main memory, usually comprised of dual inline memory modules. These are also called DIMM modules. They contain dynamic random access memory chips. These are also known as DRAM chips.
Integrated circuits that interface main memory with peripheral buses are called chipsets and these are present on motherboards as well. These chipsets can be referred to as the Northbridge and Southbridge. The Northbridge being responsible for high speed devices and the Southbridge being responsible for low speed devices. The performance of the computer is related to the speed of the motherboard chipset.
A chipset comprised of integrated circuits, which service to connect the main memory with the peripheral buses, is located on the motherboard. This chipset is often separated into two sections the Northbridge and the Southbridge. The Northbridge is far better known as it controls high-speed devices. The lesser-known Southbridge controls low-speed devices, such as sound chips.
Motherboards contain a clock generator. This clock generator is a circuit with the basic operation of producing a signal for synchronizing the computer. Some people who are well skilled at computers change the clock generator to control speed of the central processing unit and random access memory.
Motherboards usually contain expansion slots, or sockets. These are areas where computer owners can add expansion cards to increase the functionality of the computer system. These expansion slots can be used for adding things like graphic cards, sound cards or input/output devices.
Motherboards contain components known as power connector flickers. These flickers take power from the main supply and dispense power throughout the computer. These flickers provide power to the CPU, chipsets, main memory, and expansion cards.
Occasionally motherboards quit working properly. Some symptoms of motherboard malfunction include: 1. a computer lock up 2. one long beep and three short beeps 3. change or incorrect time 4. an error message appears on your computer that indicates DMA, CMOS battery or RAM failure 5. the computer power light is working, but the computer will not boot up
Filed under: Computers & Technology