MODULE 4 - Motherboards
Motherboard
- Is the main component of a computer
- Often referred to as main board or ‘mobo’ for short
- Basically, a large circuit board that fits in the computer case and it’s where all computer
components connect to such as;
CPU (Central Processing Unit) Socket
Memory Slots – Where primary memory DIMM modules known as RAM are inserted
Bus slots or Expansion slots – used to install various components to add more capabilities to a
computer such as Video card, Sound card, Network card, and so on.
SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) connectors – this is where the storage devices
are attached
M.2 Slot – newer slot for attaching M.2 Solid-state drive
Platform Controller Hub (PCH)
- Modern motherboards includes the latest chipset architecture by Intel that replaced the older
architecture which is composed by chipsets called north bridge and south bridge.
Chipsets
- The north bridge which is located on the upper part of a motherboard, acts like a
middleman between the CPU, PCI-Express (Peripheral Component Interconnect
Express) bus, and memory.
- The south bridge which is located on the lower part of a motherboard is responsible for
things like the standard PCI slots, SATA connectors, USB ports, and so on.
- In order for the CPU to communicate with these lower interfaces, it had to go through
the south bridge.
- In PCH, the functions of north bridge have been integrated into the CPU, so the north bridge has
been completely eliminated
- Similarly, the functions of the south bridge are now done entirely by the PCH chip
Input/Output Interfaces
- Located on the rear input/output panel of the motherboard
1. PS/2(Personal System/2) Connector
o Is a 6 pin multi-din connector
o A motherboard would typically have 2 of these and are usually located towards the top of
the motherboard
o Green is for the mouse, while Purple is for keyboard
o Are older technology and is being phased out in favor of the USB port.
2. USB (Universal Serial Bus) Port
o Motherboards will typically have several USB ports because there are so many different
peripherals that utilize the USB interface, such as keyboard, mice, cameras, external drives,
and printers.
o In addition to connectivity, the USB port supplies electrical power to that specific device
o Some are mounted on the rear input/output panel, while some are located directly on the
surface of the motherboard
o USB 1.0
▪ Released in 1996
▪ Had a transfer speed of 1.5 Mb/s
o USB 1.1
▪ Released in 1998
▪ Had a transfer speed of 12 Mb/s
o USB 2.0
▪ Released in 2001
▪ Had a transfer speed of 480 Mb/s
o USB 3.0
▪ Released in 2008
▪ Had a transfer speed of 5 Gb/s
3. Serial Port
o An older technology that can be found on older motherboards
o The term serial refers to sending data 1 bit at a time
o Mainly used for connecting terminals and modems to computers
o Widely replaced by the faster USB interface
o The most common interface of a serial port is the RS-232 standard which uses the common
D connector such as DE-9
4. Parallel Port
o Mainly used for connecting printers
o Is also being phased out like the serial port
o It uses a wide D sub connector known as DB-25
o Unlike serial port, the parallel port sends data simultaneously over several parallel channels
5. Video Adapter
o Not all motherboards have video adapter
o Also known as integrated video (if it’s built in) because the video adapter and the
motherboard are essentially one unit
o Generates images from your computer to the monitor
o Older motherboards will have either DVI or VGA port while modern motherboard will have
HDMI port or a display port.
▪ The VGA carries analog data and it has 15 pins divided into 3 rows and usually has
blue color
o Integrated video adapters are not very powerful and only good for light applications but fall
short if used on demanding video games
6. IEEE Connector (also known as Firewire)
o Recognized by its D shape
o Commonly used to attach devices such as digital cameras and printers
o Very similar to USB port as they both have similar speed but is not as popular as USB
o Not commonly found in modern motherboards anymore
o Has a transfer speed of 400 Mb/s
7. Network Interface Card (NIC)
o Used for networking purposes such as connecting to the internet and sharing data between
computers
o Designed for RJ45 connector with an ethernet cable to connect the computer to a network
o Provides a computer with a constant dedicated connection to a network
o Each has its own unique identifier called a MAC address
o Has transfer speed ranges from 10 to 1000 Mb/s
8. Sound Card
o Also called Integrated Sound if it’s built in
o What process audio into the computer speakers
o Has an audio output port for attaching speakers and an input port for a microphone for
recording purposes
o Some sophisticated sound card will have extra ports, such as for subwoofers and surround
sound and ports for other digital audio equipment
9. eSATA Port (External SATA)
o is used for attaching external SATA drive such as external hard drives
o Functions similar to a USB and Firewire but the transfer speed is faster
o However, it needs a separate power plug to supply the drive with power
o But there is the new eSATAp which is power over eSATA which combines data transfer and
power all in one port, similar to USB and Firewire
Different Form Factors of Motherboard
- Motherboards come in different shapes and sizes, and this is called Form Factors.
- Aside from the dimensions, it also includes the type of power supply and power connectors, the
rear I/O panel, the mounting holes, and so on.
1. ATX (Advanced Technology Extended)
- A non-proprietary industry specification that was created by Intel back in 1995
- the most common form factor
- the de factor standard motherboard form factor
- Measures 12 in x 9.6 in
- Have 20 or 24(for mother motherboards) pin power connector
- Will have several expansion slots (like 6 expansion slot)
2. AT (Advanced Technology)
- Used in 1980’s and was developed by IBM
- Measures 12 in x 13.8 in
- No longer in development since the succession of ATX
3. Micro ATX
- Are smaller than ATX boards
- Measures 9.6 in x 9.6 in, so it is square in shape
- Are cheaper than ATX boards and were designed to fit in smaller computer cases
- Has fewer components and consumes less power
- Also have 20 or 24(for mother motherboards) pin power connector
- Have also fewer expansion slots (such as 3 expansion slots only)
4. Mini ITX (Information Technology eXtended)”
- Released in 2001
- Consumes less power, and were often cooled only by the use of heat sinks and not by fans
- Developed by VIA technologies
- Measures 6.7 in x 6.7 in
- Only have one expansion slot and 2 memory slot
- Will fit to any computer case that’s meant for ATX and Micro ATX
5. Nano ITX
- Released in 2005
- Used for in devices such as digital video recorders, media centers, and cars
6. Pico ITX
- Released in 2007
7. Mobile ITX
- Released in 2009
- The smallest x86 CPU module specification in the industry
- Measures 6 cm x 6 cm
- Designed to provide developers with a standardized and ultra-compact specification for
building new computer-based products
8. BTX (Balanced Technology eXtended)
- Designed by Intel to make further improvements from the ATX such as an improved board
design which creates a more inline airflow which improves cooling
- Memory and Bus slots are horizontal flowing with the direction of the airflow, instead of
inhibiting it compared to the ATX form factor
- Designed to be flexible enough to work on both smaller and larger cases
- Failed due to newer CPUs and chipsets becoming more energy efficient which required
less power and resulted in reducing heat
9. NLX (New Low-Profile Extended)
- Created by Intel
- Designed for low-end and low-profile computers
- Uses a riser card for expansion cards where they can plug in parallel with the computer
- Used in slim line computer cases
