What is a Motherboard?

The motherboard serves as a single platform to connect all of the parts of a computer together. It can be considered as the backbone of the computer.

What is a Motherboard?

A computer is an electronic device that processes the data with respect to the user’s requirements using IO devices. The data processing takes place in a processor, an important component. The processor is situated in a hardware circuit board called the motherboard or printed circuit board (PCB).

It connects the CPU, memory, hard drives, optical drives, video card, sound card, and other parts. It also connects expansion cards directly or via cables.

History of Motherboard

The first-ever motherboard was used by the IBM in early 1980s. It was eventually called a planar. It is the main component through which the communication takes place between the other components and connects all the peripherals, therefore referred to as the motherboard. A computer is lifeless without a motherboard. The other extensions of the motherboard are referred to as daughter boards. 

How Does a Motherboard Work?

The power supply transfers electricity to the motherboard so that the computer can use it when you turn on the computer. Data buses are used to transfer information between the southbridge and northbridge component of motherboard.

The northbridge motherboard component is used to make the data connections to the CPU, RAM, or PCIe. The RAM starts feeding the CPU inputs. Depending on the type of card which you have, after being written to the PCIe the data is either copied or relocated to the expansion card.

The southbridge motherboard component controls the data connection to the BIOS, the universal serial bus (USB), the serial advanced technology attachment (SATA), and the PCI bus. now your computer starts because signals sent to BIOS.

The left components interact via an electrical signal. A microchip’s northbridge or southbridge elements pass through data buses. The data will be encoded into a programming language (1 and 0). When a signal is transfer to a motherboard, the motherboard will start processing and translate information into a language the other component can comprehend.

Components of Motherboard

A motherboard is made of plastic and silicon as well. It is a hub of a computer system. A motherboard is a complex component with various kinds of ports, slots, cables connected to it. 
Some of them are: 

• CPU Slot: The CPU can be installed in this space. It serves as a connector between a motherboard and a microprocessor. It makes the CPU easier to operate and guards against harm when installing or removing it. It also has a lock to stop the CPU from moving and a heat sink to get rid of the additional heat.
• RAM Slot: The RAM (Random Access Memory) is installed in a memory slot or socket on the motherboard. A computer may have two or more memory slots.
• Expansion Slot: It is often referred to as an extension port or a bus slot. It is a connection or port on the motherboard that offers a place to put an expansion card for components. It goes by the names bus slot and expansion port as well. It is a port or connection on the motherboard that offers a place to add a hardware expansion card. For instance, you could buy a video expansion card, put it in the expansion slot, and then install a new video card in the computer. AGP, AMR, CNR, PCI, and other popular expansion slots in computers are only a few examples.
• Capacitor: Two conducting plates and a thin insulator are placed together to form a capacitor. These components are contained in a plastic bag.
• Inductor(Coil): A conducting wire is wrapped around an iron core to create an electromagnetic coil known as an inductor. It stores magnetic energy by functioning as an electromagnet or inductor.
• Northbridge: An integrated chip called the northbridge enables communication between the CPU interface, AGP, and memory. Additionally, it enables communication between the southbridge chip and the graphics controller, CPU, and RAM.
• Southbridge: Controls the input and output functions. Due to its location, it is referred to as southbridge. it enables communication between the northbridge chip.
• USB Port: You can attach hardware like a mouse and keyboard to your computer using the USB port.
• PCI Slot: This term refers to a slot. It enables you to connect Peripheral Component Interconnect Slot(PCI) hardware, like as sound and video cards, network hardware, and modems. These are used to connects the peripherals.
• AGP Slot: This is referred to as an Accelerated Graphics Port(AGP) slot. The slot for connecting graphics cards is provided. It is used for displaying graphics on the screen.
• Heat Sink: The heat created by the computer processor is absorbed and dispersed by the heat sink. Its main function is to cool down the CPU by absorbing the heat while the system is running.
• Power Connector: The purpose of the power connector is to give power to the motherboard.
• CMOS Battery: Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor is the abbreviation for the CMOS Battery. It is a storage memory. A battery that provides backup power.
• Integrated Circuits (IC): IC is also very important component of motherboard. Integrated circuit is used for data processing and storage.

