Motherboards and Their Components - The motherboard represents the logical foundation of the computer. In other words, everything that makes a computer a computer must be attached to the motherboard. From the CPU to storage devices, from RAM to printer ports, the motherboard provides the connections that help them work together.
227 Categorized CompTIA A Plus Q and A - CompTIA A+ Certification is widely recognized as the first certification you should receive in an information technology(IT) career. Whether you are planning to specialize in PC hardware, Windows operating system management, or network management, the CompTIA A+ Certification exams measure the baseline skills you need to master in order to begin your journey toward greater responsibilities and achievements in information technology.
CompTIA A+ Certification is designed to be a "vendor-neutral" exam that measures your knowledge of industry-standard technology.
The number one goal of this Q and A tutorial is a simple one: to help you pass the 2009 version of the CompTIA A+ Certification Essentials Exam (number 220-701) and the Practical Application Exam (number 220-702), and thereby earn your CompTIA A+ Certification.
What is a Motherboard?
The motherboard is the main circuit board inside your PC. Every components at some point communicates through the motherboard, either by directly plugging into it or by communicating through one of the motherboards ports. The motherboard is one big communication highway. Its purpose inside your PC is to provide a platform for all the other components and peripherals to talk to each other.
Types of Motherboards
The type of motherboards depends on the CPU it was designed for. You can therefore categories motherboards by which socket type they have. e.g. Socket A, Socket 478 etc. The Type of motherboard you buy is very important, as it will need to house your CPU, and they are not interchangeable. When buying a motherboard, it will always tell you what socket type it has.
When Buying a Motherboard
As everything you have on the PC at some point needs the motherboard, you need to consider these components when buying a motherboard. Foe example, if you have a lot of devices with a PCI interface that you wish to use, there is little point buying a motherboard that only offers you 3 PCI slots. Like wise with memory, you have to make sure that there are enough slots for the amount of memory you have or wish to have.
The motherboard also needs the correct type of interface for your Memory, Graphics card, Hard disks and other items as well. You will find that most motherboards offer everything you need however it needs checking on when buying. Its especially important to pay detail to your motherboard if you want to use older components, which a new motherboard may or may not support.
The major difference between motherboards that support the same CPU is the model of the chipset (more on the chipset later). Different chipsets offer different performance and different features in terms of memory support, AGP port speed, Multiplier numbers, Bus speeds and much more.
Speed of a Motherboard
Motherboards have got to be one of the hardest components to measure the speed of. Performance can really only be measured by benchmarking using the same components in several motherboards of the same type. You often find that motherboards with the same chipset have roughly the same performance in real world tests. The minor differences that do occur are down to the quality of the materials used and the quality of the manufacturing.
The Motherboards speeds that are quoted on the box are maximum supported speeds for other components. For example motherboards will quote the maximum FSB (Front Side Bus) speed. However without a CPU that also supports this speed, it will never be reached. Likewise when it quotes the maximum memory speed. The memory of this speed has to be present.
What is a Motherboard Chipset?
A motherboard chipset controls all the data that flows through the data channels (buses) of the motherboard. The primary function of the motherboard chipset is to direct this data to the correct area's of the motherboard, and therefore the correct components.
Components of a Motherboard
The motherboard contains many connections for all type of components. Motherboards contain expansion slots such as the ISA, PCI, AGP and DIMM sockets. It also contains external connections for your onboard sound card, USB ports, Serial and Parallel ports, PS/2 ports for your keyboard and mouse as well as network and Firewire connections.
So the motherboard has a massive part to play in the workings of your PC. Components that you buy all rely on the motherboard to have the correct connections are available and working. Its best to buy a decent motherboard especially if you plan on buying extra's in the future.
Tips
Scams
On-line auctions are now the number one location where thefts and scams will occur. If at all possible look at the sellers history or profile. Always remember if it sounds to be good to true, it probably is.
