What Would They Do Without Me?

If the CPU is the brain of the computer, the motherboard and its components are the major systems this brain uses to control the rest of the computer. It is possibly the most important part of the computer. Having a good understanding of how the motherboard and its contained subsystems work is probably the most critical part of getting a good understanding of how PCs work.

Here you can see the connection from the power supply to the motherboard. The power supply serves two functions. First of all it draws power from the outlet (usually 120V AC) and translates it into voltages the computer can use (usually 12V DC). It also runs the main cooling fan which prevents the computer from overheating which can be detrimental to the integrity of your data.

How Important Am I?

The motherboard is the foundation of any PC. All the critical subsystems, including the CPU, the system chipset, the memory, the system I/O, the expansion bus, and other critical components run directly off the motherboard. Likewise, the interconnections among these components are built into the motherboard itself. It manages all transactions of data between the CPU and the peripherals. It houses the CPU and its second level cache, the chipset, the BIOS, the main memory, the I/O chips, the port for the keyboard, the serial I/O, the parallel I/O, the disks, and the plug-in cards.

The motherboard is also referred to as the mainboard, system board, maincard or mothercard.

Jack of All Trades

The way the motherboard is laid out dictates how the entire computer is going to be organized. Everything is eventually connected to the motherboard, either directly or indirectly. As metioned above, it contains the chipset and the BIOS program which control most of the data flow within the computer. Almost all communication between the PC and its peripherals, other PCs, and you goes through the motherboard.

What does the acronym BIOS stand for?Answer

The motherboard determines what types of peripherals you can use in your PC. It also determines what type of processor and memory you can use. To this end, it directly determines your system's performance. The ability to upgrade your machine is almost entirely dependent on the motherboard.

The motherboard's general size, layout, and component placement is know as the form factor.

Cruise the Motherboard

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And There's More!

Who developed Plug and Play and in what year?Answer

Data exchange within the motherboard is handled by the ROM chip. It contains instructions which are specific for that particular motherboard. These instructions will remain in the PC throughout its life; usually they are not altered. Primarily the ROM code holds start-up instructions. In fact there are several different programs inside the start-up instructions.

The motherboard is an extremely complex and fascinating component of a computer. It is much more complex than the brief introduction given here. Please see the links below for more in depth information on the motherboard. As you continue your travels in search of computer knowledge, remember, the motherboard is to computers what Grand Central Station is to trains.

Motherboard HomeWorld The place to be for motherboard information! http://www.motherboards.org ASUS A leading motherboard manufacturer. http://www.asus.com.tw/ Silicon Integrated Systems A leading chipset manufacturer. http://www.sis.com.tw/ Award Software A leading BIOS designer. http://www.award.com/

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