Types of Motherboard

There are many types of motherboard as shown below.

1. Advanced Technology (AT) motherboard

These motherboards have sockets and connectors with six prongs apiece for the power connections. Users frequently have difficulties when attempting to connect and use these power connections because it might be challenging to recognise them. Such motherboards were very popular in the 1980s, and production of them lasted well into the 2000s.

2. Standard ATX motherboard

This motherboard comes in 305*244mm (length*breadth) dimensions, these dimensions can vary with different manufacturer. This motherboard offers more expansion slots, up to four slots for RAM, Two or sometimes more than two PCIe slots for dual graphics cards and more USB and other ports for connectivity, also its size gives space in between components for airflow to keep heat in control.

3. Micro ATX motherboard

This motherboards come in 244*244 mm (length*breadth) dimensions (these dimensions can vary with different manufacturer.). This Motherboard has less ports and slots as compared to Standard ATX board. This type of motherboard is more suitable for those who don’t want to much connectivity and later upgrades like adding more ram and additional GPU or Graphics card and adding PCI cards.

4. eXtended ATX motherboard

This motherboard is 344*330 mm dimensions (these dimensions can vary with different manufacturer). This motherboard is designed for both dual CPU and single configuration and has up to 8 ram slots and has more PCIe and PCI slots for adding PCI cards for different purposes.

5. Flex ATX motherboard

They are regarded as the most compact members of the ATX family. They had a small price tag and were made to take up the least amount of space possible. Mini ATX was modified into Flex ATX by Intel between 1999 and 2000.

6. Low-Profile EXtended (LPX) motherboard

In comparison to previous motherboard, this has two significant changes. The output and input ports were relocated to the device’s back as the first change, In comparison to previous iterations, and the second change was added a riser card, which makes it simpler to attach components.

7. BTX motherboard

A method known as balanced technology extended, or BTX for short, was created to meet the demands of developing technologies, which ask for higher power consumption and, as a result, produce more heat. In order to focus on low-power CPUs, Intel stopped making BTX boards in the middle of the 2000s.

8. Pico BTX motherboard

These boards are referred to as Pico due to their small size when compared to a regular motherboard. Despite the fact that the top half of the BTX is shared, two expansion slots are supported. It is made to satisfy the demands of digital applications, and its distinguishing features include the half-height or riser cards.

9. Mini ITX motherboard

It is significant to note that the information technology extended (ITX) motherboard does not exist in a standard size. The motherboard has been reduced in size and made smaller than in previous generations in its place. It was created in the 2000s, and it is 17 by 17 centimetres in size.

10. Mini STX motherboard

The motherboard presently known as the tiny-STX, which stands for tiny socket technology extended, was originally given the designation “Intel 55”. Despite being a 2015 invention, the motherboard is 147 millimetres by 140 millimetres in size.

Features of Motherboard

A motherboard comes with following features:

• Motherboard varies greatly in supporting various types of components.
• Motherboard supports a single type of CPU and few types of memories.
• Video cards, Hard drives, Sound cards have to be compatible with the motherboard to function properly.
• Motherboard, Cases, and Power supplies must be compatible to work properly together.

Advantages of Motherboard

• A motherboard is the main component without it a computer cannot function.
• Any peripheral can be connected and data transfer is faster.

FAQs on Motherboard

Q.1: Where is motherboard located?

Answer:

The majority of the components and computer peripherals connect to a motherboard inside the computer chassis. The motherboard, which is the largest circuit board in tower computers, is located on either the left or right side of the tower.

Q.2: Why do motherboards need cooling?

Answer:

Voltage regulator modules (VRMs), one component on motherboards, can become warm during use because of it motherboard need cooling.

Q.3: What are the main functions of the motherboard?

Answer:

Below are some main functions of the motherboard.

• Motherboard act as backbone of system. other components of computer like CPU, RAM and hard disk can not be installed without motherboard.
• It behave as the platform to install other devices using their expansion slots.
• Motherboard is the main power supplier which transfer power to other components of computer.

Q.4: Name some popular Manufacturers of Motherboard.

Answer:

Following are the popular manufacturers of the motherboard:

• ASUS
• Intel
• Gigabyte
• MSI
• ABIT