Piracy
With the advances in technology it is now possible for anyone to make their own CDs it is possible that you may be buying copied software which is illegal. Ensure that the software you are buying is a authentic copy, documentation is included with the software, and the the CD does not appear to be burned. Generally burned CDs will have a unusual color such as green or gold tint. However it is still possible for someone to make CDs which can look like an ordinary CD. Another way of possibly determining if Illegal copy is the price. If for example you see a Adobe Photoshop 5.0 for $20-$70 dollars its more then likely not a authentic copy. If it sounds to be good to be true it probably is.
On-line Auctions
Companies such as E-bay or Yahoo may provide auctions which other people have the capability of listing products that they are selling. We recommend that if you purchase through an an auction that you only pay by check to prevent possible credit card fraud. If you need to user your credit card consider such options as PayPal.
Return Policy
Ensure that the you verify what the resellers return policy may be incase the device is not functioning or is not compatible with your computer.
Extra Note: Generally software cannot be returned to the place of purchase to help prevent software piracy.
Extra Note: Generally software cannot be returned to the place of purchase to help prevent software piracy.
Warranty
Verify the warranty on the product insuring that it is either provided by the manufacture of the product or the place of purchase.
CPU Compatible
There are a wide variety of different types of CPU Sockets and Slots. When looking at purchasing a motherboard ensure it is compatible with the CPU you have or that it will be compatible with the CPU you plan on purchasing.
Upgrade
Upgrading a motherboard on the computer allows for new improved hardware to be added into the computer.
Upgrade
Upgrading a motherboard on the computer will speed up the overall performance of the computer. May not be noticeable.
P4 System Optimization During Installation
When you install OS (other than WinXP) on an Intel 845 or 850 chipset based Pentium4 system, you need to install the chipset driver before any other drivers, such as video card and sound card. Here's the installation order.
- OS (Win2000, 9x, Me)
- Service Pack (if necessary)
- Chipset Driver (usually in the CD that comes with your motherboard)
- Drivers for Other Devices
It makes difference in performance, especially for video.
ASUS P4T + 1GB RDRAM + Win9X/Me = Not Good
Currently, ASUS P4T motherboards with 1GB of populated RDRAM will not work within a Windows 9X/Me environment. This is not much of a tragedy since there is no particular reason to have 1GB of RAM on a Win9X/Me system -- they only offer performance gains up to 512MB. However, this may cause problems for people intending to do dual-boot systems, so be aware.
General P4 Guidelines
P4 systems currently require RDRAM memory (Rambus, RIMM..). The P4 platform will supposedly support SDRAM by the end of 2001.
General P4 Guidelines
Boxed CPUs come with 2 x 64MB (total of 128MB) RIMM. These are not ECC. Intel may begin packaging 2 x 128MB RIMMs in the future.
General P4 Guidelines
RDRAM can be PC600, 700 or 800. The modules that come with the CPU are PC800, the fastest type.
General P4 Guidelines
Memory has to be installed as a pair. That's why the CPU comes with 2 x 64MB, instead of 1 x 128MB. The pair of the memory has to be the same size, type (ECC or non-ECC) and speed (PC600 or PC800).
General P4 Guidelines
The case has to have 4 specific holes to support a big heatsink. An Antec case (#A58) and a mid tower case (#A51) have the holes. The new aluminum cases do as well.
General P4 Guidelines
P4 motherboards have a new 12V connection. In order to use P4 with a regular power supply (without the 12V connector), you need to use a PC Power&Cooling 12VATX adapter. This will convert the regular power connection to 12VATX connection. Or, you can replace the power supply with one that already has the 12VATX connection.
Microsoft Windows 2000 Patch for AGP Applications on AMD Athlon and AMD Duron Processors
AMD says, "An issue has been identified that could result in the corruption of video data shared between AGP graphics adapters and AMD Athlon or AMD Duron processors when running Microsoft Windows 2000. This issue is independent of system chipset and has been observed when running Ziff-Davis 3D Winbench 2000 and Mad Onion 3DMark 2000 in benchmarking mode. AMD and Microsoft have worked together to identify a patch that involves adding a key to the registry. To add the key run the registry key installation file below or add the registry key as detailed in Microsoft KnowledgeBase article Q270715. AMD recommends that AMD Athlon and AMD Duron users with AGP graphics adapters running Windows 2000 install this patch.
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